Oil Heating

feda16

Please point me to the right thread if im lost!!

I want to install oil heating into my home as my coal fire is useless, however i dont know where to start, on average over 3 months i pay roughly £270 for my coal, however it does not keep my house very warm and does is a nightmare to rake/empty, im looking for just a simple solution around this as sooner or later i might have a kid and would like to have a stour-free house!! I live in the Kw1 area of Scotland so could anyone tell me would oil be worth it? I have no access to gas btw and i am thinking maybe about electric heating on a turbine but again that seems risky (although we're not short of wind way up here!!)

Cardew

For the benefit of non-Scots – ‘stour’ = dust!

There is no such thing as ‘electric heating on a turbine’. The domestic turbines costing £thousands often can’t even power a bulb – so forget that idea.

The cost of installing oil CH will run into £thousands, and with oil at 45p a litre is not cheap to run – probably more than your solid fuel.

A cheaper option to install and run is modern electric storage heaters and run them on an Economy 7 tariff. Don’t be fooled into buying these systems that run on daytime electric rates.

Storage heaters have their disadvantages, although the modern systems are better than the old type of heater.

From an economic point of view, I would think twice before getting a new system.

cookie55

Hello
I'm new to this and this is my first ever post (anywhere).
I have read with interest all the discussions regarding electric heating.
I am currently buying a house in Suffolk, It is grade2 listed and currently has fairly battered storage heaters and electric towel rails. I can install oil CH and I am not too bothered about the instalation costs it is just whether the advantage of oil over electric would be worth it. I will be out of the house during the day and like to be sensibly warm in my own home.
I would appreciate any views on this or comparisons anyone may have experienced themselves.
Many thanks

fishboy58

Hi
I have a similar question. Can anybody advise me as to the benefits of oil heating over electric (don't know whether panel or storage?) if the installation costs of oil are taken into account as well as the current high oil prices. I will be away from the house during the day.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

Cardew

There are 3 main points to consider:

Firstly instalation costs:
Oil CH with radiators is expensive to install. Several £thousands with tank plumbing etc.

Modern storage heaters running on Economy 7 are much cheaper to install £hundreds depending on how many heaters are required.

Secondly running costs.
Oil is currently about 45p a litre. With a modern condensing boiler you will be looking at around 5p a kWh.

Depending where you live, Economy 7 can be obtained for approx 3p a kWh. However on an E7 tariff you pay extra for your daytime electricity - how much extra that will be depends on how much you use.

All storage heaters 'leak' heat during the day and thus that will be wasted heat if you are out all day.

Oil burners require annual service - storage heaters do not!

Also there is much talk that modern condensing boilers which are stuffed full of electronics do require repair and 10 years is a realistic life before a replacement boiler is required.

So on costs I believe that storage heating will be much the cheaper option for running costs and installation.

However there is also no doubt that Oil CH(like gas) is a much more convienient system and most people would prefer it to storage heating; although modern storage heating systems are much better than the older systems - particularly regarding leakage.

Oil CH will enhance the value of your property.

If you do go for 'normal' electrical heating running on a daytime tariff - then don't be fooled into buying these fancy electrical radiator systems costing a fortune. They cost the same to run as, say, an oil filled radiator you can buy for £30.

Lastly if you have plenty of capital, look at Ground Source Heat Pumps or even Air Source heat pumps - but do plenty of research first.

fishboy58

Hello Cardew
Thank you for your advice. You have been a very busy man on this thread and I'm sure your knowledge is appreciated.
I have herd of Dimplex 'Duoheaters' and from what I can gather they are a storage heater with a seperate heating panel if you need to top-up your room heat in the evening, say.
Have you or anyone else come across or currently use these Duoheaters.
It would be great to get some un-biased opinions.
many thanks

Cardew

Dimplex make good 'slimline' storage heaters that are much better looking and more efficient than the older large storage heaters.

It is useful to have a combined storage heater/fan heater(convector heater) but IMO it is not worth paying a lot extra for them.(over normal storage heaters) You can buy a simple fan heater for £10 or so and take it to the roms where heat in the evening is needed. - don't use it in a bathroom though.

That said, if you want an automated system that controls heat in different zones of the house, the Duoheaters are best. Depends on how much you want to spend.