My house is 8 degrees. 8 degrees

[Bonecold]

Heating oil ran out yesterday. I have £200 in the savings pot with boiler juice. For a minimum order I need 500 litres which is £468.

So I’ve left the heating off until either the price per litre drops, the weather gets better, or my savings pot reaches the amount needed to do an order (£65 DD a month).

In the meantime I have a fire place so I can heat one room (but no wood so have to outlay for that).

I can’t work out if I should:

a) remove the £200 from the savings account and spend it on wood/coal to get through to warmer weather. Pro - would be warm now, Con - even further away from filling the tank

b) heat one room with wood, live near a wood so could scavenge enough wood weekly to do this?

c) plug in electric radiator. Pro: heat, con: eats electricity

D) small loan for £300/400 and top up oil. Pro: heat, con: small loans have huge interest and would be another bill each month

I’m at work all day and kids at school usually so it’s not like we would be freezing all day and can boil water for cooking and have electric shower for washing. But it’s Easter holidays here so they’ll be home for the next two weeks now

What would you do?

Genuine 8 degrees

Completely irrelevant, but you have the same thermostat as me. 😂

@SoupDragon - love it , bloody easy to programme too!

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. I would heat one room and scavenge for wood. In a few weeks the weather should be warmer.

Combination of b and c

I think I'd spend some of the savings on fuel for now. Surely the warm weather must be on the way back so you can save for the oil?

I'd go with B, and pray that spring comes soon. I can't believe this is the UK in 2022. I feel for you OP. Different situation but when our boiler broke a few years back it couldn't be fixed for about a week, I spent a lot of time with my kids in the library and shopping centres in the warm.

B.
How old are your kids could this be their job for the holidays?
My kids would have thought this was exciting.

Hi OP, that sounds horrible I hope you can fill the oil tank soon.

Just be careful with having it empty, we have ours auto topped up as we were warned that when it empties out it causes issues once it needs to be filled again, I guess the pipes can get air in or something?

I'm sorry to bring what might be more bad news. Are there any other oil companies? We use Rawlings for oil, I don't know if they are nationwide?

I think I’d try and collect enough wood to heat the one room. Definitely try to steer clear of loans as like you said, it’ll just be another bill!

Hopefully we’ll get some warmer weather back really soon! 💐

But burning scavenged undried wood is a real health hazard so try to avoid that as much as possible.

B

My oil is just about to run out, my quote is £622 for 500 litres, I am waiting for the summer when I will have more money in the pot, my house was 11 degrees today

I'd go with B

It will be warmer again from Monday (long as you're not on any scottish isles)

Can you try applying for a 0% credit card? Or asking your bank for a no/low fee overdraft?

That way you can get the oil now without v high interest (I'm assuming that would be a payday loan type arrangement).

Off topic, but the battery on your thermostat is very low.

Sorry you are in this position, OP.
I'd get the kids scavenging in the hols.

I know how to bleed the pipes as have had to do this before so not so worried about the boiler.

Burning wet wood not ideal i agree - but it does burn! Candles also produce a surprising amount of heat so will use them too

This is awful OP. I'm an outsider of the UK so don't know how it works with oil. Is it possible to split a 500l delivery with someone nearby?

Otherwise if the wood is free to collect then heat one room. But won't that wood be wet?

I really really hope it warms up soon.

I would just get the small loan for now.

We turned our heating off at the end of February and have mainly been cold. Hot water bottles, blankets and plenty of layers.

I'd combine 2&3 unless you think oil prices will go up more, if so 0% card and fill up now.

Phew re pipe bleeding. Good luck op.

Sorry we cross posted.

I would wait until mid summer if you can to fill up. In my experience prices go down and then rocket in Autumn as people realise they need a top up as the weather cools off!

B, I've scavenged a huge amount of fallen wood from the locals woods/parks etc and was enough to keep the fire going.
Just a thought I'd pop to the local tip and ask if you can have some wood, my tip are always really good and theirs always loads of burnable wood their - And why not their getting rid of it anyway ...

Hi Bonecold, don't know where you are but some oil clubs will accept minimum orders of 200 liters (in N. Ireland for example). Might be worth a quick google to see if there is an oil club near you so you could combine forces?

Candles don’t heat you op. Not unless you’re burning a load of them. I think with kids in the house I’d get the heating oil.