Real world heating cost

[teepeeat]

I agree with difflock too.

I am in a position that I have no central heating except my Morso 3610 that heats my house and the c 1960's back boiler open fire that heats two showers worth of water. When I have finished the building work, which includes installing massive amounts of insulation that is required on a house built in 1859, I will have minimal heating costs.

 

I am hoping to get down to a 5KW rather than a 16KW burner which would operate over the two coldest months. I plan to have a pellet boiler as primary heating and instant gas for hot water and cooking with solar to boost the hot water whenever the sun shines.

I burn about fourteen tons per year this way and by the costings that I read, yes I'd be better off with a different heat source but when you are unable to fit one, 'tis difficult to do anything else!

I finished one room recently and just the heat from the two spot-lights on their stand, that were helping me see, quickly raised the temperature to 60 degrees so I'm looking forward to finishing others.

 

The biggest plus recently though was that during the power cuts that the storm created our simple system that does not rely on electrickery merrily carried on regardless so we had hot water, heating and were able to cook with the only addition of a match to light the cooker as the electronic ignition was not operating. There's a lot to be said for the KISS principal!

codlasher

 

thats the key Codlasher - insulation to reduce the demand.

Unfortunately most of the UK housing stock is poorly insulated and where there is insulation it is often badly installed.

[doobin]

I burn old fence posts, anything. I still reckon with paying the lad to cut it up it's more expensive than gas!

[Bluecoat]

There is roughly 1800 kwh in a stacked cubic metre of air seasoned firewood. I dont use gas so aren't aware of the cost of the equivalent amount of gas. What are people paying for a kwh of gas?

[mendiplogs]

There is roughly 1800 kwh in a stacked cubic metre of air seasoned firewood. I dont use gas so aren't aware of the cost of the equivalent amount of gas. What are people paying for a kwh of gas?

 

HI BLUE and its down to how good your stove is ours is 90% plus so im help with that thanks jon

[difflock]

But even that is only part of the cost equation.

The greater installation costs for any wood burner compared to a balanced flue gas installation.

Plus the hassle and space required for storage and the daily embuggerance of carting wood in to be burned.

Never mind the extra dusting and cleaning

[broonie]

But even that is only part of the cost equation.

The greater installation costs for any wood burner compared to a balanced flue gas installation.

Plus the hassle and space required for storage and the daily embuggerance of carting wood in to be burned.

Never mind the extra dusting and cleaning

 

Dusting Difflock can we get pics of you wi wearin yer pinnie and marigolds lol

[codlasher]

Ha, ha difflock!

 

The Victorians were great believers in a room for everything so our old place is well set up with a little courtyard and wood-shed right opposite the back door.

 

Next is the outside dunnie, now a 'water closet' followed by the wash house, minus the copper now though. We use it as a cold store and there is often feathered food hanging awaiting dressing.

 

The dogs make as much mess as the fires and possibly the plaster falling off the walls so there is always hoovering to be done!

codlasher.

[difflock]

Sorry folks

I omitted the very pertinent "optional" extra dusting and cleaning.

With 5 dogs with the full run of the downstairs, incl our bed.

very very optional.

PS

A lovely woman at work looked quite preturbed when I explained my gross disappointment with our brand new built in Smart/Beam vaccum system.

As in I still had to go round with a suction brush and hose.

But no worries as I had simply binned the Vaccum, merely open the front door fully to the South, the back door fully to the North, and by propping the 2 intermediate doors open.

The "fluff bunnies" generally found their own way our.

I was not entirely joking.

cheers

m

[openspaceman]

There is roughly 1800 kwh in a stacked cubic metre of air seasoned firewood. I dont use gas so aren't aware of the cost of the equivalent amount of gas. What are people paying for a kwh of gas?

 

At home 4.164p/kWh and 26p/day

At work 2.7p/kWh and 180p/day

 

Wood cut by hand and split by axe is a luxury good. I make your 1800kWh stack to be 450kg air dry, how long does that take to cut and split and what hourly rate on marginal costings for time and equipment?

 

I guess you can get a bulk load of what was known as G30 chip with 40% mc for £25/tonne and similar for softwood cord both of which can be burned directly in a suitable device. So for the same weight of dry wood you get 1700kWh or <1.5p/kWh. Trouble is that the wood stove is not as efficient as the gas boiler, nor as controllable so room is often hotter than need be.

 

Still I don't pay for my wood and only spend a couple of days gathering it off arb sites.

[openspaceman]

HI BLUE and its down to how good your stove is ours is 90% plus so im help with that thanks jon

 

In your dreams Jon, I wouldn't trust any of the fancy testing procedures any more than I trust manufacturers car fuel consumption figures.

 

You need to monitor air flow and flue gas exit temperatures to get a real handle on stove efficiency.