Wales & West Utilities, the gas distribution network for Wales and the south west of England, announced on 20 May 2026 that the Cartrefi Hydrogen Homes project has completed a deep retrofit of a traditional terraced home, now heated with green hydrogen, and is inviting the public to register to visit it1.
The home has been fitted with a hydrogen boiler and a hydrogen cooker as low-carbon gas alternatives, alongside fabric and energy efficiency improvements1. The hydrogen is described as green hydrogen, produced by electrolysis from renewable electricity and water1. Wales & West Utilities states the property is Wales' first hydrogen home and the first retrofit project of its kind in the UK1.
The project is a partnership between Wales & West Utilities and the social housing provider Codi Group, supported by British Gas, Vaillant, IGEM, Steer Energy and Kiwa1. It received funding from the Welsh Government's Optimised Retrofit Program (ORP) alongside the project partners, and Wales & West Utilities says it has delivered the programme's "test and learn" objectives1. Works were carried out following HSE regulations and guidance, with what the company describes as minimal disruption to the local community and no change to their gas supply1. The project has also provided training and upskilling opportunities for Wales & West Utilities' workforce and beyond1.
Matt Hindle, Head of Net Zero & Sustainability at Wales & West Utilities, said:
"Cartrefi Hydrogen Homes shows what hydrogen looks like in practice, and we are delighted to welcome visitors who want to see the installation and learn more."
Nick Abbott, Sustainability Lead at Codi Group and Project Lead for Cartrefi Hydrogen Homes, said the project demonstrated how improving the fabric of a traditional property first creates the right foundation for solutions such as hydrogen heating and cooking to be explored safely and effectively1.
Why it matters for households
The home sits on the existing gas distribution network, and the company reports no change to the local community's gas supply during the works1. For a household, that is the central question the project speaks to: whether a conventional terraced property on a gas connection can be adapted to run on a low-carbon gas without the disruption of removing the gas supply altogether. The retrofit sequence reported here puts fabric improvements first, with hydrogen appliances added afterwards1, which is the order the demonstration and test homes programme is designed to examine.
The project is a single property, not a conversion programme, and no costs, running costs, tariffs or household bills are given in the announcement1. Nothing has been reported on how a household would pay for such a conversion, what hydrogen would cost to buy, or whether the approach would extend beyond this home. The Cartrefi Hydrogen demonstration home is one of several hydrogen home heating trials in the UK, and the technical changes involved are set out in what changes are needed to convert a home to hydrogen heating. For homes in Wales, the wider picture of emerging home energy technology in Wales covers the other options under trial, and the relationship between these technologies and a household's own supply arrangements is discussed under emerging technology and household energy independence.
What happens next
Wales & West Utilities is inviting the public to register interest in visiting the home, using a link published with the announcement1. No dates for public visits, no opening hours and no closing date for registrations are given1. The company says it has taken learning from the build to share with the wider industry and is updating processes and policies for future hydrogen use across different sectors1. No further properties, locations or timescales have been reported1.