Need a new boiler should I stick with Oil

helpneededagain

We are hopefully looking to replace our current oil boiler in the next few months. It is situated in the kitchen at the moment but we plan to move it to an outhouse which is attached to the property.

Our current boiler is around 22 years old (if not more) and I use around 75 - 100 ltrs per month depending on the season. We do not have mains gas at the moment but can get it installed at a cost of around a £700. We have a 2 year old hot water tank in the attic.

We live in a detached 2 bed bungalow; we have cavity wall insulation and 50% of the attic has over 8" of installation and the other half has around 4" this section is boarded. There is a small area with no insulation at all as we cannot access it. Fully double glazed. We have found that the most energy efficient way of using the boiler is that it is on 24 hours for both heat and hot water but we have a thermostat which can adjust the heating setting several times over 24 hours so we tend to set it 15degrees and then gradually raise and drop it over an evening. The good thing about this is that if we manually override it cause we need a bit more warmth after about an hour it will automatically drop it back down. We do not have thermostatic valves.

Here's the thing tho' do we install a new oil boiler - either combi or otherwise or do we install gas and install a gas boiler which is cheaper. I like oil because I know how much I am spending on it whereas the thought of having a big gas bill scares me.

I would like to try and calculate what our KwH use in oil would cost us in gas but am not sure how to - any suggestions.

Perhaps someone could give me their opinion on the above.
Thank you

J_B

When I last enquired about 6 years ago, a gas boiler was about £1K less than an oil one.
Gas is traditionally cheaper than oil, so paying £700 to get gas sounds OK

Get some boiler quotes first.

Cardew

A litre of oil produces approx. 10kWh. Oil is at the cheapest it has been for years at around 40p/litre so 4p/kWh. Not that long ago as you will be aware it was 70p/litre.

Gas is currently around 3p to 3.5p/kWh plus a daily charge which can vary but around 20p a day would be average. You can get a smallish discounts for dual fuel.

So currently there is little difference in running costs, but I would think oil has a greater potential to increase more than gas.

Oil boilers do cost more to buy and service.

If it was my choice I would go for gas.


PS There are loads of threads on the merits of a combi v a conventional CH system(as you currently have) I would go for conventional myself - others will disagree.

paceinternet

You will have to check the prices for oil and gas in your area, but 1 litre of oil gives about 10kwh of heat, so if oil is 40p per litre, it will be 4p per kwh.
Gas might be 3p per kwh.
If you are comparing new boilers with similar efficiency, then in this example, oil would be 1p per kwh more expensive which compared with gas would be 33% more.
But do check your own prices because you will also have to include the standing charge for gas in your average gas cost.

Heh, almost same answer, so must be right!

snowscreamer

I would go for gas if it really is only £700 for the new pipeline. Will add value to your house as most people are more familiar with gas boilers. Plus generally the gas prices runs lower than the oil price.

Silent_Dancer

If you have the option to connect to the gas mains for only £700 then I would take this. Gas boilers are cheaper and you do not have to worry about the oil tank. Normally gas is cheaper per kw that oil.

spiro

There are a couple of points that have not been mentioned which are relevant:
You will no longer have a tank in the garden.
You can fix your gas price (Kwh and daily charge) for a year or more which I doubt you can do with oil
You can nven run out of gas
If you pay by DD and regularly submit meter readings there are no shock bills.

macman

£700 is a fraction of the value that mains gas CH and DHW will add to the value of the property. As for oil prices, do the same comparison based on where the oil price was 12m ago, and then see which way you would jump were pricing to return to that level.

captainhindsight_2

You should be looking a a biomass boiler or a heat pump, you will regret not going down the renewables route when oil and gas prices continue to soar!

Silent_Dancer

captainhindsight wrote: »

You should be looking a a biomass boiler or a heat pump, you will regret not going down the renewables route when oil and gas prices continue to soar!

The price of gas continue to soar? Oil and gas prices are at the lowest they've been for years with analysts predicting they'll remain that way for a few years. Whereas electricity because of the green subsidies is likely to remain 3 to 4 times the price of gas per kw.

captainhindsight_2

Silent_Dancer wrote: »

The price of gas continue to soar? Oil and gas prices are at the lowest they've been for years with analysts predicting they'll remain that way for a few years. Whereas electricity because of the green subsidies is likely to remain 3 to 4 times the price of gas per kw.

Clutching at straws?

Have you seen the data and predictions or just read media headlines? Lol.