Garden-Shed Data Centre Slashes UK Couple’s Energy Bills by £335 a Month
Terrence and Lesley Bridges, from Braintree in Essex, have become the first people in the UK to trial a scheme which sees their gas boiler swapped for tiny computers. The data centre, which houses more than 500 computer banks, generates heat which is then captured and conveyed into the couple's hot water system. The HeatHub data centre is stored in their 2.44 m by 1.83 m garden shed.
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Bridges’ Bill Breakthrough How £375 Became £40–£70 a Month
Mr Bridges, 76, was paying £375 a month in heating and electricity bills for his two-bedroom bungalow which he shares with his wife Lesley, 75. However, with the HeatHub data centre, stored in their garden shed, his bills now stand between £40 and £70.
HeatHub Tech in a Garden Shed and the SHIELD Partners
Travis Theune, CEO and co-founder of Thermify, explained: "You can do clean energy or you can do cheap energy - it has been challenging to provide clean and affordable power." This solution provides an opportunity to do that. The goal of the company and our mission state is to reduce and eliminate fuel poverty in the UK. We've found a way to heat people's homes by using electricity that is already been utilised. Daniel Greenwood, Head of Asset Management & Investment at Eastlight Community Homes, said: "We're proud to work with our SHIELD partners to implement the first heat hub installation in the UK, as well as other practical ways to make our homes warmer, greener and cheaper for residents to run. Data centre technology, such as the Thermify Heat Hub, is a clear example of how innovation can improve day-to-day living while helping us achieve our Energy Performance Certificate targets at pace. The trial in Mr Bridges' home shows strong carbon reductions and much lower heating costs. With the potential to support many more households, we look forward to working with our partners to roll out this initiative to a further 50 homes in the next phase of the project."
Future of Low-Cost Clean Heat Growth Plans and Government Backing
Jack McKellar, UK Power Networks innovation programme manager, said: "SHIELD is our flagship innovation project, an ambitious programme designed to enable vulnerable and low-income households to benefit from new low-carbon technology. Backed by Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund, we aim to scale this up to 100,000 units annually by 2030. We don't want anyone to miss out on the benefits of new and emerging technologies, as the UK moves towards a greener future."
