Since March a family in Scotland has been using recycled vegetable oil to heat their home. The renewable liquid fuel is made from certified waste fats and oils and manufactured by a synthesised process with hydrogen to create the fuel. Sally Guyoncourt discusses latest developments in an article on the inews website.
Family become first in Scotland to go green at home using recycled vegetable oil for heating
The Allan family has become the first in Scotland to own a hot property with green credentials after converting their heating system to use recycled vegetable oil.
Their house in Drymen, Stirlingshire is part of a year-long trial to gather data and promote the use of the green fuel hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) rather than traditional heating oil.
Jodie Allan, who lives with husband David and children Joseph and Maddison, said: “We switched to HVO in March, and everything has gone smoothly with no difference to the heating.”
Both their heating and hot water are fuelled by HVO.
The renewable liquid fuel is made from certified waste fats and oils and manufactured by a synthesised process with hydrogen to create the fuel.
The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) has accredited it as a sustainable fuel made from waste products or crops, which does not contribute to deforestation
It is said to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent.
The home heating project, backed by the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and Oil and Renewable Heating Technologies (OFTEC), is hoped will help Scotland move towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045.
But there is a financial price to pay as converting a heating system to use the green fuel can range from £500 to £1,000.
And Ms Allan, a past president of UKIFDA who put her home forward for the trial, said: “The current cost of renewable liquid fuels is approximately three times traditional heating oil and while the cost of conversion is much smaller than other solutions, it could be a barrier for some.
“Hopefully, the trial will help stimulate interest in HVO, increase the supply of the fuel and reduce the cost.”
There are currently 129,000 oil heated homes in Scotland and more than 1.5million in the UK.
The Allan’s home is one of a number in the UK taking part in the HVO pilot.
UKIFDA CEO Ken Cronin has called on the Scottish Government and Westminster to get behind the scheme in the drive to net zero.
Ms Allan said: “Hopefully the results can convince others switching from fossil fuels to HVO is the way forward.”
External link
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 