Water in flooded shafts and tunnels, heated by the Earth's crust, promises a green revolution, with around six million households close to former pits.
Mines are keeping 350 homes in Gateshead warm once again but now without burning a single lump of coal. Councillor John McElroy is the local council's environment and transport leader. He said: 'We did it for several reasons. It's great for the environment that we use mines as the natural sort of source of heat, but also it works out economically as well. Great for the customer who's getting good value energy.
' Although not a huge reduction, the mine water powered network is warming social housing in some of Gateshead's poorest neighbourhoods and some geologists believe this low carbon solution could be used much more widely. Because so many of our towns and cities grew up around coal mines and their associated industry, it's thought that around one quarter of UK homes - six million households - are close to old coal pits.
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