Gas or Oil - HELP

Mattty

If off the mains gas network I would go for Biomass heating. Depending on what suppliers are in the area; either an auto-feed woodchip or pellet system. With the renewable heat incentive these systems will make you money with the 20 years of payments starting next year.

LittleVermin

Hi Beng,

Latest figures, 4th May, from Notts Energy Partnership at:

http://www.nottenergy.com/energy-costs-comparison3

NEP gives the fuel prices used, and assumptions about boiler efficiency. What the NEP can't provide is a crystal ball.

There have been some strong comments about NOT installing LPG - far stronger than my "I doubt if I'd go the same route today" in post #4 (we put in LPG in 1991) - so you should also think about the saleability of your renovated property.

Here are some figures from the NEP page (which I've just posted elsewhere)

Electricity at 13.44p/kWh costs 13.44p/kWh
Mains gas at 3.90p/kWh costs 4.33p/kWh
Kerosene at 62.81ppl costs 7.12p/kWh
Gas oil at 77.94ppl costs 8.33p/kWh
LPG at 50.63ppl costs 8.45p/KWh
Seasoned wood at 13.72p/kg costs 4.28p/kWh

......... and they also give figures for pellets, smokeless fuel, coal, GSHP and ASHP. But not Economy7.

bernithebiker

Some comments on those figures;

13.44p/kwh seems very high for electricity. Most posters here seem to be paying substantially less than that.

Kerosene cheaper than gasoil? odd one, as kero is always more expensive on the wholesale cargo/refinery markets. Perhaps a tax reason?

LPG looks cheap - i certainly pay more than that.

Wood - would like to see how they got to that figure - is it oak, pine? what was the cost per cord? (3m3)

LittleVermin

bernithebiker wrote: »

Some comments on those figures;

13.44p/kwh seems very high for electricity. Most posters here seem to be paying substantially less than that.

Kerosene cheaper than gasoil? odd one, as kero is always more expensive on the wholesale cargo/refinery markets. Perhaps a tax reason?

LPG looks cheap - i certainly pay more than that.

Wood - would like to see how they got to that figure - is it oak, pine? what was the cost per cord? (3m3)

Why not go to the website and work through their figures - and assumptions? That would be helpful. You've professional expertise in hydrocarbons.

If I ordered LPG today I'd be paying 52.99ppl - more than their 50.63. You wrote: "i certainly pay more than that" .. which is why you are getting rid of a functioning LPG boiler in your holiday home business in Brittany!

But their figures relate to Nottingham - you're in France, I'm in Cornwall - and also NEP didn't give any Economy7 (or similar tariff) figure.

AND I didn't give the GSHP and ASHP figures - intentionally. I hoped experts like Geotherm would pitch in!

lovesgshp

LittleVermin wrote: »

Why not go to the website and work through their figures - and assumptions? That would be helpful. You've professional expertise in hydrocarbons.

If I ordered LPG today I'd be paying 52.99ppl - more than their 50.63. You wrote: "i certainly pay more than that" .. which is why you are getting rid of a functioning LPG boiler in your holiday home business in Brittany!

But their figures relate to Nottingham - you're in France, I'm in Cornwall - and also NEP didn't give any Economy7 (or similar tariff) figure.

AND I didn't give the GSHP and ASHP figures - intentionally. I hoped experts like Geotherm would pitch in!

Thanks LittleVermin
GSHP/ASHP are a lot more expensive to install, but the cost saving of energy usage is definately higher. One thing that does not appear to be factored in from the report is servicing costs for gas/oil boilers. This also contributes to annual expenditure , albeit probably low, but still there.
As I have said before, I would not recommend anyone on mains gas to change.
Heat pumps as such have no servicing requirements apart from filter cleaning, so tick away quite merrily in the background. No wood to chop or bring in mid-winter, so basically a fit and forget system. I have 5 GSHPs running within 20 miles of me, which apart from the normal filter cleaning by the client have been running happily for the last 2-6 years.