Oil heating getting me down!

G_M

During summer etc, run the boiler for a day every month or so, or maybe just to heat a tankful of water.

As a very cheap short-term measure, clingfilm stretched taut across a window and taped in place all round (gaffer tape?) acts like secondary glazing.

If decorating, line stone walls with insulating liner. Another cheapish solution.

[Deleted User]

G_M wrote: »

If decorating, line stone walls with insulating liner. Another cheapish solution.

That was on my walls when I first moved in here back in my LPG days. Couple of points it leaves an indent if pressed which kids will love. Though it does make the walls feel warmer the temp in our LPG CH house at that time was still 9-14c. Too expensive to run LPG all the time. Supplemented with log burner and oil rads which at least kept two rooms warm[ish] Not great...

Suggest finishing each room in turn and working your way through the house. Trying to do it piece meal means living in a guddle especially with kids.

The insulating paper along with the LPG system is now in the bin and CH system updated.

Just to add your oil consumption is seems spot on. Certainly a friend with similar house/situaltion has gone through the same amount.

Cheers

Carrie1983

Thank you everyone for all suggestions.

I have just had a look back at old bills and realise that the tank is actually a 1300l (it was installed late August last year, under waranty as old one perished). So I suppose my usage has not been too bad.

What has also not helped, is that I currently work 4 days a week term time only, and work from home for some of that (about half a day to a full day a week), so the heating has been on more - I will turn the stat up to boost the heating if I am cold, so it has been on constant some days.

I have looked for a few tips (on this thread and this site) for lowering consumption and also maximising the usage - so insulating the water tank, having things timed correctly etc.

1300l seems quite low in comparison to the average, and I do still have 10" left in the tank - just measured... I think this equates to 200-300l. I started using the heating in early October (too early really, given how cold this winter got and for how long). I am also not used to living in such an old, cold house anymore, but have found over the last week of not using the heating I have gotten used to being a bit colder - my body has adjusted. My daughter is at her dad's until Tuesday, but I have an oil rad in her room anyway.

So I have used about 1000 to 1200l since mid-September, with 5.5 months to go until 12 months have passed, and I reckon I can make the last 300l last until then by having the timers set properly, using kettle/immersion. Plus I will be working full time soon so will be here far less.

Thanks for all the top advice and tips!

Carrie1983

That still means it's cost £100 a month (if I can make a tank full last a year, it works out about £65 a month), though!! It used to cost £100 in my old, bigger, 25 year old house, with GCH (combi boiler) for a combined gas, electric, phone line/calls, broadband bill! I can't wait until my next door neighbour's house sells, as it currently sits empty and has done for a year or so, so their heating and fires are not running, so there is no shared heat going on as usually would happen, and as an end terrace, my other side is completely open to the elements!

I have been looking at some other threads, including old ones talking about oil consumption, and some people with bigger houses, were making a 2000l tank last 2 years, backed up by a fire and immersion heaters!

suki1964

Carrie1983 wrote: »

I have been looking at some other threads, including old ones talking about oil consumption, and some people with bigger houses, were making a 2000l tank last 2 years, backed up by a fire and immersion heaters!

Id love that 2000 ltrs would last two year, their houses must be baltic:eek:

the oil is on for a few hours a day, most of our heat comes from the stoves.

we are not at the stage where we are struggling to pay the oil, but I am at the stage is saying how much of my budget do I use to keep warm?

Eight years ago, the day I moved in, 900 litres was less then £300, last fill was £600

Our income has remained pretty static and I can see its only a matter of time when we too will be choosing to eat or heat

highrisklowreturn

scotsman4th wrote: »

Consider fitting solid fuel central heating?

We're hoping to this year, oils only going to go up and my grandparents had coal fires into their 70's and managed.

A friend in the same house as us spent £2300 on the conversion and £100 a month in coal keeps the heating and water on 365 days a year (except when they're on holiday ofcourse).

At 68ppl for my last fill, and averaging 2800 litres a year, it should pay for itself in 3 years. AND the house will be toasty constantly instead of just for a few hours a day.

I got a parkray with backboiler for free, parts cost circa £200, plumbing parts cost £50, and a plumber is charging me £70 to put it all in.

I'm hoping to not get through more than 4 bags ie 100kg of coal a week, so £20 I think will do it a week or £80 a month to have th house roasting properly, unlike wasting money on oil which owing to its cost can only be put on about 2 hours a day, always gets gunked up, and leaves the radiators semi warm - oh and leaks and is susceptible to theft.

Coal all the way- £4.83 a bag yeooo.

Rolandtheroadie

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

I got a parkray with backboiler for free, parts cost circa £200, plumbing parts cost £50, and a plumber is charging me £70 to put it all in.

I'm hoping to not get through more than 4 bags ie 100kg of coal a week, so £20 I think will do it a week or £80 a month to have th house roasting properly, unlike wasting money on oil which owing to its cost can only be put on about 2 hours a day, always gets gunked up, and leaves the radiators semi warm - oh and leaks and is susceptible to theft.

Coal all the way- £4.83 a bag yeooo.

Where do you get coal for £4.83 per 25kg?

I've been buying it direct from the mine at around £90 a ton (or £2.25 per 25kg) unfortunately it's in the process of closing.

highrisklowreturn

Off a wholesaler in Belfast. Regrettably there arn't any mines about here.

On another note how many 25kg bags would a - say - 10kw parkray consort stove with backboiler, feeding 7 radiators and water, get through a week / month?

janey07

Hi Guys
What's your thoughts on this ? We live in a 3 bed 2 reception bungalow and have gone through 1800 litres of oil in the last 4 months costing us nearly £300 a month ! We are retired so are at home a lot of the time but monitor our use and certainly don't have it on all day. The weather has been severe and for any other Norn Ireland folks we live in Carnmoney-enough said !
We have considered whether it has been stolen but unlikely as our back garden is well protected and as I said we are at home a lot of the time. Anyone else has to use this amount of oil ? Many thanks.

astreet3

I can sympathise with the original poster. We are currently without central heating, we live in a rural location, no gas so have relied on a oil fired Rayburn to heat our water and radiators. In went wrong recently and we made the decision to change to a more efficient modern boiler but then we got hit with this cold snap! So we are struggling in the cold with a couple of electric heaters.

We are consoling ourselves with the thought of a toasty warm house next winter and lower oil usage!