Heata Installs 100 Home Datacentres for Water Heating as 3,000 Join Waitlist
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 19
Heata Installs 100 Home Datacentres for Water Heating as 3,000 Join Waitlist
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 19
Summary
Heata has fitted 100 homes with server units attached to hot-water cylinders, and says hundreds more installations are planned next year amid a 3,000-person waiting list.
The Surrey company routes cloud-computing jobs to the in-home servers, using their waste heat to supply about 80% of a household’s hot-water needs while Heata covers the electricity cost.
London homeowner Giles Gibson said the system cut his hot-water bills by £10 to £15 a month; installation is free and takes a couple of hours with no plumbing changes.
The setup works only with vented, unpressurised cylinders and not combi boilers, though Heata says millions of eligible homes exist and a version for unvented cylinders is in development.
The push comes as UK energy bills are set to rise again and scrutiny grows over datacentres’ environmental footprint, with rivals such as Thermify also testing computer-powered home heating.