UK Power Networks helping SHIELD vulnerable customers from Fuel Poverty
Customers struggling with energy bills could soon benefit from low-cost heating, thanks to an award-winning UK Power Networks innovation that re-uses heat from mini data centres.
Customers struggling with energy bills could soon benefit from low-cost heating, thanks to an award-winning UK Power Networks innovation that re-uses heat from mini data centres.
The SHIELD system (Smart Heat and Intelligent Energy in Low-income Districts) works by installing and managing low-carbon technologies such as solar panels, battery storage and the revolutionary Thermify ‘HeatHub’, in homes.
The HeatHub is a mini data centre about the size of a large heat pump which captures and stores the excess heat it generates, before making it available for customers to use for heating their homes.
Solar and battery systems will be installed in all participating households, giving customers the flexibility to use clean, stored energy when they need it most, and the ‘HeatHub’ system will be installed in a third of them. This phase of the project will collect evidence to support the scaling of SHIELD, with the aim of deploying 100,000 systems annually by 2030.
The technology will act as a large-scale demonstrator to explore how this innovation can be scaled nationwide, providing another potential solution to energy challenges across the country. The technologies involved are expected to reduce carbon emissions for participating households by over 90%, making energy affordable and accessible to vulnerable customers as well as supporting decarbonisation in the UK.
The project has partnered with Power Circle Projects, Eastlight Community Homes and Essex Community Energy Community Interest Company to support the rollout of the low-carbon technologies and a new social heating tariff across select social housing estates.
An innovative business model will also see low-income tenants pay a low monthly standing charge of £5.60 (including VAT), with no additional cost per kilowatt hour. By combining the tariff with advanced energy technologies, SHIELD could help participating tenants reduce their energy bills by 20 to 40%. For those in areas where solar energy is not feasible, SHIELD will offer access to a local energy market that allows households to benefit from lower electricity tariffs by using the excess energy generated by other homes in the network.
After successfully completing feasibility stages with support from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, SHIELD has entered its third phase, where over the next four years up to 300 social tenants will participate in a trial of SHIELD across the East and South East of England.
Luca Grella, head of Innovation at UK Power Networks said: “SHIELD is a transformative initiative that empowers households to control their energy costs and support the country’s climate goals. By providing innovative technologies at no cost, we are making a real difference for some of the most vulnerable members of our community."
Charlie Edgar, who has overseen the SHIELD work on behalf of Eastlight Community Homes, said: “The pilot results for this innovative solution are very encouraging and we’re excited to see it being trialled in hundreds more homes.
“We can see the potential to provide reliable heating at a predictable low cost, empowering families to maintain a comfortable living environment without the stress of rising energy bills.
"Our commitment is not only to improve the quality of life for Eastlight residents but also to support our collective net zero ambitions. It's been a pleasure working with UK Power Networks. Together, we’re creating a sustainable future for our communities.”
Jon Cape, managing director at Power Circle Projects Ltd, said: “In the words of one of our early customers, SHIELD has been life changing. By providing all the heat a home needs at a very low fixed cost, households no longer need to underheat their homes to keep bills down. People can live healthier, more comfortable lives; landlords are helped to meet their net zero goals; whilst SHIELD also helps Britain meet its burgeoning data processing needs in a clean low-cost manner.”
Published 01/10/2025
Customers struggling with energy bills could soon benefit from low-cost heating, thanks to an award-winning UK Power Networks innovation that re-uses heat from mini data centres.
The SHIELD system (Smart Heat and Intelligent Energy in Low-income Districts) works by installing and managing low-carbon technologies such as solar panels, battery storage and the revolutionary Thermify ‘HeatHub’, in homes.
The HeatHub is a mini data centre about the size of a large heat pump which captures and stores the excess heat it generates, before making it available for customers to use for heating their homes.
Solar and battery systems will be installed in all participating households, giving customers the flexibility to use clean, stored energy when they need it most, and the ‘HeatHub’ system will be installed in a third of them. This phase of the project will collect evidence to support the scaling of SHIELD, with the aim of deploying 100,000 systems annually by 2030.
The technology will act as a large-scale demonstrator to explore how this innovation can be scaled nationwide, providing another potential solution to energy challenges across the country. The technologies involved are expected to reduce carbon emissions for participating households by over 90%, making energy affordable and accessible to vulnerable customers as well as supporting decarbonisation in the UK.
The project has partnered with Power Circle Projects, Eastlight Community Homes and Essex Community Energy Community Interest Company to support the rollout of the low-carbon technologies and a new social heating tariff across select social housing estates.
An innovative business model will also see low-income tenants pay a low monthly standing charge of £5.60 (including VAT), with no additional cost per kilowatt hour. By combining the tariff with advanced energy technologies, SHIELD could help participating tenants reduce their energy bills by 20 to 40%. For those in areas where solar energy is not feasible, SHIELD will offer access to a local energy market that allows households to benefit from lower electricity tariffs by using the excess energy generated by other homes in the network.
After successfully completing feasibility stages with support from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, SHIELD has entered its third phase, where over the next four years up to 300 social tenants will participate in a trial of SHIELD across the East and South East of England.
Luca Grella, head of Innovation at UK Power Networks said: “SHIELD is a transformative initiative that empowers households to control their energy costs and support the country’s climate goals. By providing innovative technologies at no cost, we are making a real difference for some of the most vulnerable members of our community."
Charlie Edgar, who has overseen the SHIELD work on behalf of Eastlight Community Homes, said: “The pilot results for this innovative solution are very encouraging and we’re excited to see it being trialled in hundreds more homes.
“We can see the potential to provide reliable heating at a predictable low cost, empowering families to maintain a comfortable living environment without the stress of rising energy bills.
"Our commitment is not only to improve the quality of life for Eastlight residents but also to support our collective net zero ambitions. It's been a pleasure working with UK Power Networks. Together, we’re creating a sustainable future for our communities.”
Jon Cape, managing director at Power Circle Projects Ltd, said: “In the words of one of our early customers, SHIELD has been life changing. By providing all the heat a home needs at a very low fixed cost, households no longer need to underheat their homes to keep bills down. People can live healthier, more comfortable lives; landlords are helped to meet their net zero goals; whilst SHIELD also helps Britain meet its burgeoning data processing needs in a clean low-cost manner.”
Published 01/10/2025