Calor gas boiler -- "forget that if i were you"

[jessejazza]

Well it looks like you have already made your mind up, so go ahead! install LPG - but don't expect us to agree with your claim that LPG will cost less to run than LPG (bulk tank rentals etc etc!!)

Oil is marginally cheaper than LPG if your boiler is 20-25 years old it will far more than 10% less efficient as a new boiler such as a Grant Vortex!

a 20-25 year old boiler will be around 82% Gross efficient, a new grant steamer will be around 98% Nett (taking into account Latent heat recovered from the flue gasses as they condense)

I haven't made my mind up - but from what i can gather we can't have a new oil tank in the same location... too near the house. I've just been told today that new oil tanks have to be "double bundied" for kero - has anyone heard of this for domestic use? Now apparently they're not just £600ish they are about 3-4 times that.

 

[dhutch]

I'm an engineering graduate and i don't disagree with what you've said. Having said that why are those with oil spending £2.5-3k compared with £1-1.5k for gas.

I am also an engineering graduate (2.1 5yr Masters + DIS in Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough if you really want to know) and one of things I know about having a degree in engineering is that while its a good qualification, if augmented with the right experience and background knowledge, being a graduate or engineer does not automatically necessitate you knowing what you’re talking about in all fields, and infact that randomly stating you are a graduate engineer is often perceived as the first indication that you are infact an ignorant ar se.

Looking at your posts, op, I find your lack of basic understanding at odds with your degree.

Also this.

But getting back to the topic, I would be researching the efficiencies of modern oil fired boilers. I dont know much about them, but it wouldnt supprise me if most people on oil have old and in efficient boilers, where those on gas have invested in new boilers. I understand a modern condensing gas boilers are 70-80% efficient. If you can get a oil fired boiler at all close to that, and the figures on kW/£ given on the earlier page are at all correct (again, you can research this) then it would point to oil being the cheaper of the two liquid fuels.

Its also worth pointing out that if heating using electric as my parents do (also in the country side, all be in a newer house) you will almost certainly be heating the house at night on night storage (they have NS underfloor) and hence will be on the lower of the two economy7 rates.


Daniel

 

[Kev F]

As said air source is a much better option if house is insulated,

If not into renewables, I'd go oil over LPG, it's a better calorific value than LPG. But for me fitting oil or LPG is just plain stupid nowadays

 

[jessejazza]

I'd go oil over LPG, it's a better calorific value than LPG.

What!

calorific values
LPG 46.1 MJ/kg
Kero 35 MJ/kg

 

[Dan Robinson]

being a graduate or engineer does not automatically necessitate you knowing what you’re talking about in all fields, and infact that randomly stating you are a graduate engineer is often perceived as the first indication that you are infact an ignorant a**e.

So very true.

 

[mickyg]

LPG Bulk tanks (Calor, Flogas etc) 8 to 9p per kW.

Just checked what my customers are paying and it works out around 6.5p so your a bit too much there

 

[Tibbot]

Price of LPG as of Summer 2011 = 58p p/ltr (inc VAT) cv 7kW = 8.3p per kW. (PS - OP, Kerosene is 10kW p/ltr)

Or perhaps the normally pig greedy suppliers have singled out your customer for a 22% fall in their energy costs this Winter!

 

[Tibbot]

I'd go oil over LPG, it's a better calorific value than LPG.

What!

calorific values
LPG 46.1 MJ/kg
Kero 35 MJ/kg

Using your degree in engineering it might be well worth considering how much liquid of each would be required to make up said Kg.

Try consulting your reference works, paying particular attention to any section entitled 'Densities'.

 

[Kev F]

As far as I'm aware per kw oil as a better calorific value, but hey I only do this for a living

 

[Kev F]

As far as I'm aware per kw oil as a better calorific value, but hey I only do this for a living

 

[mickyg]

Price of LPG as of Summer 2011 = 58p p/ltr (inc VAT) cv 7kW = 8.3p per kW. (PS - OP, Kerosene is 10kW p/ltr)

Or perhaps the normally pig greedy suppliers have singled out your customer for a 22% fall in their energy costs this Winter!

Anyone paying 58p a litre is getting seriously ripped off. LPG prices are heavily negotiable if your in the right position.
I know what my customers are paying cos i keep a record of it. I've got a few who are currently just gone over 53p a litre with calor, but I'll be switching them over in the next few weeks to 42p litre.

 

[dhutch]

As far as I'm aware per kw oil [h]as a better calorific value, but hey I only do this for a living

Urrrm, what?

 

[Tibbot]

How are they switching supplier? I thought this wasn't in place yet unless you're out of contract and new supplier buys or replaces tank.

 

[mickyg]

How are they switching supplier? I thought this wasn't in place yet unless you're out of contract and new supplier buys or replaces tank.

Been in place for around 3 yrs. The tank just switches ownership, its free to switch outside a contract. most contracts are 2 years.
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/monopolies/OFT-Domestic-bulk.pdf

 

[Tibbot]

Fine. So that explains the 42p, to get you to sign on the dotted for 2 years. During which time they'll get chance to recoup the rest.