Oil boiler replacement or gas conversion?

reeac

macman wrote: »

Must have been very bad timing then-the 1st oil crisis began in October 1973, when crude prices increased about 70%.
North Sea gas came on stream nationally a few years earlier.

Good timing as oil was cheap - I recall that our first fill cost 10 pence per GALLON i.e. 2.2 pence per litre. My most recent purchase, in June, cost 50.8 p/litre incl. VAT i.e 4.8p/kWh. . I don't know what gas costs currently but I assume that it's less than that.
I accept [and stated] that gas is cheaper but made the point that an annual purchase with no strings attached has its attractions compared with a contract with any utility company ... as I know from buying my electricity.

spacey2012

A local guy retro fits Coal back boilers, he has a two year waiting list, heats a whole house plus hot water for a third of the cost of Gas, some manual labour involved, but who says saving cash is easy.

macman

reeac wrote: »

Good timing as oil was cheap - I recall that our first fill cost 10 pence per GALLON i.e. 2.2 pence per litre. My most recent purchase, in June, cost 50.8 p/litre incl. VAT i.e 4.8p/kWh. . I don't know what gas costs currently but I assume that it's less than that.
I accept [and stated] that gas is cheaper but made the point that an annual purchase with no strings attached has its attractions compared with a contract with any utility company ... as I know from buying my electricity.

Although an 18 month contract at a fixed price (but with no ETC) does not have any strings attached either (EDF Blue Price Promise June 2014).
I'm paying 3.982p per kWh for gas (incl VAT), so your oil is just over 20% more expensive. I don't know what price you'd be paying for that same delivery now, but you're obviously savvy enough to buy in June for the winter.

reeac

macman wrote: »

Although an 18 month contract at a fixed price (but with no ETC) does not have any strings attached either (EDF Blue Price Promise June 2014).
I'm paying 3.982p per kWh for gas (incl VAT), so your oil is just over 20% more expensive. I don't know what price you'd be paying for that same delivery now, but you're obviously savvy enough to buy in June for the winter.

Have now spoken to my brother in law who has gas. He pays 3.65p/kWh but then there's a standing charge of 37p/day which according to my sums adds 0.63 p/kWh so that's 4.28 p/kWh. Revisiting my data I paid 50.2 p/litre or 4.65 p/kWh.in June. Yes, it was advantageous timing but that's the benefit of having over 12 month's storage capacity. The buy was part of a communal purchase run by a local organisation whose typical purchase is over 100,000 litres. They do the haggling with the potential suppliers. Still more expensive than gas but by less than 10% and I admitted at the outset that oil was more expensive - I simply said that it was nice not to be committed to any long term contract. I don't think that the utility companies offer any rewards for customer loyalty.

macman

What would be interesting to know is what the 'average' oil buyer is paying now per kWh-your price is clearly an advantageous one.

malc_b

Oil price for a group buy, lowest quote, in my village were 59p (Feb), 58p (Apr), 51p (Jun), 55p (Aug), 59p (Sept & Oct) 58p (Nov) 60p (Dec). Exc VAT (5%). So 51p is very good.

However, I don't agree with your kwh figures. Oil is 10.35 kwhr/l but you have to factor in the boiler efficiency, 84% for a good non condensing, 93% for a good condensing. Which for 51p gives 5.87 or 5.30p/kwh. That is true p/kwh compared with an electric fire.

Of course you also need to consider the gas boiler efficiency with is slightly less than oil typically with 80% for a good non condensing and 90% for a condensing (according to sebuk). For gas at 3.98 that is 4.98 or 4.42 p/kwh.

GlynD

You can also join the Oil Club and benefit from the buying power of your local grouping.

reeac

malc_b wrote: »

Oil price for a group buy, lowest quote, in my village were 59p (Feb), 58p (Apr), 51p (Jun), 55p (Aug), 59p (Sept & Oct) 58p (Nov) 60p (Dec). Exc VAT (5%). So 51p is very good.

However, I don't agree with your kwh figures. Oil is 10.35 kwhr/l but you have to factor in the boiler efficiency, 84% for a good non condensing, 93% for a good condensing. Which for 51p gives 5.87 or 5.30p/kwh. That is true p/kwh compared with an electric fire.

Of course you also need to consider the gas boiler efficiency with is slightly less than oil typically with 80% for a good non condensing and 90% for a condensing (according to sebuk). For gas at 3.98 that is 4.98 or 4.42 p/kwh.

For gas/oil price comparisons I assumed that the boilers had the same efficiencies in which case it's just as valid to deal in energy input to the boilers as in energy [heat] output. If we include electric heating then, of course, one must use heat output in order to compare fuels.

Owain_Moneysaver

A new gas boiler doesn't have to be a combi boiler, you can keep your existing hot water cylinder (or better replace it with a modern better-insulated one).

Especially if you have to replace the boiler anyway, changing to gas CH is likely to add more value to the house than it costs, and will be cheaper to run. You will also lose the oil tank in the garden.

reeac

david29dpo wrote: »

Are you talking about LPG or mains gas?

I'm sure we've all been talking mains gas. LPG is much more expensive.