LPG tank or bottles - clueless here :)

Watty1

Wonder if some folks on here can help.   Property currently supplied by 2 x LPG 47  bottles and looking for a better solution.  Currently I have to remember to go and check them in the outhouse regularly then phone for new bottles and they seem very expensive.  The heating seems to eat gas so for the last few years we have used a log burner but relationship breakdown means I don't have a ready supply of logs.  Am wondering about larger 'tanks' etc and would really appreciate some advice from the wise folk over here.

pinkteapot

Depends what advice you need.... We have a 2100 litre underground tank and it's great. Has remote telemetry so the LPG company (currently Calor) can monitor the level and automatically schedule a delivery when it's getting low. So for us it's no different to being on mains gas as we don't have to do anything (except save up for a large bill every 8 months or so when they fill us up - we decided not to do a monthly direct debit with them, but you could). 

However... Our house is a new-build and came with the tank. I seem to remember on looking into LPG and how it works (we've always been on mains gas before) I read that it can cost £5-10k to have an underground tank installed? Might be way off in either direction with that figure so needs some research. 

Also, as I understand it, underground tanks have a lifespan of around 30 years, so in 30 years we'll need to budget for digging up our whole driveway to replace the thing. 

Whether overground or underground (or wombling free), you need a suitable site for it. There's lots of rules around things like how close it can be to your property boundary...

I know Calor have a sales service for bulk tanks (as the big tanks are called) - so I'm sure you could have them visit and advise on what your options are. Then get other companies too so you have some quotes to compare. 

We currently pay 39p per litre for our bulk LPG, but that's not the best price - people on the bulk LPG pricing thread are currently getting contracts at around 32p. My contract's up soon and I now know how to haggle and get the best deal! 

matelodave

I dont use LPG (except in the caravan) but you can do a rough calculation base on the cost per kwh of lpg.

Bulk lpg is sold in litres and there are around 7kwh per litre (so based on the above of around 39p/liter = 39/7 = 5.6p/kwh)

Cylinders are fiiled by weight and 1kg of lpg = approx 13kwh of energy - dunno how much a 47kg cylinder costs but I got a 6kg for £24.50 yesterday = 24.50/6 = £4.08/kg = £4.08/13 = 31.4p/kwh. I've no doubt that a 47kg clinder is much cheaper per kg than a 6kg one, but I doubt it's anywhere near as cheap as bulk lpg.

I guess that LPG prices will rise in line with the general rise in the cost of gas and the price of leccy will follow (if not lead it)

You'd need to do the sums to decide whether it was worthwhile installing a bulk tank (cost and aggro etc) based on how long you intend to stay there. TBH it might even be worthwhile exploring installing a heatpump - they take up less room than a bulk tank and you can claim RHI (although the rules are changing in March next year). 

Mister_G

I think that you will find that LPG is a "waste product" from the refining of oil and therefore its price is more linked to the crude oil price rather than the natural gas price.

As oil prices are currently more stable than gas at the moment, I do not see it suffering the same increases as gas is going through.