Comparison of energy prices

[David]

Reading this site:

One interesting thing is the pricing of electricity against bottled Propane.

Electricity 15.4p/kWh

Bottled Propane:

3.9kg cylinder 31.7p/kWh

6kg cylinder 25.7p/kWh

13kg cylinder 15.6p/kWh

19kg cylinder 11.3p/kWh

47kg cylinder 9.8p/kWh

The site in general has some figures which don't really match my perceptions - for instance bulk oil being cheaper (at 3p/kWh) than mains gas (4.8p/kWh) but my main interest is in the Propane values. These suggest that large Propane bottles are more cost effective for heating than electricity.

It also suggests that as I have two different sizes of bottle in the camper (6kg and 13kg) I should use the 6kg as an emergency supply and try and use the 13kg all the time, instead of switching between bottles when they are empty.

All this prompted by my plan to use up some spare Propane from a black tank by heating the shed, and thinking that in the longer term heating the shed by electricity would be cheaper than using bottled gas.

If this site is to be believed I would be better off using a 19kg Propane cylinder.

Cheers

Dave R

[Chris Hogg]

For comparison:-

I use both bulk propane (domestic heating) and the occasional 19kg cylinders (pottery kiln). The bulk propane works out at 10.1p/kWh* inc.VAT, delivered (but not including the rental charge on the bulk cylinder. I've not bought a 19kg cylinder for 12 months, but at last year's prices it worked out at 13.4p/kWh* inc VAT (£34.65 per cylinder, delivered). It might well be less today. Both figures are a little higher than yours. Do yours delivery and include VAT?

We are on Economy 7 for electricity, and many years ago I worked out that the cheapest fuel was night electricity, but during the day propane gas was cheaper.

*Conversion factors here

[Andy Burns]

They don't say if those are standard, or fixed tariffs, or "TCR" or whether they include some allowance for standing charges, but anyway I'm paying 2.67p/kWh for gas, so you're right to query their figures.

Even with oil at 30p/litre as it seems today, you'd need a boiler with

92% efficiency to get 3p/kWh.

[dennis]

Even if the actual figures are correct you need to take efficiency into account. Heating with gas needs a lot of ventilation to avoid the fumes and to get rid of the water vapour. Heating with electricity dries the air.

[Bob Minchin]

Your possibly going to need something with the "sophistication" of a condensing boiler to prevent consumption of ready heated air, managing the copious quantities of water vapour produced and removing as much heat as possible from the exhaust gases to keep the efficiency high. The big advantage of electrical heating is that in terms of what you pay for eg kWhr delivered to your meter it is 100% efficient. In theory (indoors at least) you even benefit from the heat losses in the cable.

[Tim Streater]

We're on oil, but oil has to cost more than 70p/litre or so to make night-volts cheaper.

[Dave Liquorice]

Do any of the other enrgy sources take into account conversion effciency?

Each litre of 28 sec heating oil contains about 10 kWHr of energy, if that litre cost you 30p that is 3p/kWhr.

Same with gas, X amount of kWHrs in a cubic foot costing Zp/cubic foot. p/kwHr = Z/X.

[Dave Liquorice]

7p/kWHr night rate? I've *never* paid that much 6.73 briefly in 2013 (+5% VAT so might have just broken 7p). Currently 4.805 + VAT for night rate.

[Tim Streater]

I can't remember the exact figures.

[harry]

Electricity is 100% efficient when used for heating. Electric heating installations are cheap to install, low maintenance and easy to control. Electricity is good for local and intermittant heating. Also, you need to consider off peak electricity. You have to pay for the losses and other costs involved in generating electricity.

But you have to pay for the transport and the bottle for propane.

Mains gas is always going to be the cheapest fuel for continuous heating all things being equal.

[Chris Hogg]

Shit a brick!! Who are you with? ATM on Economy 7 I'm paying

17.47p/unit for day and 7.43p/unit for night. That's with Southern Electric/SSE and direct debit. But not dual fuel, i.e. no mains gas supply. Perhaps we pay a bit more in the far SW because of distribution costs. Time for a look at alternatives, I think.

[Tim Watts]

Ow!

[Chris Hogg]

Quite. But that's for Eco7, where daytime rates are higher than standard 24hr rates. My late mother's property, a few miles away and also with Southern Electric/SSE but not Eco7 nor DD nor dual fuel, pays 14.41p/unit as of February this year.

[dennis]

A bit steep that. I pay 10.1p all the time and just under 3p for gas.