New to Oil Heating

[MrsSDK]

Morning All!

We've temporarily moved into rented accommodation as we couldn't make our chain work.

We should be here around 8 weeks.

The rental property using oil heating, this is completely new to us!

Any advice please? I've been told to shop around and it's easy to get ripped off!

We're in the East Mids if that's relevant.

Thank you!

boiler use is the same as for any other kind of boiler. Oil is the cheapest fuel per unit heat at the moment so you are in luck.

go to the tank and look for the knob at the bottom of the level gauge (a long tube running up the tank). Pull the knob out - the oil level will sink to the true amount in the tank. Do not let it run out.

look on boilerjuice for a guide to price - in my area it is showing 31p a litre plus the 5% VAT. Now phone around local suppliers and you should be able to pay a bit less. Minimum order is usually 500 litres.
Do not sign up for direct debit schemes.

intrigued about your short-term rental, as minimum term is six months but there you go. I hope all the other legals are ok.

Join the Oil Club in your area. They add everyone's orders together and get good prices per litre for buying in bulk. Minimum order is 500 litres.

Heating oil is relatively cheap atm, at around 26p per litre. But prices do fluctuate and I've paid up to 75p per litre and when you're ordering 1500 litres that equates to £390 (26ppl) £1125 (75ppl). And there's vat on top of that so budget wisely.

Thank you both for the replies, I will investigate the level in daylight . Appreciate knowing what a good price is!

It's a 12 month let with a 6 month break clause. We can give 2 month's notice at any stage and just pay the £200 fee to cover the landlord's new tenant search through the estate agent.

Planned to give notice this week but the survey has come back on the house we're buying and it's not looking good so could be here longer! That's a whole new thread though!

you would be wise not to give notice until contract exchange, even if that means a 2 month overlap.

Thanks, yes definitely the plan. Then we can go in and easily paint etc. As long as we complete by end March we're pretty chilled.

I really hope it works out for you. Solicitors will knock off a week before Christmas and councils will do stuff all from then until a week into new year. Keep chasing.

Most houses locally get through upwards of 1500 litres of oil per year. As the previous poster said, don't let it run out or you'll need to get someone out to clear the air from the system.

In addition to boiler juice/ oil club, you can usually pick up small amounts of oil from certain local garages to tide you over if delivery is delayed. (But you may need to supply your own Gerry can, which you can buy from the garden centre)

Join a local Facebook group, there's bound to be info on oil options (there is in our village). I would presume the level must have been noted when you moved in. If there's plenty then maybe wait until you move out and fill to the level at move in to avoid paying more than you need to.

It is cheaper - something to consider though is lorry/road size. We lived rurally and while you could get a car down the driveway, you couldn’t get a big tanker so we’d always have to go with a firm that had a small tanker.