What is LPG central heating and is it expensive to run?

[twinsetandpearls]

A house we are looking to rent has this, have typed it into google and it seems to be for people not on the maains.

Are we going to be lumbered with huge bills?

[JaneHH]

Hi twinset (not stalking you, honest )

LPG = Liquid Petroleum Gas, so I think that house will have a large-ish gas tank hidden away somewhere in the garden. The tank gets refilled every so often (by a tanker lorry?). I'm sorry I have no idea how much it costs to run - hope others come along soon!

[twinsetandpearls]

Had a panic at first it was oil as there was something on Radio 4 a few months ago about the high cost of oil.

Thanks JaneHH, [look over shoulder emoticon and runs before she follows me anywhere else]

[expatinscotland]

It's for people who do not have mains gas.

We have LPG. To be frank I don't see where it's any more expensive than mains.

Ours is supplied by Calor. You either go on a top up plan whereby the tanker comes and fills you up when you drop below a certain level automatically or you phone them when you run low.

[JaneHH]

[expatinscotland]

Some people around here to have oil-fired heating. As with LPG, they have a tank in the garden that is filled up by a tanker.

[Millarkie]

We have oil-fired heating which is pretty similar to LPG. The only drawback I can see with renting is that if you pay for a large delivery of LPG and don't use it all before you move out of the house you will be out of pocket (whereas you only pay for the amount of gas you have actually used when you are on the mains supply). I wonder if you can get something in the contract that says that when you move out the LPG level needs to be the same as when you moved in (like a rental car)?

[twinsetandpearls]

Had not thought of that Millarkie

[expatinscotland]

great point!

[Millarkie]

It came to mind because we have oil heating and we ended up having to pay for an oil delivery for this house a couple of months before we moved in, because the old owners didn't want to pay out for oil which they may not have used..and we didn't want them to let the tank run dry because it could damage the boiler.

[scanner]

LPG is way more expensive then mains gas and far less environmentally friendly.

[expatinscotland]

Ah, see, we always had nothing but electricity (rented flats with storage heaters) and were with Scottish Power and tbh, they were just as expensive as the LPG is here, that's how bad they are.

I see your point about the environment, but in a rural area, there often isn't mains gas so you don't have much choice.

[scanner]

oil is a little better than lpg. There are alternatives to mains gas, heat pumps, boilers that run on wood pellets etc. If the heating system is already in there's not much you can do, but be prepared to high fuel costs. I'd ask to see the previous tennants fuel bills to give you an idea.

[twinsetandpearls]

Good idea about asking to see previous bills scanner.

It is a rented house not on the mains so as expat says we don;t really have a choice. But re the environmental point if it costs more we will need to be more efficient.

Whenever we don;t know anything in this house even dp and dd says ask Mumsnet.

[expatinscotland]

we're in rented, too, TSAP.

[expatinscotland]

we're in rented, too, TSAP.

[twinsetandpearls]

THe cooker is electric, just spotted that. I hate electric cookers.
Described as an electric range whatever that means.

We are going to view it ina few weeks when we are down that way.

[Ripeberry]

We use LPG gas in 6X45KG tanks and to replace one "bay" of 3 tanks it costs just over £100 and last winter we had to have 6 fill ups so it can be expensive.
The other thing with LPG is that it is very dirty and your boiler starts to pack up by early May, just due to the particles in the liquid...or so my gas man tells me.
We can't have a storage tank as it would be too near the house and they wanted it placed in the middle of my veg patch and have the fence knocked down so no way.

[expatinscotland]

the cooker in here is electric, TSAP.

i hate it.

i've only had a gas cooker in one rented place and loved it. it was super old, you had to light it with a match.

[twinsetandpearls]

Doesn't matter now someone has beaten us to the house by a few hours!

[JaneHH]

oh no...

but now we can go on about the downsides of LPG and the fact that the cooker was electric

don't you worry, twinset, there'll be another place along soon

[twinsetandpearls]

I know I was but there will be others. DD had just fallen in love with the garden and it was next to a farm.

But yes please slag of LPG and electric cookers

[JaneHH]

oh they're AWFUL

Actually I only have experience of electric cookers (not LPG) and I do have to say I prefer gas hobs. Though electric ovens are better?? Oh I don't know!

Fingers crossed you find somewhere new soon!