Saving redundant gas boilers from the scrap heap: Aira meets The Salvage Sister

Today, residential heating is Europe’s third-largest emitter of CO₂ and is responsible for 16% of the UK’s CO₂ emissions. Switching from gas-guzzling boilers to clean energy-tech is therefore a much needed step in our net zero journey. Not only does switching to a heat pump reduce household CO₂ emissions by at least 75% — a number that rises to 100% with renewable energy — but it also cuts energy costs by 33% when combined with the Aira Zero tariff, saving UK customers an annual average of £560 on their energy bills.

In the urgent race to clean up the way we heat our homes, more than half a million boilers will be made redundant each year by 2028 under current government plans. But as we phase dirty gas boilers out of our homes, must they all head to the scrap heap?

Here at Aira we teamed up with Charis Williams, AKA The Salvage Sister, to deliver a fun and engaging creative project: turning disused boilers that have been replaced by an Aira Heat Pump into stylishly-made, non-polluting home furniture.

Charis, who is an artist, designer, fabricator, mentor and influencer, has been a leading trailblazer in the upcycling movement, appearing on the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Plus, QuestTV, and most recently ITV where she discussed this project. Charis used her expert metalworking skills to create items from boilers including a fully-functioning household chair, a table and and an electric table lamp — a far cry from the items’ former uses as fossil fuel-guzzling household boilers.

We sat down with Charis to find out more about turning waste into wanted items, and what it was like working with Aira to give boilers a second life.

Aira: What drives you to work with scrap and salvage?

Charis, AKA The Salvage Sister: I first started working with scrap to shine a light on the shocking amount of material that gets sent to landfill, much of which is still usable. I started my artistic career hand painting murals and portraits, which I enjoyed, but I wanted my work to mean something. One day I had an epiphany: maybe I could use my art to inspire others to reuse, repurpose and get creative! From that day I haven’t looked back. I’ve learnt so many skills and I’ve saved tonnes and tonnes of materials from landfill and needless recycling — plus, I’ve had an absolute blast doing it!

Aira: What was it like working with the boilers we’d replaced?

Charis: In my line of work, I’m used to using old parts from machines, vehicles, anything I can get my hands on. However, I usually have an idea of what I’d like to make before I start work, because I can see what I’m working with — not the case with boilers! I wasn’t sure what I’d find inside other than pipework, and I was really surprised by the parts that are in a boiler. I think most people would be. You don’t often get to see inside of the white box in your kitchen that heats your home.

Aira: What made you want to get involved with our project?

Charis: I certainly knew it would be a challenge when Aira asked me if I could make furniture from old boilers, but I love a challenge and knew that if anyone could make this happen, it would be me. It was a really exciting task. I was also genuinely excited at the opportunity to work with Aira. We have a very similar ethos, and I love the Scandi design style. I would love for this work to inspire people to think differently about reusing some of the items they may already have, and what else they can turn them into. It’s good for the environment, and they’ll have fun doing it!

Head over to Aira’s Instagram to see Charis in action turning scrap boilers into treasure, and read more about the campaign, which launched on World Clean Up Day, here. Make sure you also check out Charis’ fantastic work on The Salvage Sister Instagram.