switching from bulk tank gas to something more efficient??

juliedxx

Hi guys, Im looking for some advice on our heating, at the moment we have a Calor gas bulk tank (not our choice was there when we bought the house!) we have a 3 bed bungalow and its costing us a fortune!! Basically our heating is on for 2 hours a day for 6 months of the year and its costing us €2000 a year. Sounds insane but its true! We have 7 radiators and no gas fire and it still costs us that much. Its turned off completely from March/April to October every year.
We have had no gas since April because we owe Calor money and they wont give us gas till we can give them almost €1000, just for the minimum delivery of gas, which we just dont have!
We have a solid fuel stove in the sitting room and weve been getting by with a gas heater and an electric heater in the other rooms but the house is freezing!
We hope to have a little money in the new year to spend on it, but id be loathe to have to order more gas from Calor.
Has anyone changed from Bulk tank gas to oil and is it a huge messy job? And most importantly is it crazy expensive?
We need something more efficient, we cant go on throwing away money with Calor.
My sisters both have much bigger houses and spend much less on their oil heating.
Im at the stage where I hate my house because its so cold!
Any advice would be much appreciated!

Outkast_IRE

I would be tackling where your heat is being lost from your home.

What sort of insulation is in the house?
what sort of controls are on the heating system?
has it been serviced and confirmed by a good rgi as running correctly.

Would you consider investing in a solid fuel stove with a back boiler that can heat your radiators etc, this would cut back the gas bill significantly.

juliedxx

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I would be tackling where your heat is being lost from your home.

What sort of insulation is in the house?
what sort of controls are on the heating system?
has it been serviced and confirmed by a good rgi as running correctly.

Would you consider investing in a solid fuel stove with a back boiler that can heat your radiators etc, this would cut back the gas bill significantly.

Thanks, im not sure about the insulation, I would imagine it could do with being upgraded and I know the windows are not great, they will eventually need replacing.
As for controls on the heating, there are none really, just on/off and a timer. It seems to be a pretty crap system!
Yes we had thought about the back boiler, thats one of our options, but we havent a clue where to start!
Problem is we will have limited money, maybe 3-4k max to spend and theres so much that needs to be done that we dont know where to start! We want to get the best possible value for our money so not sure whether to spend it on insulation/back boiler/changing to oil/replacing some windows!

K.Flyer

I completely agree with Outkast. Make sure your boiler is running well and as efficiently as possible and then concentrate your money on insulation.
You can spend all the money you like on a heating system, but it will come to nothing if your home has poor insulation.

Outkast_IRE

juliedxx wrote: »

Thanks, im not sure about the insulation, I would imagine it could do with being upgraded and I know the windows are not great, they will eventually need replacing.
As for controls on the heating, there are none really, just on/off and a timer. It seems to be a pretty crap system!
Yes we had thought about the back boiler, thats one of our options, but we havent a clue where to start!
Problem is we will have limited money, maybe 3-4k max to spend and theres so much that needs to be done that we dont know where to start! We want to get the best possible value for our money so not sure whether to spend it on insulation/back boiler/changing to oil/replacing some windows!

Ok there are some generic places we can suggest you start with for example.

What depth of insulation is in the attic ?
Is your house a block built house? If there is a cavity having it pumped with insulation beads may be a cheap effective option.

In terms of controls, you need to get a plumber in to examine the system and look at how the system may be zoned and controls that can be put in.
Someone here may be able to clarify if there is still a grant going for this type of work, this may include TRVs on most radiators, separate controls for hot water.

The simple options I outlined above are the most cost effective simple ways to see a reduction in your heating bill.

After insulating attic and walls, then down the line windows are the next area to tackle.

Putting in a good quality stove with back boiler and connecting it to heating system correctly, would cost you a few thousand alone I would imagine for quality work and a nice finish.


As I said, tackle the insulation/heat loss, and heating controls first, no matter what you do down the line this work will stand to you if you decided to change to oil in a few years.

The one area to be careful of is zoning the system and then wanting to connect a stove with back boiler to it you may have issues then but I would suggest having a think about what option suits you and then decide.

Wearb

Something that I meant to ask here before and may benefit this thread also.

Is the "Terrier i-temp i30 Programmable Radiator Control" a good alternative to retrofitting zoned control using motorized valves. I think that they would work out cheaper and give even more control.
Any ideas about that?

Outkast_IRE

Wearb wrote: »

Something that I meant to ask here before and may benefit this thread also.

Is the "Terrier i-temp i30 Programmable Radiator Control" a good alternative to retrofitting zoned control using motorized valves. I think that they would work out cheaper and give even more control.
Any ideas about that?

I think they may suit some people but at over 30 euros per rad plus you must still buy compatible rad valves unless you have some already fitted. I think the costs would add up quickly in a house with a good few rads.