A GUNK-BUSTING scheme to turn fat into power and stop house pipes getting blocked has been such a success in Bradford Moor it is being expanded to 50 more homes in the neighbourhood.

Seven months ago, Yorkshire Water began a unique ‘fat vat’ scheme asking residents to collect used cooking oil in five-litre containers rather than pouring it down the drain.

Duncan Woodhead, network protection technician at Yorkshire Water, said 85 residents in Amberley Street and Wellands Terrace took to it with such gusto that more than 500 litres of used cooking oil had been collected since the trial started.

That liquid, which is converted into a bio fuel by renewable energy experts Living Fuels, could provide enough power to make 125,000 cups of tea or even power a microwave continuously for 1,500 hours, added Mr Woodhead.

As well as generating renewable energy, the scheme also prevents blockages in the sewer created by fatbergs which are formed when fats, oils and greases are poured down the sink before gathering and solidifying as they cool down.

The initial trial has worked so well there has not been a single blockage on either of the streets involved.

Previously, houses in the Bradford Moor area had experienced more than 80 sewage blockage incidents in the past five years – with the main cause being identified as cooking oils being poured down people’s sinks.

Yorkshire Water is now looking to expand the project to another 50 houses on nearby Byron Street.

Mr Woodhead said: “The response from the local community to this trial has been excellent and people really do understand the difference they can make by changing their behaviour.

“We’ve been delighted with the amount of liquid we’ve managed to collect already and are looking forward to offering this to more people, which will help us generate more renewable energy and further reduce the amount of fats, oils and greases entering our network.”

Yorkshire Water has been working with the Bradford Moor-based Karmand Centre to understand residents’ cooking habits and spread the message about the impact of pouring used cooking oil down the drain.

Nasa Hussain, from the Karmand Centre, said: “By working together, Yorkshire Water and the Karmand Centre have succeeded in changing the way people in this small area of Bradford dispose of their cooking oil. Most people were unaware of what happened when oil was poured into the drains but this scheme has made a difference."

Yorkshire Water invested £2.3 million in improving the area’s sewerage system last year and has since asked residents to get into the habit of pouring their waste cooking oil into the Fat Vats.