The future of energy is a complex and constantly moving topic, however if you’re about to replace household appliances like your central heating boiler, or you’re moving house all together, what energy source you might use in the future becomes a key consideration.

Home appliances and the future of domestic energy

The global move towards net zero emissions by 2050 means that we are all thinking about alternative methods to heat and power our homes.

The energy industry is preparing for such a shift and bringing lower-emission, more future-proof products to the market.

You may not have heard of the H100 Fife project, but it is something we are keeping an eye on.

It is a world-first green hydrogen-to-homes heating network being trialled not too far away on the Scottish coast.

While the UK and indeed the Isle of Man is not yet ready for nationwide domestic adoption of green hydrogen, H100 is a promising sign that this emission-less fuel is definitely on the way.

Before 100% hydrogen networks are widely available, there will be an interim step through the use of blended fuel, where a portion of the gas supplied is made up of hydrogen.

New boilers due on the market in the next few years will be badged as either ‘Hydrogen Blend Ready’ or ‘Hydrogen Ready’.

Hydrogen Blend boilers will operate with the gas you use today and on hydrogen blend gas without any alteration, whilst ‘Hydrogen Ready’ boilers will have the added benefit of being able to convert to work with 100% hydrogen when it becomes available.

This means that you can replace your old boiler with the latest high efficiency models with the confidence that your investment is future proofed.

If H100 is a success hydrogen networks could be a realistic option within 10 to 15 years.

This also happens to be the average life span of a boiler so it is quite possible that if you are replacing or installing one in the next few years, you will future-proof your purchase by choosing a hydrogen-ready appliance.

Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 requires us all to do our part in terms of reducing the amount of emissions our household appliances generate.

By looking into alternatives now and planning effectively we can all make important changes that help reduce our carbon footprint in the future.