LPG Heating

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Living in a house with no mains gas we are reliant on a mix of wood and portable electric heaters and with 3 women in the house I don't think my marriage will stand another freezing winter. Oil seems to be the default option here but looking at LPG also. I realise the cost per kw/h is higher but it is still a huge saving on electricity and when you factor in lower installation costs, cheaper boilers, and the fact we are relatively light users it isn't so clear.

The other consideration is that while we will be here for a while yet it probably (hopefully) isn't forever so I'm reluctant to sink c. £10,000 (as quoted) into an oil tank up front when it's a few hundred for gas. The gas company has years to recoup its investment.

What are other people's experiences? Some people seem OK with LPG, others say avoid at all costs. Are my assumptions all wrong and am I missing something?

[JuanCarlosFandango]

caziques said:

Also consider heat pumps.

I have looked into them but they're a bit if a non-starter in our situation. The house is an unusual construction with concrete floors which doesn't lend itself to underfloor heating, huge radiators etc and while it's reasonably well insulated for it's age it would need a lot more to make heat pumps viable, and the pay off time for the initial investment would be huge.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

otolith said:

I have the worst LPG scenario, in that there is no tank. Putting one out front would be difficult because of the space available and the restrictions on positioning, and there is no access to the rear. So I have a bunch of 47kg cylinders which have to be trollied through the house out to the back. It's a pain in the arse. Other than managing the supply, though, everything works just like mains.

That's another option if the installation proves too difficult. Have you worked out how the price compares to a tank?

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Interesting, thanks.

abzmike, didn't they offer the flat rate installation? Both Flogas and Calor offer installation for a few hundred quid. We have a relatively awkward set up but the guy who came out thought it wouldn't be a problem.

otolith, about £65/year for an overground tank or £90 underground. Seems worth it if installation is possible.

Looks like a lot depends on getting installation at a reasonable price.

Thanks guys.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Yes, that would change the equation a bit. I'll have to get a firm quote.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

ColinM50 said:

When I lived in France I changed from oil to LPG and the supplier buried the huuge tank in the front garden. They turned up with a small digger, dug the hole and buried the tank and reinstated the lawn all in the same day. Don't know if Calor or Flogas in the UK would be OK with that, can't see any reason why not apart from "we don't do that not allowed"

They do. I'd probably be looking at a vertical tank which makes more sense in the relatively confined space we have, but there are quite strict regulations about where it can be.