RECYCLED vegetable oil is being used to heat a home in Scotland as part of a pioneering year-long trial.
Jodie Allan has converted the heating system in her family home in Stirlingshire to run off hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) which she said can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%.
It is hoped that the project, backed by trade bodies and the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and Oil and Renewable Heating Technologies (OFTEC), will help Scotland take a significant step towards achieving net zero by 2045.
Jodie, who is managing director of fuel distributors James D Bilsland, said, “We switched to HVO in March, and everything has gone smoothly with no difference to the heating.
“Depending on the particular system being converted the cost will come in at somewhere between £500 and £1000. The HVO is stored in our existing 1,200-litre tank and it is estimated we will use 20 litres a day in the colder months.
“It’s great to be part of the 12-month pilot scheme and hopefully the results can convince others switching from fossil fuels to HVO is the way forward.”
UKIFDA, which is behind the pilot, want both the Scottish and Westminster governments to back to scheme. CEO Ken Cronin said, “We are excited about the prospect of decarbonising the off-grid housing stock. HVO is a product and a solution that already exists that can help us drive towards net zero. It is an easy transition to make.
“It also has significant benefits for the industry. In Scotland over 800 people are directly employed by oil heating industry with the sector generating a turnover of £853 million.
“HVO can help protect both the environment and ensure the liquid fuel sector has a certain future. We want both governments to work with us now, to actively promote the introduction of a renewable liquid fuel to many hard-to-treat homes currently heated by oil.”
