In a fuel cell, the chemical energy within the fuel is converted directly into electricity (with by-products of heat and water) without any mechanical drive or generator. This can result in high electrical conversion efficiencies and low emissions. The fuel cell may eventually replace a conventional gas boiler in a central heating system and can generate electricity with a higher efficiency than central power plant and, being located in the home, any waste heat can be used by the household, rather than dumped into the atmosphere.
- Description added by: www.microchap.info

Utilities are services that include the supply of gas, electricity, water, and sewerage. The term utilities may also be used to describe the companies that supply such services. Low carbon utilities refer to services that have a lower carbon footprint than the traditional services, such as supplies of low carbon electricity generated by renewable energy sources for example. - Description added by: David Lockie

The most important groups of fuels are fossil fuels, bio-fuels, hydrogen and nuclear fuel (uranium). Of these fuels, only bio-fuels and hydrogen are strictly renewable, but in both cases, this really depends on the energy source used to produce it. We have traditionally been heavily dependent on fossil fuels (first coal, then oil and now natural gas) and more recently on nuclear power. In the future, we will need a more sustainable range of fuels for all potential uses. New technologies such as fuel cells may require a wider range of fuels (e.g. hydrogen) and widen the range of applications for which fuels may be used (e.g. methanol-fuelled fuel cells to power laptops). There are many controversial topics surrounding fuels, from carbon emissions and climate change through the potential for bio-fuel crops to compete with food crops to the whole debate around nuclear power generation. - Description added by: David Lockie