There are many types of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) which differ in their operational modes (contact mode, sliding mode, etc.), converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. This paper introduces electricity generation from a small low-temperature differential heat engine capable of utilizing low-grade thermal energy. The engine is similar to the Gamma-type Stirling engine and could run on temperature differentials ranging from 90 down to a few degrees Celsius. The work presented here gives technical details of how a small low-temperature differential heat engine could be integrated with a TENG for electricity generation. Two different schemes were tested for the operation of TENG: one in non-contact sliding mode and the other in vertical contact-separation mode. For the temperature difference of 74.4 degrees C, the former delivered a maximum output voltage of 70V whereas the latter resulted in 35V. A maximum combined output voltage of 105V was obtained capable of charging a 4.7F capacitor and discharged through LED lighting. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.