Coal prices

mardatha

How much are you all paying for coal? I mean the sacks from the coalman - anthracite and smokeless eggs?

michaelgordon

i pay £18 for 50kg sack smokeless ovals, bought in august and price not gone up

A._Badger

Nor should they (though in many areas they have). International coal prices are down by a third apparently due to the closure of so many coal fired power stations.

Naturally, British consumers have seen no benefit from this.

macman

To state the obvious, coal is very heavy and bulky. Much of the cost 'at the doorstep' is therefore that of distribution. So a 33% drop in wholesale prices 'at the pithead' isn't going to result in a similar drop in retail prices. Especially if that pithead is in somewhere like Poland.
Maybe someone knows how much of the coal burned in the UK is still sourced domestically from the few remaining pits?

No4_Winder

I've seen Supertherm advertised at £19.15 for 50k online.

mardatha

Ok thanks, we're paying £17.50 - yesterday handed over £90 and the coalhouse still not full.

A._Badger

macman wrote: »

To state the obvious, coal is very heavy and bulky. Much of the cost 'at the doorstep' is therefore that of distribution. So a 33% drop in wholesale prices 'at the pithead' isn't going to result in a similar drop in retail prices. Especially if that pithead is in somewhere like Poland.
Maybe someone knows how much of the coal burned in the UK is still sourced domestically from the few remaining pits?

Possibly not. But neither is it going to result in an increase. Not unless someone is making an excessive profit.

macman

But who says there has been an increase? And given that some deliveries might require a 50 mile round trip and some 5 miles, how do you actually compare prices except to your own address?

mardatha

Although I live in the border hills, every coalman we've had gets their coal from the same depot - Monktonhall in Edinburgh. I suppose they get it from Leith Docks. So we're limited to choice in the coalmen who will come away out here and in the price they charge. I just wondered what it was like in other places, but it all seems much the same. Coal fires and windy weather don't mix very well and you go through a lot, whatever kind of fire or stove you use. Nevmind, roll on summer eh!

rockchick113

I get my coal from halifax Yorkshire and the coal I use comes from a pit in Yorkshire :T

suki1964

I pay £17 for the ovals and £18 for the anthracite delivered, same price as last winter