Ovo Energy customers can now apply for a smart boiler worth £7,500, which will be installed for free as part of a new trial.
The energy supplier, together with UK Power Networks and tepeo, plans to install zero-carbon boilers that will cut households’ carbon emissions by 40%, and lower their energy bills following soaring energy price rises this year.
Checking your boiler is working efficiently can be a quick and easy energy saving tip for lowering heating bills, but this trial could be particularly valuable for households with inefficient or old boilers.
Only 30 households in East and South East England will be selected for the 12-month trial, and homeowners will be able to keep the boilers at the end of the trial.
How do these smart boilers work?
OVO Energy says the Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB — pictured above) operates like a battery, storing heat until it is required, then distributing it through the home at the cheapest and 'greenest' parts of the day.
The smart boiler automatically works out when the grid is likely to be greener and uses flexible energy tariffs when it needs to charge, so households use less power and save energy while lowering their carbon footprint.
Under the trial, participating households will be charged at their standard rate for their energy use, then OVO will check how much electricity was used under the smart boiler and add credits to their bills so households pay a lower rate.
Households will pay around 12p per kWh on the trial. This is in contrast to the current capped unit rate for electricity under the Energy Price Guarantee of 34.04p per KWh.
The ZEB boilers will work with radiators and underfloor heating systems, although you will need to have a smart meter and hot water cylinder installed to be eligible. The boilers take around one to two days to install.
Ovo chief executive Raman Bhatia said: “With household heating accounting for 17% of the UK’s carbon emissions, Neat Heat [trial] drives forward our commitment to promoting zero carbon living and a sustainable future, whilst helping our customers to lower their energy bills through the provision of smart green tech solutions.”
Ovo customers can register for the trial online.
