Alternative heating

maxmycardagain

Just putting this out there..

We are on gas for heating, annual anticipated useage at least £1200/year (mainly winter)

Ive considered getting a diesel heater  which runs at about 7p/hr on red diesel at 80p/ltr, we have airvents i could use if i installed the heater outside,  

Its akin to a truck night heater

maj1987

Can you even get red diesel anymore unless your in a certain profession. The donkey engines at work we used to fill with red now have to be filled with normal diesel.

Malkytheheed

It's utterly utterly crazy but if the January predictions go ahead then yes, you will be cheaper running your house from a diesel genenrator than from the mains. I mean how in gods name has it come to that. Where is the economy of scale? 

QrizB

I've been thinking of one of those for Mrs QrizB's crafting shed.

It does need to be connected to the open air.

Even at £1.80 a litre, white diesel will be cheaper than electric heating.

maxmycardagain

Malkytheheed said:

It's utterly utterly crazy but if the January predictions go ahead then yes, you will be cheaper running your house from a diesel genenrator than from the mains. I mean how in gods name has it come to that. Where is the economy of scale? 

I wouldn't want a 240v genny running 24/7, this is just diesel blow air heater


For leccy... Well, like an off grid campervan for leccy you'd need... 
Solar charging (or mini wind turbine) of a leisure battery or 2 and an inverter, you can get 12v fridges, but big load items would need too much juice

maxmycardagain

maj1987 said:

Can you even get red diesel anymore unless your in a certain profession. The donkey engines at work we used to fill with red now have to be filled with normal diesel.

there are a few garages retailing it out here

EssexHebridean

There are still some filling stations with fuel pumps for red diesel up in the Hebrides. Very odd to see for those coming from areas where this hasn't been "a thing" for years! 

BikingBud

Still legal to use:

• for heating and electricity generation in non-commercial premises - this includes the heating of homes and buildings such as places of worship, hospitals and townhalls; off-grid power generation; and non-propulsion uses on permanently-moored houseboats

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-of-red-diesel-entitlements/reform-of-red-diesel-and-other-rebated-fuels-entitlement

lohr500

Unless you only plan to heat a small room, I don't think you will get enough heat at say 8p per hour. With red diesel at £0.80 per litre, that means you would use 0.1 litres per hour.

A litre of diesel yields around 10.5kWh at 100% conversion. If the device ran continually for the hour and used 0.1 litres, then the theoretical maximum output would be 1.05kWh. In reality, I think there will be some heat loss from the device and also you have to factor in the cost of the 12 volt supply to power it.

Or have I got my maths wrong?

macman

With apologies to your username, wouldn't 'maxmycardigans' be a safer way to stay warm?

matelodave

Cardies are less noisy than anything running on diesel and probably not as smelly (depending on how often you wash the cardie)