Re: The energy crisis
 

Yes, and … ?

Re: The energy crisis
 

People forget, or didn't know, that the old "town gas" that was made from coal contained a significant amount of hydrogen.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Didn't know that, that's encouraging.

Re: The energy crisis
 

It's mainly a re-jetting exercise, similar as what was done when we converted from town gas to natural gas. This establishes the correct stoichiometric mixture for efficient combustion.

They'll need to add something for hob use to make the flame obvious as pure hydrogen has an almost invisible flame plus the gas pong that is added to natural gas so we can smell if there's a leak or something left on but not lit.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Putting the reduced cost and environmental benefits to one side, we will have had to do something anyway. I can remember being told at school that North Sea gas would run out in the year 2000. I've read that they've since found a bit more, but surely it must be running low by now.

Even imported gas would eventually run out.

I think i'd prefer a hydrogen boiler than a heat pump at this stage.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Peak Oil (and by extension Peak Gas) is a bit of a myth. There was supposed to be only 40 years of oil left when I was at school, about 40 years ago. It was just another line peddled by the environmental lobby. We may have made significant inroads into the easily recoverable stuff but there’s a lot more, in places that only become economical when the easy stuff is gone.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Indeed it did, Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide & Methane were the main components. Quite a bit of Hydrogen as I understand it.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Commercial Town Gas mixture - 49% H2, 28.5% CH4, 19.5% CO2 and 3% CO.

Source

Re: The energy crisis
 

Ahh, if there was carbon monoxide in it that explains why people used to put their head in the oven as a way to end their lives. Very sad.

You don't hear of people doing this these days, thank the Lord.

Re: The energy crisis
 

It’s also a bit of a shocker that almost a quarter of the volume of gas piped into the house wasn’t even flammable!

Re: The energy crisis
 

My son is a gas engineer and went into a partnership with a friend, and started up their own business, both of whom used to work for British Gas, and left as they were getting screwed over by them, they were offered the ludicrous fire and rehire terms which both of them said, no way.
Anyway, they install new boilers which can be converted to Hydrogen, these boilers come with a 15-year warranty.

Re: The energy crisis
 

What's stopping Centrica paying for it from their record profits?

Also what's stopping the government from constructing their own gas reserve units that they own?

I have always found state's funding private owned infrastructure a flawed model.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Interesting read on heat pumps in today’s Times.

Inside the UK’s first heat pump village

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f...32a929950361af

Re: The energy crisis
 

The law. Publicly listed companies are compelled to act in their shareholders’ interests. If they are seen to be making decisions that they know will have less of a return on investment than other alternatives the directors are at risk of being pursued by their shareholders.

For sure there will be times when a private company will lean on this excuse as a bargaining ploy when it thinks there is grant money to be screwed out of the government, but it is basically true. They aren’t in it for the good of the nation, they’re in it to make even bigger profits.

Nothing, and there’s a very good argument that they should do exactly that, as it is obviously a strategic, national security issue that the market is unable to cater for. Write to your MP.

Providing the State’s involvement is treated as an investment from which the state gets some measurable return then it can work. But if it’s just helping companies not to invest money they probably would have done if left alone, not so much.

Re: The energy crisis
 

An interesting read but unless I missed it I can't find where the actual cost is for each household, surely they have to pay something?