Oil use heavier this Autumn/Winter so far

dunstonh

Just some ramblings.....

Our tank is too small for the size of the house. So, we fill up more frequently.  But it does allow us to see how the seasonal weather is impacting on our use.

I am finding this Autumn/Winter period so far is a lot heavier than last year but less than 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 & 2021/22.  (spreadsheet goes back to Dec 18 with a fill up in every December)

We knew last year was mild as we only needed a fill up in Dec 22, April 23 (and then Dec 23).  Somtimes we have needed 4 fill ups.
That Dec 2023 fill up is already sitting at 55%/6 bars out of 10 on the in-house display (but 4 bars on the rocket) with the trusty broom stick verifying the IHD is accurate (well as accurate as you get).

With the coldest months still yet to come, I think we will end up with an extra tank fill needed compared to last year.    We have had a lot of days and nights in minus temperatures, including a -5.9c actual, which I don't recall at any time in the previous 5 years at this stage.    So, part of me is surprised it is not worse.  Although we did replace a draughty external door and replace a single pane window with double glazing and one wing remains mothballed over the cold months just as it was last year (but not the years before).

Many oil users understand their usage through experience but I wonder how many gas/electric heating users that do not monitor their use much or at all are in for a shock after the mild 22/23 period.

MultiFuelBurner

December 2023 we used 13% less electricity with our heat pump and all household use compared to December 2022

Jan 2024 is shaping up to be using 10% more electricity than Jan 2023

I will caveat this with the fact this year we are on tracker which is fantastic price compared to Dec 2022/Jan 2023 and we are running the heat in the house to a warmer temperature this winter and we aren't turning stuff off standby like last year.

Veteransaver

Ours has been only slightly higher this winter so far. But we have been heating an additional spare room this year too which wasn't occupied last year.
It's been fairly mild this winter apart from the recent cold snap and another in November.
It's warming up for the next week or so, we had a cold snap this time last year too.

Qyburn

Last year we cut back too much, resulting in the house starting to feel clammy, which I dislike more than cold. So this Winter we started using heating sooner in the season, and running for more of the day.  Oil use does not seem to be any higher. Typically over the years it takes around three weeks for the oil meter to drop by one (nominally 1/10 of the tank). This year its been a month. Literally - clocking down to 9 on 8th November, 8 on 8th December and 7 on 8th January. I guess it's just been milder, although it doesn't feel like it.

Interesting idea that oil users are more vigilant than mains gas users. It should be much easier to keep track of gas, but I guess with oil it's the need to keep on top of tank level and manage deliveries.

Lorian

I think a lot of people are about to get their biggest suprise with this recent cold spell. Perhaps the biggest suprise is reserved for those with direct electric heating, some already seen. My Gas usage is up in Dec and Jan. 

born_again

Our usage is well up this year, due to feeling a lot colder due in part to so much rain in Nov/Dec. Now a cold snap. 
Oh how we miss that £400 🤣

lohr500

Looking at our oil consumption from October to January last year and this, we are using around 12.8 litres a day now, compared to 11.2 litres for the previou period.

The date range differs as I don't record the usage daily, so we are comparing the average daily usage from 115 days last period to 99 days this.

However, last period we were heating water on the off-peak electricity rate, whereas we are now using oil as it is cheaper. 

In the summer of 2023, our oil usage was averaging 1.7 litres of oil a day to do the hot water.

So if we subtract 1.7 from the 12.8, that gives us 11.1, which pretty much matches our oil consumption from October to January last year.

In summary then, we've not really seen any increased usage this winter so far over last. 

Should mention that we haven't changed any thermostat or timing changes when comparing last period to this.

Conclusion from all of this is that I should probably get out more often !!!! 

QrizB

In terms of degree-days, using EGUB (RAF Benson) as my location and 17C as my base temperature:

• 2021 Jan - 410
  
• Feb - 330
  
• Mar - 314
  
• Apr - 325
  
• ...
• Oct - 150
  
• Nov - 302
• Dec - 302

• Jan 2022 - 400
• Feb - 269
• Mar - 288
• Apr - 237
• ...
• Oct - 123
  
• Nov - 226
• Dec - 421

• Jan 2023 - 389
• Feb - 317
• Mar - 298
• Apr - 254
• ...
• Oct - 139
  
• Nov - 294
• Dec - 283

• Jan 2024 to date - 285 (pro-rata for the month would be 421)
  

What does all this mean? The numbers are a measure of how cold it's been, big numbers being colder, although skewed by the different number of days in a month.

• January 2024 has, so far, been colder on average than Jan 2021, 22 or 23.
• December 2023 was milder than Dec 2021 or 2022, and milder than Nov 2023.
  
• November 2023 was colder than Nov 2022, milder than Nov 2021.
  

MultiFuelBurner

MultiFuelBurner said:

December 2023 we used 13% less electricity with our heat pump and all household use compared to December 2022

Jan 2024 is shaping up to be using 10% more electricity than Jan 2023

I will caveat this with the fact this year we are on tracker which is fantastic price compared to Dec 2022/Jan 2023 and we are running the heat in the house to a warmer temperature this winter and we aren't turning stuff off standby like last year.

I will add November in as well as @qrizb shows that was a colder month 2023 as well

Indeed Nov 2022 was mild and we used 25% more electricity in Nov 2023 in the form of an extra 150kwh, that with the extra 100kwh estimate for Jan 2024 and the saving of 130kwh in December 2023 over December 2022.....means

We have used 120kwh more over Novemeber-January this year. 

But again caveated with being less worried about leaving things on and doing more washing and tumble drying and doing some heat pump experimenting with temperature flow....

fatbelly

We're in for very mild temperatures for the remainder of the month. Daytime temperatures of 11-13 deg C for me!

400ixl

I dumped the dumb TRVs and fitted smart radiator thermostats this year as the boiler is in the garage and the frost protection kicks in when it is cold.

This has allowed much better control of each room and what temperature when.

Result is less oil usage than last year and much better experience.