Never thought I'd be better off with oil instead of gas...

[MM]

...but it's rapidly looking that way, as the BBC News web site is saying how high gas prices might spark a global recession.

Last time I checked, heating oil was available (1000 litres) at

29.34p.

MM

[Gel]

In UK heating oil has been cheaper than gas heating for some years; traditionally gas prices have not been subject to fluctuations like oil

[Weatherlawyer]

And you can use waste veggie.

If you filtered it, might you use sump oil if you thinned it down a little? I have heard that you can use a car oil pump to make a spray device similar to those used in the burners of CH boilers.

(Said appurtenance was for use outside.)

[MM]

At least with oil there is some competition between local suppliers. With gas one is beholden to the Germans. They own much of our power.

MM

[Matt Beard]

True for LPG (delivered to a cylinder, or bought in "bottles"), but not for mains gas:

Mains gas per kWh ~ 2p

Take oil per litre at 29.34p, kWh per litre of oil ~10.5, so oil ~2.8p per kWh.

[Pinot Grigio]

Talking to my father this morning, he has just spent £500 on oil that would last him til the middle of January. I know he doesn't shop around, but does that sound rather a lot for a 4-bed house?

[Huge]

Yes.

£500/worth would last us about 4 to 5 months in a large, exposed 5 bed house.

[Steve Firth]

£700 worth lasts all year and sometimes up to 18 months here (large five bedroomed house exposed, etc.)

[Doctor Drivel]

Gas is still cheaper than oil.

[MM]

Not unless he likes frying eggs on the kitchen floor tiles! Some people like it HOT.

MM

[MM]

But for how much longer, given the five-fold increase.

"'Reports from National Grid this morning say that what is currently happening in terms of the spot gas price is totally irrational,' he said, referring to the recent five-fold increase to £1.68 per therm.' [The Scotsman]

MM

[manatbandq]

If you read the reports fully it will also (or should) tell you that it's only large industrial users with no contracts who buy on the spot market. Domestic gas will increase in price, but nothing like the figures being bandied around in the media.

Remember, the media like a good scare story like MMR, the "microbiologist" who managed to find MRSA in hospital swabs that wasn't actually there, the dead parrot that turned out not to have died of bird flue, gas prices to rise 5-fold, etc., etc.

MBQ

[The Natural Philosopher]

No. I spend about 1800 a year on a large well insulated 6 bed house. I don't like being cold.

[MM]

But isn't it already the case that we have the most expensive domestic gas in Europe?

MM

[David]

In article , Pinot Grigio writes

Yes, we spend about 5-600 per year for a large 4 bedroom house

[MM]

When I'm working most of the day in my computer room, which is the third bedroom and very small, I don't have the heating switched on. I just run a little fan heater on a thermostat. Seems daft heating every room in the house if one is never in them. And even if the thermostatic valves on the radiators are turned down to their lowest point, the pipes are still having to be heated somewhat, especially since the boiler is in the garage. I still tend to treat CH as a luxury, I'm afraid, having grown up with open fires and nothing else.

MM

[VivienB]

Check again - 2000 litres has just cost us 34.95p/litre (discounted for prompt payment).

Regards, VivienB

- Regards, VivienB

[David]

Crikey, Just paid 29.45 for 1000 in Suffolk whereabouts are you??

[MM]

MM

[David]

In article , MM writes

Suffolk County Fuels 01449 771772, did a comparison on boilerjuice which was coming out about a penny more expensive (checked last night, still the same) I always give 2 or 3 suppliers a ring and then SCF beat the best quote.