The Great ‘Home Heating’ Hunt: Do you know cheaper ways for LPG and oil

ramblingspider

Thanks matt_outandabout for these useful suggestions - can I be cheeky and ask for some more free advice?

Reflectors behind any radiator on an external wall.
Would a bit of cardboard or polystyrene with tinfoil on it suffice?

Are your floors insulated? If you can get in a cellar/floor space, get some insulation in there. To avoid damp issues, make sure it is well ventilated and use a hygroscopic insulation - a Hemp or Sheepswool is ideal.
Sounds interesting but how is it done? Does the insulation get screwed to the floorboards? Are there other ways to prevent heatloss through the floor, (I'm asthmatic so I don't like wall to wall carpets)?

Solid walls can also be insulated very well externally (simpler and cheaper).
What do you reccommend?

Thanks for your help

Ramblingspider

mac-items

Our "wonderful" government has said that they will pass legislation "Sometime early next year" to force LPG suppliers to release their bulk storage tanks both above and below ground to other companies for a set fee

This would enable smaller local suppliers to fill more tanks in an area thereby helping them to buy more gas at a better rate, this could then be passed onto their customers.

It will help them compete against the likes of Calor and Flogas who have a strangle hold on the marketplace.

Any better ideas would be welcome

I am trying to organise all LPG users in my area to see if we can form a buyers co-operative to get a better deal in the meantime.

TR3A_Coley

Essgeebee wrote: »

Heating oil has more than doubled in the last year and when there is no alternative to switch to, you're caught by the short and curlies.

It's worth looking at oil prices in your area before placing an order for heating oil. Sites like Boilerjuice.com will give you the lowest price in a given area (but not the supplier name). I've used that info to haggle with my regular supplier. So far, they have always matched the Boilerjuice quote and I've saved about £50 a fill. A few pence per litre discount makes a big difference when you're filling a tank of 1000 litres or more.
:beer:

It is worth pointing out that not all oil suppliers provide data to BoilerJuice.com and I have found that there are often better prices to be had by shopping around.

quitequick

Given today's astronomical fuel oil and electricity prices, which is cheaper to heat your hot water cylinder?

I have a 3KW immersion heater which I never use but heat the water with my oil fired boiler. Having just payed 69p a litre for oil the other day I was wondering whether heating the water cylinder with the immersion and a time switch would be cheaper. Trouble is, it's not too easy to calculate with any precision. Here's my guestimate...

Electricity
10p per KWH (no Economy 7)
It takes, say, 1 hour to heat tank
I heat the tank twice a day (morning and evening)
cost = 10p per KWH * 3 KWH * 1 hour * 2 a day = 60p per day

Oil (now this *is* a total guess)
800 litres will last 6 months providing hot water twice a day, no heating (total guess)
I heat the tank twice a day (morning and evening)
800 litres just cost me £550 - 69p per litre
cost = £550 / (365 days year / 2 * 2 a day) = £1.51 per day

If I fitted a immersion time switch (£20) and used electricity instead of oil for hot water, I would save...

(£1.51 - 60p) * 365 - £20 = £312.15 per year

So what do you think? Are my calculations way off the mark (particulalry the oil usage numbers)?

Anyone have any better data to make a better informed decision?

little_acorn_2

Squeekyclean wrote: »

I use 47kg bottles of propane for my heating system, not through choice, this was the system that the previous owner installed.
Most of the other houses in the area have electric white meter storage heaters.

When I first bought these bottles they were fairly cheap but our suppliers seemed to hike the price up every time we ordered and not just in pence, It went up a couple of pounds every two weeks.

We only use the heating six or seven months of the year so the bills are way below what we would be paying if using the storage heaters.

I have asked about any grants available to get connected to the local gas supply because the pipe is only 100 yards from the house but costs are in the thousands.
As far as I can find out no grants or help available so total costs would be down to me.

I was told by one gas company that once I paid to get a pipe installed that anyone could jump onto the supply for only £250, meaning I would be paying for everyone else.

As most of my neighbours are pensioners there is no way all of them could afford to come in with me although some have said that they would.

Anyway, for anyone wanting to find the best deal on propane gas bottles the best idea is to shop around, forget the big bottle companies, I would try builders merchants.

A lot of these merchants supply to tradespeople and the cost per bottle is usually much lower, I usually make a saving of between £10 - £12 per bottle.
Some places also discount if you tell them it's for a heating system.
Hope this helps.

We need to replace our old oil boiler and have been thinking about changing to mains gas.

Did you manage to find more than one company to quote for connecting you to mains supply? In our area I was told it could only be done by one company Wales & West Utilities and they quoted £2700 for total of 41 metres run of pipe!

Has anyone tried negotiating with connection companies?

LizM_2

SusieH wrote: »

We won't want to use the wood burner in the warmer months, so we are having a small air source heat pump coupled up to our cylinder to provide our hot water needs.

An air source heat pump is very efficient - manufacturers typically quote that for every 1kW used to run the machine between 3 and 4kW of useful heat is produced.

Stop! Heat pumps can only heat the water to around 45 degC. To get hot water, it will be topped up with a normal electric heater and so you won't get anywhere near the efficiency quoted by the manufacturers (which will be based on it being used for a low temperature heating source). These efficiencies are a bit iffy anyway. If you want to have hot water in summer without your burner go for a solar panel with an immersion back up. It will provide cheaper hot water than a heat pump.

I'd never replace a gas heating system with a heat pump - the carbon emissions are often worse, although it is a good option for replacing oil systems.

P.S. I'm an engineer with no product to sell but have advised clients on large residential projects and other types of buildings

little_acorn_2

manc.girl wrote: »

We are experiencing the highest price for domestic fuel. Does anyone know how oil compares against gas? My dilema is this: our oil boiler is due to be replaced. Do we take the plunge and switch to gas (of which there is none presently in the house, but it is in the road) or buy a new replacement oil boiler?

We have the same dilemma having been quoted £2700 to get connected to gas. With recent 35% rise in gas prices, I'm wondering whether we should just stick with oil but am not sure what savings would be and how long it would take to recoup the connection charge? Other things to consider are that you pay for gas after you've used it so you don't have £600 or £700 of stock sitting in your oil tank. Also, in the medium to long term, gas supplies are more likely to continue to be available than oil.

capslock1944

Residents in our village have for some time been involved in an oil buying cooperative where the coordinator is advised of how many litres you require. She then seeks the best price for everyone based on the total bulk order placed. Recently we have been looking at the same method of saving by using one electricity supplier.

Mamania

In our village in North Wales an oil buying syndicate has been set up. A form must be filled in with details regarding amount required, delivery address, etc, this is returned to the local Post Office by a certain date. Two people take it in turn to research into oil prices and then the oil is delivered. We have all benefitted from this form of bulk buying. It also saves the oil company.
People living in the countryside have always tended to help one another. Long may this continue and may newcomers learn from this.

annie0103

harcombe wrote: »

Our oil usage over last 12 months has been £1400 and the oil company has said that we cannot order any more oil until we have cleared the debt in full and that they will pass our details onto other local suppliers so we cant set up accounts with them either (we have never missed a payment). quote]
The oil company can't do that, they would be breaking the Data Protection laws if they pass your details directly on to other suppliers. They can only pass it on to Experian, but seeing as you've never missed apayment, I can't see that it should affect you anyway. I'd write to your MP if I were you, make them aware of what's going on.
We're on mains gas but my sister lives in a rural area and runs the house on oil. They've had a lot of theft in her area too. One guy was seen on a quad bike with jerrycans attached to a frame on the back speeding away from one house where he didn't belong.
Anyone who does have oil tanks in their garden, make sure they are padlocked and very secure.

Maybe it's time people lobbied their MP's about these price increases in oil and bottled gas same as the diesel and petrol? My sis has to run a house with two kids, oil for heating, cooking and hot water all on £16k a year. She really doesn't know which way to turn.
I'll mention to her about the co-op as there are others in her hamlet that run on oil too.