Revolutionary: The Flow boiler looks much like any other, but it will generate electricity . A new boiler could slash energy bills for families by turning their homes into mini power stations. The gas boiler – designed by a British firm – provides heating and hot water, while also fuelling an electricity generator to power household appliances. Its maker claims that as well as making electricity bills cheaper, the boiler may eventually allow conventional power stations to be closed. The company, Flow Energy, said it will provide the boilers – the first of which are due to be installed early next year – without householders paying for them up-front. Instead the firm will be paid over five years through a monthly supplement on bills. Crucially, this supplement should be cancelled out by savings on electricity as households generate their own power. This means energy bills will be no cheaper to begin with – but once the initial five-year contract is up, families will start to see considerable savings. They will use some of the electricity themselves, while any excess can be put into the National Grid. Flow claims households could eventually save £500 a year through a combination of lower electricity bills and selling excess energy. If homeowners agree to split the benefits with the company, it will continue to provide a warranty on the generator after the five-year contract is up. In a conventional boiler, gas is burned to heat water, which then passes through the home’s pipes and radiators. By contrast, gas in a Flow boiler heats another liquid – a coolant similar to that used in refrigerators – until it evaporates. The vapour then moves through a device called a scroll expander, which starts to spin, acting as a mini electricity generator. Scroll down for video . How it works: The boiler works much like a conventional one - except that it contains a generator that produces electricity as well as helping to heat the home . The heat from the vapour is then transferred to water in the boiler, which flows into the home’s taps and radiators. Adding this extra stage in the process does use slightly more gas. But Flow estimates the cost of this to be no more than £50 a year, which it says is easily cancelled out by the savings on electricity bills. Initially, although the equipment itself is free, customers will need to pay to have the boiler installed. At the same time, they must sign up with Flow for a minimum of five years, accepting its tariffs without the option of shopping around for a cheaper deal. The boiler also only generates electricity when the heating is on, so its output will be greatly reduced during the summer. Testing testing: The Flow boilers are currently being prepared for a launch in January 2015 . But Flow said it can still generate around 1800kWh of electricity a year – about half of what a typical household needs. Flow’s chief executive Tony Stiff said it is much more efficient to generate electricity close to the point of use than in a power station. The company claims that if 20million Flow boilers were installed across the UK, consumers would save more than £4billion a year on bills. It also says the reduction in carbon emissions would be equivalent to shutting 30 coal-fired power stations.
Flow Energy say their boilers could lead to normal power stations closing .
New device uses gas to heat liquid similar to coolant used in refrigerators .
Vapour then causes mechanism to spin - acting as mini-electricity generator .
Firm say 20 million of its boilers would save UK consumers £4billion a year .
Revolutionary: The Flow boiler looks much like any other, but it will generate electricity . A new boiler could slash energy bills for families by turning their homes into mini power stations. The gas boiler – designed by a British firm – provides heating and hot water, while also fuelling an electricity generator to power household appliances. Its maker claims that as well as making electricity bills cheaper, the boiler may eventually allow conventional power stations to be closed. The company, Flow Energy, said it will provide the boilers – the first of which are due to be installed early next year – without householders paying for them up-front. Instead the firm will be paid over five years through a monthly supplement on bills. Crucially, this supplement should be cancelled out by savings on electricity as households generate their own power. This means energy bills will be no cheaper to begin with – but once the initial five-year contract is up, families will start to see considerable savings. They will use some of the electricity themselves, while any excess can be put into the National Grid. Flow claims households could eventually save £500 a year through a combination of lower electricity bills and selling excess energy. If homeowners agree to split the benefits with the company, it will continue to provide a warranty on the generator after the five-year contract is up. In a conventional boiler, gas is burned to heat water, which then passes through the home’s pipes and radiators. By contrast, gas in a Flow boiler heats another liquid – a coolant similar to that used in refrigerators – until it evaporates. The vapour then moves through a device called a scroll expander, which starts to spin, acting as a mini electricity generator. Scroll down for video . How it works: The boiler works much like a conventional one - except that it contains a generator that produces electricity as well as helping to heat the home . The heat from the vapour is then transferred to water in the boiler, which flows into the home’s taps and radiators. Adding this extra stage in the process does use slightly more gas. But Flow estimates the cost of this to be no more than £50 a year, which it says is easily cancelled out by the savings on electricity bills. Initially, although the equipment itself is free, customers will need to pay to have the boiler installed. At the same time, they must sign up with Flow for a minimum of five years, accepting its tariffs without the option of shopping around for a cheaper deal. The boiler also only generates electricity when the heating is on, so its output will be greatly reduced during the summer. Testing testing: The Flow boilers are currently being prepared for a launch in January 2015 . But Flow said it can still generate around 1800kWh of electricity a year – about half of what a typical household needs. Flow’s chief executive Tony Stiff said it is much more efficient to generate electricity close to the point of use than in a power station. The company claims that if 20million Flow boilers were installed across the UK, consumers would save more than £4billion a year on bills. It also says the reduction in carbon emissions would be equivalent to shutting 30 coal-fired power stations.
stations to be closed. The company, Flow Energy, conventional boiler, gas is burned to heat water, heats another liquid – a coolant similar to that scroll expander, which starts to spin, acting as consumers would save more than £4billion a year coal-fired power stations.