THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

tori.k

Should have said the old oil system is on it's last legs, tank needs replacing and will have to meet the current regulations not an easy one unless I mind the bunded tank in the middle of the very small garden, one of the reasons the house is cheap.

jk0

You might find an oil supplier willing to finance a new tank if you sign up to them for a number of years. I'd still keep the oil system personally.

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - I wouldnt - ie keep anything oil-fired.

I whipped out oil-fired stuff quick sharp when I bought current house (as I knew I would be doing if the house/whatever house I bought turned out to have it).

A large part of the reason was reading threads on MSE (in which they quoted what they were paying for their fuel - and it was a lot more than I expect to pay for mine). Add the fact we're pretty much at Peak Oil and I foresee oil only getting dearer...and that was that...

So - I use however much fuel I think I will (ie I don't economise on it at all) and that means the central heating, for instance, tends to be on all day in colder weather. My monthly fuel debit = £58 (and that's for both gas and electric). My central heating runs off gas.

tori.k

Our kinda thinking we've had oil before it was great and reasonably cheap at the time, but prices have more than double, no gas in the area, so our options due to the age of the property is pretty much LPG bottles or electric, the idea of fittings solar was with the idea of reducing our electricity bill when we are home more after retirement, and retro fitting off grid batteries if they ever sort a cost effective home system out.
We've no experience with solar so not sure in reality how well they work especially with us not having a southern aspect, but currently thinking from Germany is it works well with east/west with a longer less powered charge.
My lads are also going to build me a wood pizza oven and BBQ smoker I had a camp kitchen in every house we've lived in for entertainment but think it's time to experiment more off grid cooking
We have to purchase all the white goods for this house being short on space wondering if a move back to a twin tub that I can keep in the garage might be wise move, something to think on.

[Deleted User]

Tori, I have a fully sustainable eco house 4 bed detached. Heating is solar gain, topped up with ch via a wood pellet stove. Hot water is via solar panels and it only needs topping up from october to april. I have PV (photovoltaic) on the roof and my electricity bills are low. My house is 140 sqm. Total bills are £308 for electricity and <£250 for ch and hot water top-up.I also have rainwater harvesting and have enough water for toilets, washing machine and extra water butts for the garden

The house is highly insulated with wool insulation between the floors, triple glazing. My wool insulation is fully sealed ie moths cannot get into it. They can cause havoc in a home. Solar is controlled in my house via solar shading and I have a heat sink floor and walls

I am looking to move due to circumstances and will not be getting PV panels, at my age it is about cost/return. Rainwater harvesting involves a big tank below ground, again a very expensive procedure and it needs cleaning every few years, think £600+. Water butts are very do-able. If I were getting a new hw system then I would get solar panels (different to PV panels) but would not retro fit. There is no gas here and none where I want to live so insulation will be key.

Ask any questions you like tori, I installed my own solar lighting system in my outbuilding, 40w panel, solar controller and three switched strings of led lights

tori.k

Thanks Kittie
Your setup is similar to what we are looking at, I'm glad of your views on the solar setup, having really only read a lot im guessing quite biased views, it was more the thermal solar that peaked our interest that could help contribute to keeping our hot water cost down.
Rainwater harvesting set up isn't as grand as yours we have a set up now of connected water butts and sand filter to a IBC tank. Under South West water you need to conserve as much as possible we also have off grid solar lighting system in my workshop that was just a plug an play kit.
So this is all quite new to us DH is quite technical minded if it has a combustion engine, and I'm quite useless so this will be an interesting journey for us.we are currently paying £800 pa in electric and that doesn't include heating as we are wood. We don't have many gadgets but the immersion heater im guessing cost a ton we'd love to reduce this by a third at least.

jk0

tori.k wrote: »

we are currently paying £800 pa in electric and that doesn't include heating as we are wood. We don't have many gadgets but the immersion heater im guessing cost a ton we'd love to reduce this by a third at least.

I would ask the electric co to put in an Economy 7 meter. If you aren't electro-sensitive, there is even that offer from Ebico of free overnight energy.

Karmacat

Wonderful solar setups! Once my building work is done, I'm really hoping to move on to that kind of thing.

mardatha

Meanwhile this dinosaur up on a Scottish hill has a toasty warm house (well the rooms at the front anyway) and constant unlimited very hot water - and all from one coal-burning stove... Sometimes the old ways are just fine!

[Deleted User]

tori.k wrote: »

wondering if a move back to a twin tub that I can keep in the garage might be wise move, something to think on.

Do you have a fresh water hookup, and waste water discharge facilities, in the garage?