Kerosene/Heating Oil Woes - Please join me

[MrsFruitcake]

500 litres ran out yesterday - was put in at the beginning of February. This isn't normal is it? Have spent £800 on oil since the end of October, something has to give.

I thin k there my be a leak in the pipes underground bringing it from the tank to the house - got someone looking at it today but I have had to order another delivery at a cost of £350 and am worried that the same thing will just happen again. Any opinions/advice?

I don't use oil, but this has been a particularly long cold winter (and it's still only 6C here this morning)

My gas usage to date, since the cold October, is about 40% higher than for the same period last year.

March to date is double last year's March usage.

We've used abut the same since October, but that does seem a lot in feb/march. It has been cold though.

Are you sure it hasn't been siphoned?

See if they find anything today. Has there been a smell?

Good luck, it should be spring soon! (Hopeful...)

We ran out Saturday. House is bloody freezing. Wearing 3 layers of clothes and the dogs are sulking

We thought we'd have enough to last us until next syndicate top-up, but due to the sudden drop in temperature we ran out. Oil company said it may not arrive until Monday. And I have an oil fired Aga so no cooker either - I've become very inventive with a Microwave and a George Foreman but DS has convinced me to get a takeaway tonight as he's not sure he can cope with another hodgepodge meal

Halogen ovens are ace as a standby cooker :)

Same here OP, put 500 litres in 20th Feb and it has already hit the "order now" mark!!! So shocked, luckily we got the keys for our new house today, which is not oil heated!!! Will not be sorry to leave that behind! Hope you get it sorted and the weather warms up soon!

Since start of December we've spent approx£900 on oil. We only moved into this property in October! We'll need to order more soon as well - in about 3 weeks! We hardly have heating on and people always moan about how cold our house is. I hate it here. We have to move soon anyway as rent here is just unmanageable - but that's a whole different thread! Wherever it is we move to it will NOT BE OIL HEATED!

MrsFruitCake - are you sure you have used more litres than last year or is it just feeling like that as it is more expensive?

If it is more litres is there any chance someone has siphoned your oil tank as cakearegood says? It is happening a lot. Get a lock on the tank tap and the filler cap lid if you dont already have one.

We put in 500 litres in Jan and it is down to the last dregs - have turned heating down v low and have fire lit all the time to try and keep warm... more due to be delivered on Weds hopefully.
Is costing us a fortune!

Did the checks find anything OP?

Our oil was 0.04ppl cheaper than last year!! Just using more because it's so cold!

Some more oil related questions...

What happens when the tank empties? Is it a disaster? Does it damage the boiler?

Also, How does electric heating compare??? Say a half decent convection heater with a thermostat? Every year I'm very tempted by the Dyson heater...

Goes off to check the back door isn't open....

Boiler man here again - should know more later.

When the tank empties, we used to have to get a guy out to re-boot it but DH's electrician mate showed him how to do it himself so that saves money. Although he did get a squirt of Kero in his eye this time!

More - we have definitely used more this year, there's no doubt - we only had two deliveries from October last year, and this is the third in the same tie period this year iyswim?

Cakes - it was siphoned last year - the police were involved and the insurance paid up so it is possible but there's no outward signs that it has been again.