Ivan Jakobović: magnetic heater warms 200 m² house for €15

Croatian inventor Ivan Jakobović says a magnetic heating device built in his Slavonian workshop can warm a 200-square-metre house for about €15, a claim that has reignited interest in his earlier technical projects.

Jakobović previously gained attention for a desulphurised biodiesel installation; his later experiments with magnetic heating were developed in the same workshop a few years ago and drew regional notice.

How the device was made and how it is used

The company’s co-owner, a programmer, described the origin of the prototype as accidental: "We wanted to make another machine, but it didn't turn out as we expected, so by pure chance we came up with something new and decided to test whether magnetic heating really works," he said.

He emphasised that the unit is not a stove but an appliance and that its operation is simple: "in the autumn you just press the button, and in the spring you switch it off," the co-owner added. He also framed the effort as partly a hobby: "We took this up as a hobby because we have two large houses that we heat with heat pumps and it works great, but heating with magnets is five times more profitable."

Technically the system is presented as interesting, but the device's real-world installation challenges and broader practicality remain open questions. Experts and consumers alike will need independent measurements and clearer technical documentation before the claim about the low heating cost can be verified.

For now, the invention adds to a list of small-scale Croatian innovations that draw attention across the region, and it has prompted renewed discussion about alternative domestic heating solutions during the cold months.

Photo: press material from the event