oil heating quotes

emmaBZ

help please ..just to ask is my quote correct..6,ooo..for oil to be installed .....pipe work existing....radiators existing ...work to be done ..install oil tank ..oil boiler.. and run pipes to join up with existing pipe work to connect up hot and cold and the radiators ..total flush of system .....standard three bed house ..i have parkray solid fuel at the moment with tank in cupbard ..plastic header tanks ..these will be all redundant and left in ..for me to take out.at a later date ..........the company is warm front and the installing company is rg francis ..the warmfront company has said that the grant we were quoted in not enough and want an extra £350.00 before they start work.... .i even said i would help take the floor up and dig the trench for the pipe to lie in ....im shocked by the amount as my dad had gas and he paid just £5,500 for a brand new install ...boiler and all new copper pipe and rads ,,,help :T:eek:..how do i compare to other companys thanks emma

ilikecookies

Hi Emma - I am currently getting quotes to install oil (replacing LPG). Quotes so far have been in the £6,000-£7000 incl VAT range for:

1) 2500 litre tank (and laying the appropriate sized concrete base)
2) Grant Vortex Pro outdoor condensing boiler (36/46kw)
3) Connection into existing system only (no new rads, tanks, etc)
4) New programmer & thermostat
5) Cleaning of the system (and install of a magnaclean device to keep the system clean going forward)

I reckon I could purchase the individual components retail for about £4000 so at trade prices the installers are probably getting this for more like £3200, meaning the rest is labour. This strikes me as a pretty good mark up but as all the quotes I've had are in this ballpark I've got to assume this is the market rate.

bernithebiker

ilikecookies wrote: »

Hi Emma - I am currently getting quotes to install oil (replacing LPG). Quotes so far have been in the £6,000-£7000 incl VAT range for:

1) 2500 litre tank (and laying the appropriate sized concrete base)
2) Grant Vortex Pro outdoor condensing boiler (36/46kw)
3) Connection into existing system only (no new rads, tanks, etc)
4) New programmer & thermostat
5) Cleaning of the system (and install of a magnaclean device to keep the system clean going forward)

I reckon I could purchase the individual components retail for about £4000 so at trade prices the installers are probably getting this for more like £3200, meaning the rest is labour. This strikes me as a pretty good mark up but as all the quotes I've had are in this ballpark I've got to assume this is the market rate.

Have you looked at wood/wood pellet boilers? I can't help thinking that getting into oil at this point in time is decidedly risky, unless you can get some kind of fixed price deal, or a capped price for your oil, over at least the next 2 to 3 years.

Or, if noone will do that for you, either buy crude (IG index) or buy a selection of oil based companies (Shell, Schlumberger, Tullow, etc), as a hedge.

Don't forget that heating oil comes from the same pool as road diesel, kerosene, Jet A1.

JCB's, cars, planes, trains, etc. cannot (yet) use a different kind of fuel, so demand is not going to go away.

ilikecookies

bernithebiker wrote: »

Have you looked at wood/wood pellet boilers? I can't help thinking that getting into oil at this point in time is decidedly risky, unless you can get some kind of fixed price deal, or a capped price for your oil, over at least the next 2 to 3 years.

Or, if noone will do that for you, either buy crude (IG index) or buy a selection of oil based companies (Shell, Schlumberger, Tullow, etc), as a hedge.

Don't forget that heating oil comes from the same pool as road diesel, kerosene, Jet A1.

JCB's, cars, planes, trains, etc. cannot (yet) use a different kind of fuel, so demand is not going to go away.

I do agree that switching to oil from LPG certainly doesn't feel like a forward step: we'll still be dependent on a finite resource which is only to get more expensive. However, based on today's prices the conversion itself will pay for itself in 3 years compared to LPG (!!!) and ultimately if oil prices increase so will LPG.

The only other realistic option for me right now is indeed wood (discounted a GSHP for a variety of reasons) which has the added advantage of falling under the Renewable Heat Initiative. Not so sure about wood pellets though as I think you pay extra for the processing into a more convenient form. I'd like to explore the cost of a wood boiler but it doesn't seem as easy to get quotes ...

bernithebiker

ilikecookies wrote: »

I do agree that switching to oil from LPG certainly doesn't feel like a forward step: we'll still be dependent on a finite resource which is only to get more expensive. However, based on today's prices the conversion itself will pay for itself in 3 years compared to LPG (!!!) and ultimately if oil prices increase so will LPG.

The only other realistic option for me right now is indeed wood (discounted a GSHP for a variety of reasons) which has the added advantage of falling under the Renewable Heat Initiative. Not so sure about wood pellets though as I think you pay extra for the processing into a more convenient form. I'd like to explore the cost of a wood boiler but it doesn't seem as easy to get quotes ...

Pellets are indeed more expensive than logs, but it varies - often not by much. You pay for the convenience of not having to load logs, which if you're out working all day till late is pretty essential.

We have a 44kW log boiler and it's fantastic - the house is now much warmer than before, and it's basically free, just my work to cut the logs. I don't mind the labour to fetch and load logs as I quite enjoy it, but it's not necessarily for everyone!

It's a new (to the UK) technology so not so easy to find good equipment and installers, but try a search for Froling, Guntamatic and Okofen.

But be prepared to have to stump up more than for an oil boiler. However, you will save more in the long run.

There is a nice saying; 'What is the best solar energy collector in the world?
A tree!'

ilikecookies

bernithebiker wrote: »

Pellets are indeed more expensive than logs, but it varies - often not by much. You pay for the convenience of not having to load logs, which if you're out working all day till late is pretty essential.

We have a 44kW log boiler and it's fantastic - the house is now much warmer than before, and it's basically free, just my work to cut the logs. I don't mind the labour to fetch and load logs as I quite enjoy it, but it's not necessarily for everyone!

It's a new (to the UK) technology so not so easy to find good equipment and installers, but try a search for Froling, Guntamatic and Okofen.

But be prepared to have to stump up more than for an oil boiler. However, you will save more in the long run.

There is a nice saying; 'What is the best solar energy collector in the world?
A tree!'

Thanks for the advice - I will take a look at the companies you name. I can get logs fairly cheaply (sadly not free but maybe if I had a log boiler I'd be best to invest in a bit of woodland!).

Always good to "talk" to someone like yourself who actually has a log setup to separate myth from reality. In this regard a couple of questions for you if you don't mind!

1) What make of log boiler do you have? The designs seem to fall into two categories - the more ascetically pleasing which could go in say a living room or kitchen as you can see the flame and those which seem more designed to be hidden or go into a boiler room (which I think are generally more advanced in terms of features).

2) How many rooms / rads is it currently serving?

3) Do you have a thermal store connected to provide heat when its not on?

3) How often do you have to load it?

4) How often do you have to empty the ash?

5) Any rough of idea of how many tonnes of logs you get through a year?

6) Is it as "intelligent" as a traditional boiler - eg. slowing the burn when there is the correct temp has been reached, firing up when necessary, etc.

Thanks again!

bernithebiker

ilikecookies wrote: »

Thanks for the advice - I will take a look at the companies you name. I can get logs fairly cheaply (sadly not free but maybe if I had a log boiler I'd be best to invest in a bit of woodland!).

Always good to "talk" to someone like yourself who actually has a log setup to separate myth from reality. In this regard a couple of questions for you if you don't mind!

1) What make of log boiler do you have? The designs seem to fall into two categories - the more ascetically pleasing which could go in say a living room or kitchen as you can see the flame and those which seem more designed to be hidden or go into a boiler room (which I think are generally more advanced in terms of features).

2) How many rooms / rads is it currently serving?

3) Do you have a thermal store connected to provide heat when its not on?

3) How often do you have to load it?

4) How often do you have to empty the ash?

5) Any rough of idea of how many tonnes of logs you get through a year?

6) Is it as "intelligent" as a traditional boiler - eg. slowing the burn when there is the correct temp has been reached, firing up when necessary, etc.

Thanks again!

1. We have a Guntamatic Synchro 44kW. Comes in 26 and 34kW too I think (same size). This is a 'log boiler', as opposed to a 'woodburner' boiler like say a Charnwood Island IIIb which can sit in your lounge. Our type is too big for that and is best in a basement or garage. Having said that you can get much smaller (15kW ones).

2. We have a small chateau in France, so there are 26 big cast iron rads, in about 20 rooms. Again, you can just downscale the size of boiler if need be.

3. Yes, we have 2 x 1000 litre tanks which provide heat throughout the night. More would have been nice, but there wasn't the space. Thermal store space is essential for smooth operation, the more the better.

3. If it's cold, I do one load in the morning, one in the evening. If not cold, one load per day is ample.

4. Once every 3 or 4 days, (just a tray load).

5. When it's cold, I reckon we get through 1m3 of wood every 2 days, so a cord every week (ish). But it's a big boiler and a big house.

6. Yes it's intelligent. It varies the fan speed and inlet size according to various temperatures and heating / DHW demand.

It is 95% efficient, and has worked perfectly for the last 2 years. We are delighted with it. It was a fairly hefty investment, but we got grants, and now we only pay peanuts for heating oil (oil boiler still there as a backup), but needn't be), the Gunta will pay for itself in 4 years.

rhodod

hi, we paid £3100 for our oil central heating in december 2010.

We had a coal fire with back boiler before.

they took out the coal fire/ back boiler
Installed a 1000 ltr tank and laid concret slabs to level it.
They installed a indoor boiler
They connected the relevant pipework
removed the water tank aswell

I got 3 quotes in total

first was £6000
2nd was £4400
3rd was £3200 and i got £100 off aswell