Cost of oil

[vervialle]

It may have ben covered somewhere in the forum, but I am considering oil central heating can anyone give me an idea of how much 1000 litres would cost is it cheaper in france. Do people ring round for a price like they do in england.Regards..

[Deimos]

One site that I find interesting for comparable energy costs is http://www.prochauffage.com/ (right hand side towards the bottom). I would say I find it useful but when I purchased my place CH was already installed and it not yet time for a change.

However, one thought that does occur to me is to consider flexibility for the longer term. Whatever today’s prices may be I’m sure it will change significantly within the life of your Central Heating system and it may be useful to be able to change the boiler fuel in the future. On mine I can change the burner unit to e.g. switch from gas to oil should I so desire. Boiler will work on both (plus electricity for the water), just the burner bit needs changing.

Also, to make matters more complex I believe that some environmentally friendly forms of energy benefit form different sized radiators (plus the renewable resource technologies have significant installation cost benefits for people submitting French tax returns).

Ian

[vervialle]

Yes I hope to keep my house in France for at leastanother 20 years all being well and yes it would be prudent to consider a system  that could cope with a fuel change,I have watched my neighbours struggle with wood its o.k. if you get it cheap and cut for you but I think if you pay the going rate for it, given the work and mess that goes with it, can turn out to be just as costly.Thanks for your helpful post.

[zeb]

Don't know how it compares to the UK but I paid 0.707 euros per litre in March (inclusive of TVA) from our regular supplier. We share a delivery with our neighbour who warned us off the local supermarket (dirty oil apparently).

The cost has doubled since having the oil tank installed 3 years ago. I check prices in August for the winter delivery.

If we renovate again I'll go for wood fired central heating (cheap and plentiful).

[thunderhorse]

Any woodburning stove or fire causes a fair amount of muck and dust (fun,  innit [:P]). Wood can also be expensive if you pay through the nose for it, like anything else. Like all purchases, shop around.

My wood man lives round the corner and his charme (hornbeam - very hot and slow burning) is the same price as oak (€25/stere), and €22/stere for chestnut (cut to length). I've heard of others paying €40-€50/stere or more.

And my French neighbour's oil costs are rising alarmingly. I think if you've got oil c/h already, stick with it. But I wouldn't retro fit it into an old house, especially when oil is so volatile and only likely to rise.

[Gluestick]

Of course, if enough people change to wood, as their fuel of choice, then the usual Supply:Demand equation, over the next few years will cause the price to rise.

The one singular benefit of wood (economically) is that it is a French renewable resource.

Pellets and similar feed stock do seem to be one of the choices of the future, as the fuel is very environmentally friendly, from a pollution perspective. Again, depends on price and payback curve.

BTW, I paid € 35 for 50 litres in Bidons, during Pagues.

 

[sueyh]

In February we paid 680 euros for 1000 litres in Frevent, Pas de Calais

Suey

[Gluestick]

Good price for bulk buy at present.

BTW, I know Frevent well! Friends have a farmhouse at Houvin Houvigneul, just up the road! Nice area.[:)]