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Original poster

Oil boilers - what will happen

29 replies

Restinggoddess · 18/09/2023 09:05

We live in a rural area - no mains gas
We have an oil boiler.
We did have an energy efficient representative come to discuss a move to a heat pump but the house is over 130 years old and not necessarily fit for such a method
There is some discussion about replacement oil boilers past 2026 and whether or not to ban them

If you have an oil boiler - what are your plans?
What are your predictions re houses that use oil and are not suitable for air or ground source heat pump?

OP posts:
Mauricemossy · 18/09/2023 09:08

We are thinking of getting an electric boiler.

AnnaMagnani · 18/09/2023 09:08

I replaced my oil boiler when it packed up in the snow one year and I was going to need lister building permission to have a new one.

Have an electric boiler now as it could be fitting straight away and I was freezing.

Pluses:
It is very quiet
It was cheap
It doesn't need servicing

Minuses:
When the price of electricity went up the bills were extortionate!

Mauricemossy · 18/09/2023 09:10

@AnnaMagnani do you mind me asking what your bills were?

AnnaMagnani · 18/09/2023 09:20

3 bedroom, not v insulated listed building

Went from about £300 for December to £700!!!!!

Mauricemossy · 18/09/2023 09:23

Wow..we have 3 bed semi..its a bit piecemeal..did you have the heating on a lot?

ThereIsIron · 18/09/2023 09:25

We've just got a new oil combi boiler installed last week to replace our 27 year old boiler. I'm expecting to get at least another 20 years out of it. I'm in NI so there's a high percentage of homes using oil. I can't see the phasing out of them happening any time soon

Bramshott · 18/09/2023 09:32

We replaced our oil boiler with an air source heat pump a couple of years ago (our house was also built in the 1880s). It's been great so far - warmer house, cheaper to run, and sits on the concrete plinth where the oil tank used to be.

AnnaMagnani · 18/09/2023 09:50

@Mauricemossy my DH would say no! And we have a woodburner otherwise it's freezing.

I have given you the worst month - it's £150 in July just to compare when we aren't using any heating.

Original poster
Restinggoddess · 18/09/2023 11:45

Thank you everyone

We have considered an electric boiler - we also have solar panels but these are not feeding electricity into the house. The batteries for such are pricey but again a consideration ( as the amount we are paid for the electricity is rubbish)

@ Bramshott- did you have extra insulation put in? Our external walls are stone with latt and plaster internal walls - so nothing in between ( people say 'so the house can breathe')

I also don't think the oil situation will change ( although the prices are increasing which will influence some people re buying a house)

OP posts:
Bramshott · 18/09/2023 12:14

Restinggoddess · 18/09/2023 11:45

Thank you everyone

We have considered an electric boiler - we also have solar panels but these are not feeding electricity into the house. The batteries for such are pricey but again a consideration ( as the amount we are paid for the electricity is rubbish)

@ Bramshott- did you have extra insulation put in? Our external walls are stone with latt and plaster internal walls - so nothing in between ( people say 'so the house can breathe')

I also don't think the oil situation will change ( although the prices are increasing which will influence some people re buying a house)

We were already fairly well insulated TBH - our house is a bit of an oddity in that it was built in the 1880s with cavity walls. We had those filled when we moved in (though it's not perfect, there's a lot of builders rubble in the bottom parts) and extra insulation put in the loft. We also had double glazing put in which made the biggest difference to the warmth of the house.

Bramshott · 18/09/2023 12:21

BUT - I wouldn't say our house was super-warm before we had the ASHP - certainly no better/warmer than friends houses of a similar age. The house feels warmer now because the ASHP runs fairly constantly at a low level in the winter, unlike with the oil boiler where it was either blasting out heat, or off.

Emmaemmeline · 18/09/2023 12:29

We had a new combi boiler fitted earlier this year , still on oil ( rural , no mains gas )
We had someone come out to do a survey and price up an air source heat pump , but we’d have needed loads of insulation and triple glazed windows etc to get the house up to the standard required , and the price difference ! ( so much more for the heat pump ) it just wasn’t going to happen
A new oil boiler is so much more efficient than the old one ( especially as our hot water was from an oil fired aga which has also gone )

ohtowinthelottery · 18/09/2023 12:34

Our oil boiler is 20 years old. I'm hoping that we get it replaced with a more efficient oil boiler before the ban comes in.

Original poster
Restinggoddess · 18/09/2023 23:46

Thank you for these replies

I can't see how they can ban the oil boilers by 2026 without viable and affordable alternatives
We had someone come out with advice - and discussed grants but these are no where near touching the cost of installation

OP posts:
HeddaGarbled · 19/09/2023 00:02

It was in the Guardian today that the 2026 cut-off probably won’t happen. Bit of a rebellion from rural Tory MPs, apparently. We replaced our oil-fired boiler 5 years ago, so hopefully that’ll mean we won’t have to worry about it anytime soon.

Original poster
Restinggoddess · 19/09/2023 18:45

I think we will replace the oil boiler - the current one is ancient

Any recommendations as to the best oil boilers for efficiency etc?

OP posts:
DollyTubb · 20/09/2023 16:10

I'm in Scotland and there's a lot of concern here because of the high number of homes not on gas. Also a lot of housing stock is older propetty and not suitable for A/GSHP. Many folk are using biomass pellets or LPG boilers as an alternative to oil. Interestingly my son in law, a gas boiler fitter, said that several companies have dual gas /hydrogen boilers available but I don't know anything about them.

Thisistyresome · 20/09/2023 16:19

There are lots of simplistic plans from the government but they will have to moderate as the situation approaches. I suspect you will start seeing some hybrid of heat pumps with other methods for many of the older houses. Most modern oil boilers are set up to be compatible with bio-oil as well so there may be a switch over to that.

The “so the house can breath, is basically saying that it needs ventilation which is achievable with insulation.

poshme · 21/09/2023 10:07

You'll now be able to have oil boilers installed until 2035.

They've delayed it the bans- thankfully! We have LPG. We looked at heat pump - would cost £15,000 for the pump and work needed. A new LPG boiler is £3k. I'm all for being environmentally friendly, but a £12k difference is too much! They are offering £7.5k in grants- but that's still an extra £4.5k to find.

Emmaemmeline · 21/09/2023 16:31

@Restinggoddess We have a Grant Vortex condensing combi oil fired boiler

Original poster
Restinggoddess · 25/09/2023 00:36

Thank you for this

We are looking at a Grant boiler
There was a discussion about a hybrid boiler - heat pump and oil
Quite a few have been put in in the village - there is also a grant ( Scotland) for these boilers

OP posts:
Aug12 · 25/09/2023 01:13

Biomass would both be great. Other good options would be LPG gas or a wood stove with a back boiler that’s linked to the radiators?

Frozenhobby · 03/12/2023 18:37

I’m just coming back to this. I’ve had 2 quotes to replace our oil boiler. £8500 and £9000 both including VAT. We are screwed. We just don’t have that money. Not sure what to do.

Ilovemyshed · 27/01/2024 22:24

Frozenhobby · 03/12/2023 18:37

I’m just coming back to this. I’ve had 2 quotes to replace our oil boiler. £8500 and £9000 both including VAT. We are screwed. We just don’t have that money. Not sure what to do.

I asked about replacing our and was told about £1800. Shop around

Frozenhobby · 28/01/2024 09:27

Ilovemyshed · 27/01/2024 22:24

I asked about replacing our and was told about £1800. Shop around

Show quote history

For oil? We have shopped around. Still the same prices. I can see a gas boiler being £1800 though.

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