Britons could be using a microwave oven to pay their bills and make money transfers within a few years, according to officials of Barclays Bank which is working with computer firm NCR on development of a microwave which could also be used to perform home banking operations. "The idea is perfectly practicable," said a spokeswoman. "But we need to see how ordinary people react to it before we market the Microwave Bank."

Mr Roger Alexander, managing director of Barclays' Emerging Markets Group, said the banking operations would be accessed via touch screen technology incorporated into the oven door.

"There are all sorts of opportunities for our customers to talk to us in different ways, and with NCR we've been looking at a number of those - a microwave bank is just one example," he said.