Energy Woes!

fiscalfool

Hi All, First time poster ... so go easy on me !!! aaargh.

Well I've got a pile of energy issues, and thought I'd seek the advice of the collective.

I live in a house with an Oil Boiler that was fitted in 1995, that isn't the most efficient thing in the world. There is now gas up the road, but not connected to the house. Looking at Transco (or whoever they are called now) it's about £600 to get connected.

Stupidly I've just changed supplier for my electricity from Southern Electricity to First:Utility. I've got an astronomical estimate, and a huge wait for my smart meter. Found a thread on here which backed up my decision that it was a daft idea ... great concept, poor company!

So ... my thoughts are:

1) Id love to change the boiler for a nice energy efficient gas one. Currently spending about £1000 on oil a year.

2) I would need to get gas connected to the building to facilitate changing the boiler.

3) Ideally id like to switch from First:Utility and have just written them a scornful letter advising them I wont accept the £50 exit fee, should I decide to leave!


So ... my questions are:

a) Are there any of the energy suppliers than can make the whole process of getting gas installed and a boiler fitted much easier? I'd like to just get a price, and one person to do it all. Current process seems to be get gas installed and get a gas supplier onboard, and then get a boiler installed.

b) If any of the big supplier will do the whole shebang of the installation, is it false economy? I live in a Magic Boiler Scheme area, and wouldn't want to pay horrendous amounts.

c) I've done the online comparisons for electricity only and have a rough idea of my annual consumption. It's only rough as in the last 12 months I've made huge changes to the property including all energy efficient lightbulbs, loft insulation etc. The suppliers always at the top are usually British Gas (whatever Web Saver is current!), Scottish Power, and Southern Electricity. What I'm unable to do is estimate my gas usage.


For info:
5 Bed house, working from home, two adults, one toddler, cooking by electricity, oil only used for heating and hot water.

Any advice or info would be gratefully received.

Thanks

dogshome

Hi Jarvy - Don't dismiss your oil boiler too easily, even though it's 1995 vintage,if it's annually serviced it will heat your house and water at the same cost of, or less than, gas. The drawback is that you have to pay for it on delivery, but you can get prices from a number of local suppliers and haggle. The price you pay for heating oil should be the same as your local cheapest price for road diesel, (Asda ?), after you have deducted the VAT and fuel tax.

fiscalfool

dogshome wrote: »

Hi Jarvy - Don't dismiss your oil boiler too easily, even though it's 1995 vintage,if it's annually serviced it will heat your house and water at the same cost of, or less than, gas. The drawback is that you have to pay for it on delivery, but you can get prices from a number of local suppliers and haggle. The price you pay for heating oil should be the same as your local cheapest price for road diesel, (Asda ?), after you have deducted the VAT and fuel tax.

Excellent post, thank you.

I'd noticed that gas prices had shot up, and that heating oil hadn't gone up quite so high.

For ease of payments etc, I've signed up with a national oil distributor on a pay monthly system. Essentially I pay them £50 a month for an averaged payment, and then they deliver my oil when they "think" I need it. Generally it amounts to topping up my tank when they are passing.

Two slightly interesting outcomes from this are:
1) For each delivery, they average out the oil price over that period, so I get a decent price.
2) They are liable should I run out of oil. Which meant I had a delivery the week before and then the week after Xmas!

I may continue with my interim plan of getting some changes made to the heating system then, such as new timer, thermostat on the cylinder upstairs, and thermostatic radiator valves.

Thanks again for the oil advice.