Halloween pumpkins that will inevitably get binned once the weekend is over could produce enough renewable green gas to heat 1,300 homes for a whole year.
Statistics collated by the representative body for UK gas networks, Future Energy Networks show the estimated 16 million pumpkins binned across the country this year could generate around 12.3GWh of energy when converted to biomethane.
Research says that green gas could slash the cost of net zero by £174 billion, which is £250 per household annually. The sector could also support 57,000 jobs by 2050.
James Earl, CEO of Future Energy Networks, said: “Green gas gives us a way to turn that waste into home-grown energy, while making use of the world class gas infrastructure that’s already serving millions of homes and businesses.
“By embracing the potential of green gas, we can cut emissions, strengthen energy security and keep costs down as we decarbonise our energy system.”
The country wastes an estimated 10.7 million tonnes of food worth £17 billion every year, which Future Energy Networks says could turn a costly environmental problem into clean energy.
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