Anyone got an oil fired boiler?

[Mr Fro]

The new house has got one and I'm wondering if they're as costly as some people say. I've heard people say it can cost ~£500 to heat the water in summer. So...

What have you got (combi or water tank)?

And

Does it cost billions to run?

[Bogof]

Does it cost billions to run?

 

Tank. Cost is comparable to cost of running a gas system.

Only time it'll cost you lots is when your oil is stolen, which is apparently a fairly common occurence in some parts of your country.

[Fozzie]

My place is all electric, and I've only see an oil fired boiler once or twice if I'm honest.

I heat water, it lasts a couple of days for dishes if you don't use the bath (I use the power shower). It works a treat!

Costs me £50 a month for electricity all told... Although that's for a small place, so quite expensive... Especially with a gf who freezes just by seeing the word cold and insists on having the radiators on whenever the temperature dips below 30 degrees C

[Guest]

the biggest difference you'll notice is that you pay for the oil in advance.. so, you will need to put money aside each month - or be able to pay for a fill.. when it comes time. its best to find out if the neighbourhood has a group buy scheme.. also, you will need to have the tank inspected.. any problems can cost a LOT to fix. same goes for the Boiler.

find out the capacity of the tank and then ask the seller to show you the last receipt for a fill.. be sure you're sitting down when you read it. also.. look at its security.. a full tank is a very attractive proposition to thieves. best if its underground or 'hidden'.

If it was me.. I would walk away. but then.. I'm a tight git. I would rather go all electric with E7 and storage heaters plus electric shower... than go anywhere near a property that was oil heated.

finally.. bear in mind that the oil price isn't regulated in the same way as gas and electricity is. and there isn't the same kind of competition between providers. Consumers have been trying to get this fixed... but thus far the Gov. hasn't shown the slightest interest.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Anonymous

[Mr Fro]

Cheers for the thought guys!

The tank is down the side of the house behind a couple of decent looking locked gates so security should be alright. Looking at oil prices now, the cost to fill should be in the £550 region. There's also an electric shower in the main bathroom and a wood burner in the front room so there's non oily options if things go a bit tits up!

[cockercas]

Fires are expensive to feed, you really need to be getting wood for free.

The price of fuel will only go up.

If you can raise funds look into air source heating. That's what I'd have if there was no gas.

You can get grants depending on what the gov are backing. Best time to do it is April.

It's not hot but it's a constant heat.

[Joeman]

Yep, I burned through 6 quids worth of logs on Sunday night on my wood burner.. Wood fires are not a cheap heat source!

[cockercas]

Il burn more then a builders bag of logs a week. That's best part of £100.

£100 a week is not cheap.

That's the difference between a Sunday night burn and running one 24/7.

[Joeman]

Glad my log fire is just for fun. Gas fired central heating and well insulated house means my heating bills aren't too bad.

[fq-craigus]

Most homes round here are oil burning. My dad has just finished installing his with boiler.

You have to buy your fuel up front which is the main difference, but oil prices tend to work out cheaper than gas and miles cheaper than electric.

Minimum oil delivery is usually 500 litres, there are some smaller companies that will do 100 litres but they few and far between

[Bogof]

Wood fires are not a cheap heat source!

 

That depends on where you live...

[cockercas]

Or who you know.

[Grumpy Old Git]

Il burn more then a builders bag of logs a week. That's best part of £100.

£100 a week is not cheap.

That's the difference between a Sunday night burn and running one 24/7.

 

Get it touch with a local 'coppicing' firm - I used to get all my wood free (Just needed to arrive at the site they were working and saw / collect / transport the logs home - I built a small trailer to carry the logs). Zero cost (apart from tiime / petrol) for over 4 years of using a log burner as the only source of heating.

[Guest]

i got oil heating in my house..

Big oil tank in the garden.... costs aprox £480 to fill it up, 500 Litres of something like that..

i dont knopw exactly.. i run mine off red diesel all year round.

[fq-craigus]

i got oil heating in my house..

Big oil tank in the garden.... costs aprox £480 to fill it up, 500 Litres of something like that..

i dont knopw exactly.. i run mine off red diesel all year round.

you sure its not a 1000 litre tank you have there, nearly a quid a litre if you pay around that much, should be mid 40's

[cockercas]

Il burn more then a builders bag of logs a week. That's best part of £100.

£100 a week is not cheap.

That's the difference between a Sunday night burn and running one 24/7.

 

Get it touch with a local 'coppicing' firm - I used to get all my wood free (Just needed to arrive at the site they were working and saw / collect / transport the logs home - I built a small trailer to carry the logs). Zero cost (apart from tiime / petrol) for over 4 years of using a log burner as the only source of heating.

 

Im a builder and the guy i use for groundworks also has a tree felling business. He cuts them to about 4 foot and drops them off.

Plenty of wood from site to.

[Mr Fro]

They guy who lives there at the mo said he got a shed load (literally) for tiny money because of the ash tree disease.

We have loads of stuff delivered on pallets at work so that might be an option so long as they're not treated with anything.

[cockercas]

I burn pallets, there ok but burn really quick. Good for getting fire going.