Oil Consumption - how do 'greenies' use less?

Pippilongstocking

Thinking hard, all good advice - don't think GSH an option as the house is V old and the cost I think will be too much.

Did wonder about replacing the oil fired boiler for a biomass one, pellets or woodchip or something that woudl do both, but I guess that's pricey too - althougth there are grants I think....land lord reasonable, but just in house so don't want to scare him too much right at start - we have acess to a fair bit of wood and know can get pellets at abouut £44/tonne......

Its a very old system here, so I have the man's number who installed the heating in the year dot, so might phone him up and ask him to come and go through it all with me - nowt beats experience, will ask him about servicing it then.....

Water costs 40p/kWh to put on (we have an energy owl) maybe its cheaper heating water that way and only having heating on the bare minimum in winter??

Its very hard when we recycle everything, grow our food buy locally when we can, be frugal in the extreme - we are pretty green so its galling when you look at spending hundreds of pounds on something thats against your principles, I don't want oil in my house but here it seems to be a fact of life - unfortuneately.

Even the kids are aware of the issues, brainwashing on my part or very aware, I am not sure!!!!

Pippilongstocking

Oil filled up at 500l - 60p/l - runs screaming.

Needless to say I haven't switched it on!!

Eco-warrior-mum

We also run on oil and we'll need to fill up in the next few weeks (it's not October yet so we're not turning the heating on!).

On Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 programme a few months ago he was interviewing a guy who'd set up an oil-buying consortium. Originally it was just for his village but now he's opened it up to the rest of the country so I'm going to try that next time. The website address is www.yobco.com. We usually buy about 2000 litres at a time so it's quite a hefty bill, and we have to fill up twice a year. We have combined our order with next door's before now, but they only have a small tank so it doesn't always coincide that we need oil at the same time.

We're also looking at installing solar hot water heating and linking it to the boiler, but so far all the quotes we've had are ridiculously expensive. You can see the pound signs flashing in the salesman's eyes as soon as he gets out of his car! Obviously serves us right for living in the back of beyond and having to rely on oil for our heating - they must think we're an easy catch!

Pippilongstocking

Hey thanks for that - much appreciated xxxx

Prob is here, there are two oil companies who wont talk to each other, nor help, and they don't offer any discounts re price etc its so frustrating, but will have a look, I don't suppose folk will be allowed to suppy here, its currently 59.2p/ltr its outrageous especially considering how much oil has come down a barrel argh

Sledge_2

You can get Solar stuff (and anything else), from here.

http://www.navitron.org.uk/

They sell the same stuff as the installers use, all you need is to find yourself a plumber to do the work. If you can find one for a few hundred quid, you can get a decent system installed for £2000. Out of boredom one day I called an 'installer' and they quoted me £4000 for a one panel system, and I priced up a two panel sytem for the £2000 mark!

Pippilongstocking

They don't seem keen on solar here, realistically we have on average 40-50 days a year of strong gales, and only 8 -10 days a year which have no wind and most folk shy away from solar panels of any sort, pity really as we have a lot of light!! (well in the summer really)

Anyone done anything (legal) but nifty to eek out their oil??

shaven-monkey

windy eh?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9UPe6A_UVPc&feature=related

connect to an electric space heater. free heat.

turfy6

Sounds like you have a windy spot, so perhaps you could look into some windpower with the small wind turbines may be an option.
Also how about a solid fuel system, you can get some great solid fuel High powered boilers, they have thermostats and you can use wood to fuel it. Some of them can be banked up at night and therefore heat the house and give you plenty of hot water.
All the other advice is good too, heavy curtains really do make a huge difference to heat loss.