Swap your boiler for a power station

From autumn 2003, householders will be able to save money by generating their own electricity. The author looks at whether they will invest in CHP units. Whispertech and Microgen, have been running in-home trials of CHP units that can replace a standard gas-fired central heating boiler and also generate electricity. Both models will have an electrical output of just over a kilowatt contributing to baseload needs, with any extra requirement drawn from the grid as usual. Any surplus can be sold back to the electricity company. The Whispertech and Microgen units both generate electricity using Stirling engines, which produce little noise or vibration and take up the same space as a boiler.