The zero-emissions boilers, which are produced by tepeo and valued at around £7,500, work akin to a battery in that heat is stored efficiently until it is required. They are a low carbon alternative to traditional gas and oil boilers, doing the same heating job but without the emissions.

The boilers automatically work out when they need to be charged, and then do so at the cheapest times of the day, helping households to keep their energy bills as low as possible. It has been suggested that the boilers could help customers to cut their carbon emissions by as much as 40%.

They are being fitted for free, and households will be able to keep them once the 12-month trial comes to an end. Only 30 households will be able to take advantage, with Ovo customers invited to register their interest on the Ovo Energy website.

The free boilers are part of the Neat Heat project, which is being run by UK Power Networks. 

Those taking part will have access to ‘Neat Heat credits’, which can be used to access cheaper energy rates when charging the boiler. It means that households will only pay 12p per kWh used when charging the boiler. By comparison, the government’s energy price guarantee has set the unit rate for electricity at a little over 34p.

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Raman Bhatia, chief executive of Ovo, said: “With household heating accounting for 17% of the UK’s carbon emissions, Neat Heat 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.”

Preparing for larger bills

The launch of the trial comes after a new scheme went live, promising households the opportunity to receive discounts from moving their energy use into off-peak times. So far Ovo, Octopus, British Gas and EDF have said they will be taking part in the scheme.

However, it seems likely that we will all face further substantial increases to energy bills next year, with energy market analyst Cornwall Insight suggesting that average households will pay £3,702 from next April when the energy price guarantee concludes.