Oil Prices

[Mikey]

Does anyone else out there have oil as a means of heating.

The last 6 months has seen an unprecedented increase in oil prices, from roughly 38p a litre, upto roughly 67p. During the winter we will fill our tank with approximately 2000 to 3000 litres, this kind of increase really makes me ask the question is it worth changing.

I've worked out that our house cost £12.51 to heat every square metre per annum. How do your homes compare if you're on alternative heating.

[smallblueplanet]

You're lucky if you've a choice of changing your means of heating. Thing is how much would a new (whatever type) boiler & installation cost?

If petrol prices mirrored oil heating prices there would have been rioting on the streets, but as it is there's hardly been much said and less done...

[chris]

Hmm, last quater (Oct -> Jan) our gas bill was £198 (4 bed detached - loft insulation, central heating in all rooms, no wall cavity insulation). Our average yearly gas bill is:

~£490 - we cook with gas too.

The quarter before was £172 - for pretty much the same usage.

Combined Gas an electricity is over £1k/year - I keep meaning to comapre to switch (current provider is swalec).

Eep, just read this:

How much energy did I use in the last 12 months?
Since this time last year you've used 17930.60 kWh

How much will my energy costs be in the next 12 months?
In the coming year we estimate your costs will be £700.51

Bit of a hike!

[Mikey]

We have gas in the street, but are looking at roughly 4k to bring it into the house, approx 1600 for the boiler and 360 to change over.

I've been thinking about changing to a pelleted wood burning boiler, but don't know how much extra these cost or who you get to service them.

We should have put a reconditioned rayburn in when we had the chance.

[Mikey]

When I first filled the oil tank when we moved in I paid 29p a litre, this was 5 years ago. We have since extended the house and fitted very high levels of insulation throughout. We aren't losing a lot of heat, I could tell by how much snow we still had on our roof compared with our neighbours tail end of last year. Either that or they have their heating higher.

[jackie j]

Gas for heating hot water and cooking, £708 a year loft insulted 4 bed terraced, 3 rooms and kitchen downstairs. plus £600 a year for electric.

[Mikey]

I think I'll get my gas from chris's supplier his seems a lot cheaper than jackie's.

Average new homes 4 beds are 95-100sqm, old homes 40 years + are around 120sqm

3 beds new are 80-85sqm older roughly 100-105sqm

If this helps with your calculations.

[jackie j]

I do have the heating on a lot cos I'm home and refuse to be cold

[Mikey]

Thermals jj, thermals.

[jackie j]

Lots of layers, but a draughty over 100 year old house that is desperate for new windows and doors.

[Mikey]

How about the budget secondary glazing, the film types, would they be a good short term stop gap.

[vicky]

We use oil, it will be over £1000 to heat the house this winter! I think if you buy more than a certain amount at once you get charged vat (2750 litres?) as you're considered a business! We have a scheme in our villiages where we do a bulk order every month and can reduce the cost somewhat...
We also burn logs but are limited by what we can install as we're thatched - ie logburners are v risky. I have planted lots of trees for future use.

[Mikey]

There is vat on oil though, isn't it set at 5%?

[green thing]

fuel price will just keep on going up as demand keeps on increasing and resources dwindle
it's also an easy way for the government to raise tax

I've got a customer who is faced with the same problem

she has gone about by offsetting the cost of oil by installing solar panels
and solar water heating and is now looking at ground source heating
her solar panels constantly generate about 1000w even on the dullest days
which she exports and gets paid for
the hot water is lukewarm if lucky
but you need the space and money to do this and your house facing the right way

she is looking to get rid of the oil when the ground source heating goes in
she has also been insulating the wall floors and roof of house to a very high specification to reduce heat loss and fuel use

she has also installed energy efficient lighting windows and appliances

her fuel cost are next to nothing at the moment but the cost of achieving this has been
astronomical

[Mikey]

I'm sure I was reading something the other day about a paint which you apply to your walls that acts as insulation. It contained ceramic particles like they have on shuttles to reflect the heat on re-entry.

Could this be applied to exterior walls in order to reflect heat back in. Wouldn't it be cheaper than cavity wall insulation?