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New Energy World magazine logo
New Energy World magazine logo
ISSN 2753-7757 (Online)

Heat for less in UK social housing trial

22/1/2025

8 min read

Feature

Man standing next to heat unit in brick outbuilding Photo: Power Circle
Terry Bridges, tenant at Eastlight Community Homes, next to the Thermify unit that harvests waste heat from server processing. Most tenants’ units will be mounted outside the home (although the first unit pictured here was sited in an outbuilding).

Photo: (AI modified to extend width): Power Circle

The heat generated from cooling data servers, among other low-carbon technologies, is being used to warm the homes of social housing tenants in a government-funded trial project in south-east England. The project is providing access to cutting-edge technology that would normally cost thousands to eligible tenants at no cost, writes Jon Cape, Managing Director of Power Circle Projects.

Currently, only the top 20% of UK households can afford to retrofit their homes. However, SHIELD (Smart Heat and Intelligent Energy in Low-Income Districts) is empowering customers to generate their own electricity, store it and reduce their heating costs.

 

The scheme aims to combat fuel poverty among low-income and vulnerable households. Through SHIELD, low-income households could cut their energy bills by 40% or more, based on current modelling using Ofgem TDCV (typical domestic consumption value) assumptions.

 

SHIELD involves utilising a social enterprise energy services company (ESCo) that can develop, install and operate low-carbon energy systems on behalf of social landlords and homeowners, as well as aggregate these systems to secure low-cost finance from institutional funders.

 

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