Oil heating to expensive - any tips on making it last?

[alisara]

Hi

I wonder if any of you mums can help me.

I have just moved into a private rental (2 bed flat). It is ofch and I feel I have just made a huge mistake.

I have just purchased 400 litres of oil (costing £300!!!!!!) and I am frightened of how long it will last. On moving in (stupid I know) landlord must have seen me coming - that there is no immersion, and with the cost of oil I was banking on that in case I ran out, I thought I could use my storage heaters.

So I have to heat my water along with oil only, I am so scared of the cost of this, and have no idea how long my 400 litres will last me.......

And, to my disbelief, there is only one switch to turn the oil on, no separate switches for oil and water (I have to turn the radiators of just to get hot water)

Have I been had?

Have any mums got any tips on how I can make my 400 litres last and any estimates on how long? Landlord wont install an immersion for me - he just said no need the oil heats the water.

I feel like a total and utter moron - I am a moron!

I do work,but I am a single mum of one

Please help!!!!

Do the rads have individual thermostats, can you turn down a joint thermostat down to 15 degrees or so?

Some tips here

Thank you for your tips Ragged, no the heaters dont have individual thermostats, but I can turn them half way, can that make a difference.

I am just so cross that the only way to heat water is with the oil ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Also in my old place(it was gas) I had no immersion either but was never frightened of cost - cant believe the price

I am a complete oil virgin and I hope that the 400 litres can do me at least 3 months - am I dreaming?

Its a flat (2bdr) and would only be on say 1 1/2 hours in the morning and 4 hours at night, weekends say a couple of hours longer on average say 45 hrs a week, no more, plus I have storage heater and an electric heater - just pissed off no immersion

I live in a 3 bed semi detached old house and have oil heating for heat and water, myself and 2 young children live here.

We moved in end of July 2010, I bought 600 litres start of August, for £270 that lasted until about 20 December (when I ran out waiting for delivery). Obviously this was throughout some summer months. I bought 700 litres 20 December, for £438 and have probably used half of that so far. I am expecting 600/700 litres to be lasting 4-5 months.

I have the heating and water scheduled for only 1/2 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night. Today for example I have had the heating on for 3 extra hours and that will probably be it. When it has been a bit warmer, say 10 degrees outside I have probably only had it on for 1 extra hour per day.

I do find that I am very careful with the heating now, I used to pay £20 per month for gas before!

The more oil you buy the cheaper it is, a difference really shows when you buy 600/700 litres. I bought last time from directoil.co.uk or com, it was the best price I could find. Also price of oil is cheaper in summer months, so would be a good time to fill up if you can.

500 litres lasts me just over 3 months, but our beast of an Aga type 'Stanley' constantly ticks' over (i.e it's on all the time)as it has no timer. So you should be ok - fingers crossed.

Also bear in mind the cost of oil can fluctuate seasonally,ours'here is currently 60p a litre,So we try and buy more when it's slightly cheaper.

Oops, X posted slightly..

Evolucy - thanks! glad to hear you have to use oil to heat your water as well - we also dont have an electric shower!

Unfortunately can't afford more just spent 300 on 400 litres!

Just moved in (expensive time) so hope I can get 3 months, then I can get more and hopefully summer will help.

And ty Jellycat as well!

From N.I , we don't use Aga's here (well not a lot of us anyway) do they run on oil (sorry for sounding like a moron)

Ours does, i have considered having it converted into a solid fuel one (coal,wood)..would be a helluva lot cheaper,as lot's of wood around here (West Wales).

You were ripped off big time on the oil at 0.75p per litre. We filled up with 1000 litres at 0.50p per litre including VAT.

To find out how long 400 litres will last for:
You need to know what boiler you have and find the maximum flow rate of oil when it's on and whether ithas variable flow rate.

Once you have your flow rate ( in cubic cms per minute). Then consider how many hours your boiler is on and how long it is firing for. For example, your boiler could be on for 4 hours but only firing for two hours.

2 hours is 120 minutes and if your flow rate is 25 cc per minute it means you've used 3 litres in those 2 hours.

The problem is that there are so many variables, especially since the radiators don't have thermostatic valves - which they should have. They cost about £6 each so you landlord is being a real skinflint.

Does your washing machine use hot water or does it heat it's own? If not then the order in which you use the Hot water matters. An analogy would be boiling a kettle - try not the boil more water than you need. In other words, don't heat the water up just before you go out to work so it cools during the day only for you to use the oil to reheat that same water again.

I would not renew you tenancy unless your landlord agrees to install the basics.

Now 0.75p/litre would be a good price (I know you meant 0.75 pounds, though ).

For a small property like that, with you out most of the week, you really should be able to get 6 months out of that 400 litres. DH is collecting data on how long 1000 litres last; of those who bothered to reply it looks like the typical period is about 6 months, but most those respondents have much larger properties than yours.

Ideally buy at least 900 litres at a time, buying in smaller quantities you pay a premium rate per litre. One way to cut down the price and not have to buy so much at once is to join an oil-buying cooperative in your area, there's no easy way to find these, few links might get you started.

Take showers at the gym or work, if you can. Then only boil what water you need in the kettle, except maybe hot water off the oil boiler once a week for a child's bath, assuming you can't bathe them at the swimming pool instead?

Yes I do know people who live like that!

Thanks Ragged! that made me laugh!!!! and thanks for that estimate as well, I work full-time so I am out a lot except for the weekends and I do have a couple of portable heater, again the estimate is a good help.

It is interesting to find out how much everyone uses though.

New2cm thanks, I wouldn't be able to do that calculation it flew over my head (possibly why I am having this problem) Good point about the hot water though, the washing machine is brand new and heats itself thank goodness believe it or not I never knew some ran on hot water (discovering the joys of being single again you see!)

Too late re the tenancy flat is £170pcm cheaper than my old house in a better area as well. So haven't been completely stupid!!

Anyway's still can't get over the shock of the cost..

Ragged

By the way my dd doesn't believe in water!

I have around 1,000 litres twice a year (last filled up around 3 weeks ago - 52p a litre I think).
I usually fill up around Oct/Nov which lasts me until Jan/Feb and then fill up again which sees me through till Oct/Nov.
So 1,000 does me 4 winter months (with heating) and 8 non-winter months (much less heating, and none in summer).
Reasonably large 4-bed house. 1 adult, 2 children - which affects water use, but not really heating.

Thanks Chasing Squirrels

Just thinking/estimating that I would need half that around a grand a year, I would say and all in all possibly for me not much difference in what I was paying for gas in my 3 bed, which was £20 a week

oh - and don't run out! I paid £25 for a 20 litre container, that's £1.25 a litre. And little use as it didn't get high enough in the tank to run through. 1st time in 10 yrs I have run out though, and only because the gauge wasn't working properly.