Heating oil costs!

N

nightwalker21492

New member
As many of you know, I'm currently moving house.

Finally got the oil burner installed and running yesterday, and because I don't have the fencing installed around the tank yet, I bought 2 x 20litre drums of heating oil just to get us started without fear of being robbed.

Called to the house today, and found that the 20 litres have been guzzled already! The heat was only maybe on for 5 - 6 hours.

At that rate we would go through approximately 7000 litres a year which would cost (bear in mind heating oil costs in Ireland are extortionate) about €4500 per year!

The house is a 4 bedroom detached bungalow. Anyone else have a similar size/type of house? Our current house is a 3 bed end terrace and we only maybe use 1400 litres a year.

Better buy the wife a coat...
 
I certainly bloody hope so. Suppose we won't really know until we spend a few months in it.

My initial thought was that something isn't right but my FIL knows a guy who lives about a mile away and has a similar sized house and he says he goes through 100 litres a week!

Any easy ways of testing for a leak?
 
And with you in NI, that's the equivalent of closer to £300 for me!

Mind you, my current consumption rate (barring any leak or initial priming explanation) would have me spending about €70 a week too.
 
Just checked with Mrs D and we actually use 500 litres every 6 weeks during winter. It costs roughly £310 at the moment.

Check boilerjuice.com. Given your location they should deliver.
 
As Sgt Jones would say "Don't panic!"

First of all, it will take the fabric of the building some time to warm and disperse the damp, regardless of how long the heating is on each day

We have a detached stone building. Some is very well insulated, some not. We use, probably, around 2500 litres per year

Just ensure you have controls on each radiator to regulate the heat in each room as required, and time clock set on the boiler so that heat is not provided when not required. I'm sure if you have oil heating already you'll be doing this

Shop around for fuel. Find the independents in your new area. Buying on the net is not always best. Haggle hard. See if you can buy in a group with your neigrabroadours. Boiler Juice are not always cheapest
 
There have been some internet scammers operating in the UK, so always check your supplier is registered with the relevant people before buying over the net

Apologies if that's extremely obvious
 
Hi Dr Phil,

I'd also recommend - if you haven't already done so - investing in an "oil tank lock" of some kind!

Even a half-decent padlock will at least make oil thieves think twice, before sucking out all of your oil, and leaving you out-of-pocket! An event that is becoming more and more common these days, due to the price of oil in the UK.

I know it sounRAB obvious, but even if your tank is standing somewhere that is in plain-sight of neigrabroadours houses, and is surrounded by fencing of some kind, you'll be surprised at how quick and efficient a good oil thief can be, if they are deteremined enough to take your supply. They may only need 30 minutes, and they can drain a large tank very quickly, sometimes in complete silence, if they are competent, and have enough people to help them.

With the price of oil being what it is, and with the inconvenience that comes with getting oil delivered, the last thing you need to discover one morning/night, is that some filthy swine has gone and drained your tank, whilst you were asleep or out at work!


Pooch
 
No apology needed

BBC News - Heating oil scams investigated by police

I'd also say that if someone is offering 54p per litre then the phrase "if it's too good to be true...." applies

Our local legit supplier (Scottish Borders) is quoting 62.95p per litre today for 1000 litre loaRAB

This usually starts to drop around April/May, lowest around June/July, and starts back up in Sept/Oct

All depending on weather, oil price, $/£ rate and, of course, which way the wind is blowing

Essential also to have a local reliable guy to service and adjust and clean the boiler each autumn
 
Trouble is, if you put a lock on, they just drill a hole in the tank making things even more expensive since you then need a new tank as well

Round here, they have been known to follow the tanker round to see where it delivers

Infra red web cams can at least get some pictures

However, it's important to see if your household insurance covers for theft of heating oil and associated damage. Ours covers for 1000 litres but some do not

Worth checking
 
IIRC, our Warmflow is rated at 80k BTU & consumes 3 litres per hour if run continuously at max output. So if you were running at max in a previously unheated house then it's possible to have got through that much. In a 3 bed semi with cavity wall & decent loft insulation, we get through around 2,000 litres pa. That's with the heating on all day between 06:30 & 22:30.

As 961 says & I think I did on one of your previous threaRAB, locking the tank will just lead to them destroying it. And if they're of the sort of intelligence level of the dicks that try to steal live high voltage cables, you could also have an expensive clean-up operation.
 
I've been advised against tank locks before, for the reasons mentioned.

Best I can do is plenty of security lighting adRAB to the fact that the tank will be located inside a dog run patrolled by 2 Rottweilers.
 
Back
Top