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Original poster

My house is 8 degrees. 8 degrees

455 replies

Bonecold · 01/04/2022 15:43

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
niffynickers · 02/04/2022 18:17

I was running an oil filled radiator on the lowest setting and it was using10kw a day. At the new energy rates that works out at £840 a month! Also avoid loans. Once you're in dept in can be a downward spiral. I go for the wood option. I also recommend heated throws as they're economical to run and keep you nice and snug while watching TV.
Good luck and please stay out of dept.

Tiredoftalking · 02/04/2022 18:24

I haven’t read all the comments but I would use food banks and reduce all my other outgoings to have more money for oil or other fuel. My kids went to a sleepover in a tent the other week in a friends house and loved it so maybe something like that in the warm room to repay sleepovers.
We had a 6 day power it once and I was amazed how quickly our (not particularly old) house became unbearably cold. I slept in the same bed as my kids with numerous blankets and duvets and still woke up cold.
Leave the oven door open after cooking as it’s good for heating.
I hope the weather is good where you are for the holidays and the kids can be out a lot!

Davygran · 02/04/2022 18:30

Definitely make sure your chimney has been swept to light a fire & buy some coal so you at least have a warm room. You can get really good coal which burns for a long time & gives out good heat without killing yourself with wet wood!

Interested in this thread?

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Cost of living
watermelonvase · 02/04/2022 18:42

Can you go and get some oil from your supplier in a container? I've done that before and then you only need to pay for whatever you buy rather than a whole tank?

MibsXX · 02/04/2022 18:43

its been around 3 degrees in mine all week, same prob no oil no heating no hot water :-( Good luck OP, we're not at all sure what we are going to do when we need a shower.................. freeze most likely

MibsXX · 02/04/2022 18:43

@watermelonvase

Can you go and get some oil from your supplier in a container? I've done that before and then you only need to pay for whatever you buy rather than a whole tank?
here that costs almost twice as much for the oil......
Ariela · 02/04/2022 18:44

@Eloise666

I think the cheapest time to fill with oil is mid-summer, so if you can delay it and save to buy then instead of buying now, I would.
I'm confident the oil price will drop, as Saudi etc ups production, the sun shines and the price will drop.

I suggest ask your local supplier if they can deliver 200l next time they're passing, or do the Paypal thing and save and scrimp for a summer delivery in a heatwave.

Ionsion · 02/04/2022 18:46

It is absolutely shameful that the Conservative party are allowing people to end up in this situation. OP if you are on Facebook I would suggest you write this on their Facebook page for all to see. People need to be aware of what’s coming and the Tory party that people are not going to be quiet while we all slowly freeze in our homes.

Tiredoftalking · 02/04/2022 18:48

Also Ovoids are a bit more expensive but throw out a lot of heat and can be banked up overnight

BonjourCrisette · 02/04/2022 18:51

This sounds awful. I hope it warms up soon.

In the meantime, I see a couple of people have recommended oil-filled radiators which is exactly what I came here to recommend. They are cheap to run and cheap to buy and they work much better than other electric radiators. Most have a thermostat so you needn't worry about turning them on and off during the day, just set the thermostat to what seems affordable.

Troublesometooth · 02/04/2022 18:52

Fellow oil user here and it’s so expensive at the minute!

A few weeks ago we were running out and it was £1000 for 500L. We turned the heating down to just 2 hours a day and stopped having baths, just use the electric showers.

We have just given in and placed an order, £420 for 500L. Boiler juice was quoting £550 so do try and shop around to see if you can get it cheaper anywhere else. We withdrew the money from our Boilerjuice account (similar to you we only had £200 in there) and then had to pay the rest from our savings.

Staryflight445 · 02/04/2022 18:56

C/D you wouldn’t want to risk your house getting mould and damp. Waaay too cold.

Alip1965 · 02/04/2022 18:58

Leave the money where it is. Get wood from the woods.

Natsku · 02/04/2022 19:01

When there was an issue with our oil tank and couldn't afford to get it fixed we filled up jerry cans with diesel from the petrol station and used that in the oil boiler instead, sticking a pipe down into the can to feed into the boiler. That could work for a temporary measure this week and then hopefully it'll warm up enough for you not to need the boiler on until you've saved up enough.

Weareallvirgins · 02/04/2022 19:10

What is heating oil?

h1nch · 02/04/2022 19:18

Our wood burning stove heats the entire house. Buy wood and leave the doors open so the heat gets to all the rooms

TheJade · 02/04/2022 19:20

B!

Please try not to borrow money if you can avoid.
Do you have electric blankets? I have one, really low on energy and keep you toasty xx

MigsandTiggs · 02/04/2022 19:27

(Boilerjuice have a weird thing at the moment where the express price is cheaper than the the standard price!! I got it at 93.15 which is miles lower than anywhere else

@TeenageHorrorBag
Boilerjuice price varies depending on where you live. I just checked and here it's £1.25 + vat per litre for delivery in 3 days, with £1.15 + vat being their cheapest rate. Where do you live is as that price is fantastic!

Bunnylady · 02/04/2022 19:31

Eeeesh! That's like reading about myself! I too have ran out of oil and don't have enough in my account with boiler juice. I also have an open fire in the sitting room but as you say even fuel for that is expensive! The Epc rating on my home is 'G' so it's bloody freezing. It's such a dilemma but I think I may scavenge for wood for fire for now and just hope for warmer weather. Good luck. You are not alone!

TeaAndBiscuitsAndWine · 02/04/2022 19:32

@Weareallvirgins

What is heating oil?
Some heating systems, especially in rural areas where there is no option for mains gas, run on a particular kind of oil.
msgreen · 02/04/2022 19:35

Wood .. go with that plus go snd pick up wood anywhere u can .
Maybe get a cheap saw , take the kids to a wood with all the storms there’s loads of branches etc around, ask a landowner if you are fit and willing you can clear stuff they can’t afford to hire people or don’t have time themselves

kasho5 · 02/04/2022 19:39

I've always found boiler juice to be expensive. Have a look on here for your nearest club - if you sign up they send you an email on a Friday with the rates www.oil-club.co.uk

Rhibee25 · 02/04/2022 19:40

Have you thought of asking for spare wood in your area on Freegle? This would be safer than scavenged wood and people are generally keen to help if they can. I hope you get sorted.

Weareallvirgins · 02/04/2022 19:47

Don't borrow money hun. Just do what u can with the funds you have and get that wood from the woods x living above your means is no good.

DanceItOut · 02/04/2022 19:50

My downstairs was 6 degrees this morning so I sympathise. It’s bloody cold.