LPG, OIL, Electric, Wood,

[what..the?]

As the house is being renovated and the whole heating system is being ripped out as its insufficient and a one pipe system.

Before I jump in and just replace the oil run heating and hot water system. As I plan to live in the house for 50 plus years I want to make sure I install the most cost effect systems now.

Current oil prices and the lack of available oil left is only going to bring prices up. So I have been looking at LPG (never had this), fully electric, wood log/pellet boiler or stove with back burner, ground source heat pumps, there is no gas where I live.

I am beginning to think that ground source heat pumps are not sensible for this house as it's on a hill of solid bedrock with limited garden and also not suitable for wood as the main heating provider source as you can't drive up to the house but park at the bottom.of the hill.

Any views please, on current, predicted future prices, efficiencies of the systems.

I am thinking I might have to stay oil or go LPG and then have a wood stove with back burner for added heat when I am home on evenings and weekends and electric immersion for summer?

[what..the?]

No I haven't priced the difference yet I'm not good at maths and I wouldn't know where to start .

Interesting to here what you say about the stove I have never come across them before or people that have them, There is a nice fireplace in the main lounge so my instant reaction was to get a wood burning stove which is safer and much efficient than an open fire, but with the added back boiler ......does the back boiler just make use of the excess heat??? It doesn't cost more does it, it's just a useful way of taking advantage of excess heat the stove produces...is that right?

Are your fires your main heat source or 50/50 with the oil?

[what..the?]

how can we be canny with the oil?...I'm all ears lol

[thugulike]

It's just cost me almost £600 for an LPG fillup. Think very carefully.

[whiskeryron]

We have LPG but also we had Solar heating panels installed which has reduced the fuel bill dramatically, well worth it. We also had a Wood Burning stove fitted last year which is great, overall I think we have the very best heating system.

[what..the?]

whiskey are you in a very sunny spot? I was thinking about solar and then reading the figures on what you get back from the array for the input cost it seemed to be not worth it also I am very un-trusting of the feed in tariff because Germany's version has gone tit's up. Did you get the free panels or pay for the array up front. I have also looked into turbines as I live by the sea but the electricity gathered was even lower. Have you any figures on how successful you array is, how much is it receiving and saving you money wise?

[what..the?]

wow thugulike whats the capacity of your LPG tank/bottle?

[what..the?]

thanks for that detail, and for your kind help, it really does help, I will have to look into the wood burners with back boilers in detail and see what they can offer me and the flexibility of the systems

[whiskeryron]

sorry I can't give you the details of Solar Panels at the moment( I live with daughter & son in law who have all facts) what I do know is the panels are not the kind where you generate electricity & sell surplus to national grid, the panels heat water for showering,washing etc & although we don't get any more sun than anyone else they work more on daylight than actual sunshine & although we have been going through the short daylight period they have still proved most efficient & my S-I-Law reckons over 12 months the LPG bill was roughly 1/2 of the year previous (taking into account the rise in the cost of fuel). Ron.

[what..the?]

thanks for that Ron very helpful

[DTCwordfan]

mdoo thanks for that and very true. Current extraction techniques only take out 30 to 35% of the crude from the rock cells.......there are folk like Schlumberger looking at the use of microwaves downwell to 'shake out' extra oil and one can see the benefits may be substantial if they can lift the percentage recovered to 40 or even 50%.