Question about LPG central heating and cheap ways of running it.

denise123

Hi

I want to throw a question to you all, we have LPG central heating and the boiler also runs our hot water.



Is it cheaper to keep the heating on all day at a lower temperature, [switching it off at night] or as I have up to now been using it, turning it on until the house feels nice and warm and switching it off again?


I cant make up my mind, when it gets hot in here, its like you cant breath properly the air dries up its horrible, so I turn it off and open a window! [that is a waste of heating costs lol]



If its any use it’s a Worcester 24cdi boiler, I have all the rads on about number 4, and the room thermostat set at 20, the room I do not use I have the rads set at 3, so its only a warm heat in there, [one bedroom where I keep the clothes, as its mouldy and a little damp so cant turn the rads off properly] and its on 3 in the bathroom, [we have in total six rooms, and a large hall downstairs, so it’s a basic three bed semi.]


In the summer, we don’t use it that often at all maybe at night when it gets chilly, we use coal instead during the day if needed in the front room [some idiot before we moved in removed the back boiler:mad:]



I phoned up flo gas, and they said on average, we use 2000 litres a year, trouble is of course as we all know it all went up to silly costs per litre, but I cant afford to up the direct debit, so all in all what we order really has to cover us for twice the time that it used to, or we will end up in debt, [I pay £50 a month on direct debit, it should be on my reckoning near to the £100 a mark, as I think that the cost of LPG has doubled, and I don’t order more until I have paid for the last lot of LPG that I ordered if you can understand that] so on that note I need to look at ways of saving fuel the best that I can.


I now only run baths once a week, two baths, the first lot of water the kids share, and the second bath me and OH share. I tried to boil water in the kettle for washing up, but I feel that the cost of electric may not be worth it, [all else in this house is electric]


The house is old and one of them cold and damp smelling places, and the village is windy and cold most of the time unless you can find a spot where the sun is shining, and the house is north facing as well, so it’s a lot of negatives about this house, the only warm spot is in the back garden, and the front room is always cold.



We cant get mains gas in, we have the pipes they went in about two years ago into the village, but the cost of putting it into the house are stupid, [we have been quoted thousands I thought it would be just a few hundred! Wrong…:eek: ]



Anyway, what do you lot reckon? We don’t have much money so cant get an LPG cooker, it has to be electric. I think it is on that A rating, as the fridge freezer is also an A rating. I don’t run a tumble dryer, so the rads in the winter also dry our washing! [yes the washing machine is also an A rating!]


Wont be able to pick the answers up until Friday, the eldest is graduating tomorrow so we are off to the wilds of Yorkshire for the big parade and band and stuff like that, and to say bye to his platoon mates, and their parents. [Well proud mummy here!:j ]


So will pop back on Friday to see what you think.


Thanks, anything to save a few bob, especially on something as expensive as LPG all helps


Denise

welshsue

I also have LPG gas central heating (Calor Gas). We now pay 47p per litre, increased from 33p per litre. It is probably cheaper to keep the heating on low all day (as we do, just goes off at night).
We currently pay £156 per month for Gas (have a small debt we are clearing as well) but am sure they are going to ask me to increase in January.

denise123

Hi, thanks, low all day it is then, yes this is what i am really concerned about, flo gas putting up the direct debit, calor gas sounds cheaper I think we paid about 60p or thereabouts per litre on the last tank fill. [including vat and delivery charges] thank you

david29dpo

60p!!!!!!!! I pay 39p from a local company.

denise123

yes, it was the last time it went up when i worked out the vat and the delivery charges and the surcharges and so on,it became around the 60p a litre mark, this was on the 23/09/08

it may now have gone down again. I have noticed LP has gone down in the garages,maybe its now the same for bulk delivery.

this is why I am concerned that I shall run out before I have paid for the last lot, and then of course we will have no hot water or heating!

we went a week with no LP at all because I was thinking, maybe next week the price will drop, but as i was boiling kettles all day, the electric went up!

cant win at all lol, oh to be on mains gas, but cant get grants from anyone to have the pipes put into the house, and cant afford someone to come round to do whatever it is they have to do to the boiler to change it from LPG to mains gas.

we are on 40% at the moment, which maybe will last a couple of months? I am using it all day now on low, its so cold here, I am going to log into flo gas web site next week to see how much we now owe, as we have just had the standing charge bill for the tank come in!

during the summer as i dont use it that often really, I can make 500 litres last us three months, which is just under half a tankfull, i think we have a 1400 litre tank,the last lot filled us up to 85% full.

when i phoned and asked for just 500 litres as I normaly would, she said on the phone that to deliver that amount would cost us an extra £25 on top for some reason she said if i fill the tank up or order more than 500 litres that charge comes of, even so, when the bill came in for that delivery and I sat down and worked out the surcharge and the VAT it was at the 60p a litre mark.

I give them £50 a month via direct debit, but I dont think that will cover us this time

also I have found out because we live in north wales, even petrol is more expensive here, we were told it is all to do with the difficulty in getting fuel to this area? for which the only thing you can do is :rotfl: or go mad!!

what a life