Burning question Will incinerated rubbish power housing boiler switch?

THOUSANDS of council tenants in Bristol will switch from heating their homes with gas boilers to a district heat network in the next few years.

- Alex SEABROOK Local democracy reporter

But councillors have questioned how this will help the push towards net zero as the heat networks could partly be fuelled by burning plastic rubbish.

Heat networks across the city are expanding, with large pipes laid underground carrying hot water to homes. This method of heating is seen as more climate friendly than burning natural gas, a fossil fuel, with experts suggesting a wider roll-out combined with heat pumps as well.

Much of the work to wean Bristol off of fossil fuels will be carried out by two companies, who signed a huge deal with Bristol City Council, known as City Leap. Ameresco is the lead firm, whose plans include building new solar farms, while Vattenfall is focusing on heat networks.

The largest landlord in the city, the council is now considering how to change the fuel source for heating its thousands of homes. Councillors on the housing policy committee were updated on the heat decarbonisation strategy.