Alternative heating

QrizB

Diesel is 35 second heating oil.

Kerosene is 28 second heating oil.

Paraffin is a similar distillate fuel to kerosene but with most of the nastiest components removed.

All three will burn quite happily in most combustion heaters but if one or more of them disagree with your particular heater, that's your problem not mine.

wrf12345 said:

Heating is difficult but what about generating electricity from a petrol generator, with fuel price falling and electric way up, does that make any sense?

Not on price grounds. You get between 1 and 2 kWh of electricity per litre from most small generators. If petrol is £1.60 a litre that's at least 80p per kWh.

As a standby option in case of power outages, it might make more sense but for most people the purchase price of a generator is greater than the opportunity cost of a blackout.

maxmycardagain said:

I would happily get a genny but wouldnt a diesel on red be cheaper to run?

Can i reclaim road fuel duty on petrol used in a genny?

Diesel generators are more expensive to buy, even if they are slightly more fuel efficient.

No, you can't claim back the road duty.

maj1987

I know it won’t heat the full house but wouldn’t a 4.2kwh portable gas heater be better value, new around £100 plus a bottle of gas. on low they say 149h run time from 15kg.

Krakkkers

So what is the total cost and what kwh is the low setting for 149 hours. Then you can compare costs with gas.

maj1987

Can get the heater for as little as £93 they are rated 1.4,2.8,4.2kwh as for gas I’ve never bought one so wouldn’t know.

maj1987

Quick google search a 13kg butane refill £34 not sure on how many kWh that 13kg will give you

chris_n

How much water will be given off with all of these gas heaters?

QrizB

maj1987 said:

Quick google search a 13kg butane refill £34 not sure on how many kWh that 13kg will give you

About 14kWh to a kg of gas.

mmmmikey

I pay 26p per kWh for butane in 15kg Calor or 13kg Flogas bottles. A lot cheaper for me than October Economy 7 East Midlands day rate prices but a lot more expensive per kWh than mains gas if you already have it. I could get mains gas, but as I'm only using small quantities, by the time you factor in the standing charges there isn't much difference and certainly not enough to make it worth having the gas pipe laid to the house. I use bottled butane for cooking and have also bought a blue flame cabinet heater for the kitchen/dining room which is big enough and well ventilated enough to allow safe use of the heater. It hasn't been cold enough to test the heater properly yet but first signs are encouraging - the thermostatic control seems to work really well and the blue flame heater looks like a much better option for me than the more common radiant types.