We get through about 3,000 litres of heating/cooking oil per year, with a 1,200 litre tank so buy 1,000 litres whenever the gauge drops to 1.
1,000l inc VAT:
Nov 2020 £312
Mar 2021 £420
Jul 2021 £467
Nov 2021 £595
Today £1,290..., and only 1 supplier (of the 2 that deliver here) will quote a price. Scottish Borders.
Anyone else bought/ordered this week?
See also fences, petrol, 'lectric, gas and Haribo.
It's currently up to 4x what it was this time last year in my area.... Which matches your figures above. (I'm Cotswolds).
Expect that to double again by this time next year…
Yep, I'm seriously considering pulling out of a house purchase because it's got oil-fired heating and hot water.
Same here in S Cotswolds, luckily we got lots thru boiler juice not long ago 👍 just bought diesel at 197.9 though 😟 (thank god it’s work truck)
Paid 58p a litre in January.
Got quoted £1.44 a litre yesterday.
I turned the heating off.
My dad has just had the same - very similar prices to the OP. I can only hope that this massive spike is more about uncertainty rather than and true cost (albeit I would expect it to go up like everything else).
OP - here's the trend - you are about a month late in ordering it (I know that doesn't help when you are buying to fill a tank):
https://www.boilerjuice.com/heating-oil-prices/
of course its roughly following crude prices; perhaps the only thing you could do to mitigate it (other than reduce use) is get a second tank so you can try to time your purchases when its cheaper rather than feeling compelled to buy as the tank is low.
Yep, I’m seriously considering pulling out of a house purchase because it’s got oil-fired heating and hot water.
if you don't buy that house what will you buy instead? presumably (unless you can find and afford some s****y new passive house) it will still need heating etc? Wholesale electric and Gas prices have risen by similar %ages.
We've got half a 1300l tank left, was thinking to top it up it up before things get even worse, but I think a smaller delivery might be an even higher unit cost.
Edit: the monitor shows 5 bars of 10 remaining, so maybe 600l+ to top up, but not sure on its accuracy
if you don’t buy that house what will you buy instead? presumably (unless you can find and afford some s****y new passive house) it will still need heating etc?
Staying where I am would be the plan.
Weber got half a 1300l tank left, was thinking to top it up it up before things get even worse, but I think a smaller delivery might be an even higher unit cost.
i wouldnt be rushing to keep my tank topped up.
Right now is the worst combo of times to do it kneejerk if not needed. Always increased demand and cost this time of year. + the reaction to the taps being turned down.
I topped mine up start of feb - had been swithering on holding off but we dropped to 1about then so pulled trigger - that was 800 quid to fill 1400l. so stands to reason at current rate that would be 1600 quid.
Paid 58p a litre in January.
Got quoted £1.44 a litre yesterday.
I turned the heating off.
how small is your tank that you need more 2 months later....
tomhoward
Full Member
Expect that to double again by this time next year…
source ?
Yeh, I guess as we'll be using heating less, the half a tank/600l left should last us a handful of months yet.
Only have it on for water and hour morning and tea time. On for heating 6.30-9am, 4.30-8.30pm. We've cut out an hour at lunch.
Got 700l to top up our 1000l tank in Jan, 62ppl from Homefuels Direct. They're now quoting 104ppl. Yoiks. We should just have enough to get through to April, when the heating will (mostly) go off and the solar will (mostly) take care of the hot water
We've already cut our monthly spends budget by £100 a month to try and offset the fuel we'll need next winter.
On current exchange rates, i'm already paying over 2 quid a litre of diesel.
Just paid for some bottled gas and it's gone up 20% since before xmas as well!
Just paid for some bottled gas and it’s gone up 20% since before Xmas as well!
Yeah, we'll need to get some 47kg bottles at some point, they've been £59 each since November (they were a bit cheaper before then, can't remember exactly how much)
Expect that to double again by this time next year…
I'd expect it to fall. We're at maximum uncertainty right now so prices have maximum risk priced in. By next year, we'll have reached steady state on post Covid / Ukraine and prices should drop to reflect the lower risk.
If I made a press how much oil could I squeeze out of two children? Hypothetically.
I’d expect it to fall. We’re at maximum uncertainty right now so prices have maximum risk priced in. By next year, we’ll have reached steady state on post Covid / Ukraine and prices should drop to reflect the lower risk.
Unless Russia cuts the gas off then prices are only going one way.
178ppl in SN14. I paid 62ppl 3weeks ago. This was the most I've ever paid in 8 year on oil heating
of course its roughly following crude prices; perhaps the only thing you could do to mitigate it (other than reduce use) is get a second tank so you can try to time your purchases when its cheaper rather than feeling compelled to buy as the tank is low.
How much do you think it costs to install another tank, and connect it up plus need the space and the associated groundwork and 'mounts'?
I've got about half a 1300l tank left. I'll wait until the summer to refill. Good idea up there about a 2nd tank. Or perhaps swapping it for a bigger tank to buy more oil when it's lower in price. We could probaby manage a year on one 2500l tank and buying in a bit more bulk may make it a bit cheaper too.
plus need the space and the associated groundwork and ‘mounts’?
Have you seen the latest building regs! You need masses of space around and oil tank these days.
The price is going to keep going up for now with that war thing going on.
Is the price rise any more though than electric or gas will be ? Its certainly cheaper than swapping to an alternative.
We are just about to replace our 20 year old oil boiler (as starting to break). Hopefully we will get a small increase in efficiency
Its not the good old days of lockdown where we filled up for 26p per litre
How much do you think it costs to install another tank, and connect it up plus need the space and the associated groundwork and ‘mounts’?
Exactly. I'm going to say north of three grand, and even at these prices that'll take a while to claw back.
Had a new bunded tank installed in October - easy access and connections - cost was £2,500. This was a 1200l tank replacing the old single skin 2,500l tank. Not the best timed decision with hindsight!
Yep, I’m seriously considering pulling out of a house purchase because it’s got oil-fired heating and hot water.
Seems a bit hasty. I think oil is generally cheaper in my experience. We use about 1500l per annum. That’s usually about £750 or so per annum. What’s your gas bill? Is it more than 75 per month?
Heating oil has cost me between 19p and 75p over the last 4 years and not just in a climb upwards
We were on 2 bars of a 1200L tank 2 weeks ago and got 1000L for £750 ish from Johnson oils. This is in fife on a 10 working day turnaround and has just been delivered today. However, very luckily, this was ordered literally just before the war started.
That’s usually about £750 or so per annum. What’s your gas bill? Is it more than 75 per month?
4 bed house, gas fired central heating/combi boiler and an old inefficient gas fired Aga and our bill is £360 per year so yes, much much cheaper. Even on the incoming rates it'll be well under £450.
I would not be buying a house with oil fired heating at the moment...
Bought 500l on monday - £522. If i wanted 500l today - £659.
8 weeks ago - 500l was £291
This will last me to summer and beyond now (the 500l will have topped up the tank - 1200l tank)
Im on a fixed electric tariff until July. Might be more cost effective to use electric heating!
Just to make people feel better, our new house seems to be the least efficient thing ever. Looking at 3200L/year, which at current prices is about 550/month.
That's with the thermostat at 17 degrees for 6 hours a day before someone tells me to turn it down (I have anyway. A balmy 13 degrees after 630 and 16 from 730).
I filled up in Feb at 60p/L but I suspect prices will still be crazy when the next time comes around.
If I made a press how much oil could I squeeze out of two children? Hypothetically.
Depends how greasy they are i guess...
Anthracite hasn't changed - might buy another ton in case the suppliers decide to bump the cost a bit.
And I thought having a coal fired boiler was a complete hassle and we should switch to oil...
4 bed house, gas fired central heating/combi boiler and an old inefficient gas fired Aga and our bill is £360 per year so yes, much much cheaper. Even on the incoming rates it’ll be well under £450.
I would not be buying a house with oil fired heating at the moment…
Surely you mean not buying an inefficient house ..... Because either your house is insulated to the hilt or you don't have the heating on. My old 1 bed flat cost that to Heat on gas 10 years ago......
Oil prices are crazy, somehow hasn’t hit the media though- perhaps because none of the papers are based in rural locations without gas.
It’s bad enough ‘normal’ fuel prices are going up, but how are people struggling going to be able to pay 100% more on heating oil? It’s much more painful as generally needs to be paid for all at once.
Does seem that the prices have ramped up more steeply than the crude oil though. If petrol diesel had done at the same rate it would be over £2.50 a litre (obvs taxes are different).
I think this will hit struggling families harder than the gas - as those locations on oil are also likely to be rural with greater reliance on cars too.
It’s much more painful as generally needs to be paid for all at once.
No it doesn't. Only if you choose to do it that way. It does how ever have to be paid for upfront.
For the past few years oil users have been very smug when thinking of the fait of us LPG users. I have had my head in the sand (and my hand in the woodshed- a lot) but I'm assuming if it's bad for you lot, LPG prices are going to make me faint.
No it doesn’t. Only if you choose to do it that way. It does how ever have to be paid for upfront.
Same thing - go and see how expensive oil is to buy when you only want 100l delivered.
It’s much more painful as generally needs to be paid for all at once.
No it doesn’t. Only if you choose to do it that way. It does how ever have to be paid for upfront.
Yeh we looked at paying X amount monthly to a company towards future refils, but decided not to as we have a choice of 3 suppliers where we are, better to bank the money and then hopefully choose the best priced supplier when it's needed. But still need the cash one way or another, not like DD for gas and elec for supplies used.
Same thing – go and see how expensive oil is to buy when you only want 100l delivered.
Not sure you understand the concept.
But still need the cash one way or another -the same as you do for the DD for gas and elec for supplies used.
My energy bills are about to double and I actually feel quite lucky!
You guys might have to adapt them for used cooking oil!
You guys might have to adapt them for used cooking oil!
Virgin veg oil is about 1.20 a litre looking at google on supermarket shelves..... Wonder how much it is in 20l containers.
My 200tdi will lap that up.
It’s much more painful as generally needs to be paid for all at once.
No it doesn’t. Only if you choose to do it that way. It does how ever have to be paid for upfront.
Yes sorry - I meant paid for upfront, not as in having to get 1200l at once. An increase of hundreds of pounds on a purchase like this is a big hit.
Unless Russia cuts the gas off then prices are only going one way.
Not really true.
The price of oil can and very definitely does drop as well as rise and it has actually been falling for the last 24 hours.
OPEC are gradually increasing production and have been for some time. The actions of Russia have not changed that rate of increase although the United Arab Emirates have said that they would support a faster increase.
I fully expect prices to have dropped to something a bit more palatable by the summer.
Whether that is in time for me is doubtful! We have about 7" left in the bottom of our 2,500 L tank 😖
But the days are getting longer and from next month I'm hoping to be able to switch off the boiler completely as our solar PV will take care of the hot water.
Whether any of these things come to pass is another matter, but it's nice to see the graph dropping down at the moment.
The problem is also availability, at any cost.
Local suppliers are refusing to quote or even provide guide delivery times.
We paid 50ppl mid Feb.
We get through 3,500 litres a year. It covers 4 bedroom house and an old oil Aga.
Thankfully we are nearing the end of the frosty mornings, but the Aga will still require supply.
I rather think this will be an extended period of high prices, extreme volatility and uncertain supply times. I'm really not looking forward to next winter.
Local suppliers are refusing to quote or even provide guide delivery times.
That’s odd, they fill their tank at £x amount then just pass that on + margin should be that difficult to quote for a delivery the next day
Virgin veg oil is about 1.20 a litre looking at google on supermarket shelves…..
Google how much veg oil Ukraine produces for the world market
Buy now
Yep, not many local suppliers prepared to quote at the moment (HR7). Even boilerjuice.com doesn't come up with anything in our area. Best I could get was 'order it now and we'll quote on the day of delivery and that will be in two weeks time'!
I've a couple of hundred litres in the bottom of a 1200ltr tank, should be okay until next month.
The real question is hold off or buy in now hedging the price going up a lot more? 🤔
That’s odd, they fill their tank at £x amount then just pass that on + margin should be that difficult to quote for a delivery the next day
Not that odd.
Probably don't hold 3-4 weeks worth of fuel in their tank and don't hedge forwards to know what the fuel in their tanks by the time they actually have an availible slot will cost.
Your unlikely to get a next day slot given the lack of willing oil truck drivers and driver hours....
It’s bad enough ‘normal’ fuel prices are going up, but how are people struggling going to be able to pay 100% more on heating oil? It’s much more painful as generally needs to be paid for all at once.
It’s fairly predictable when it’s running out so it’s not normally a surprise. We know that we need to buy oil a couple of times a year. I guess you could even create a direct debit to yourself if needs be. It’s usually only a few hundred quid.
Market went down today. Fyi
I'm in that Market job wise. However it's wildly up and down.
My aga is not exactly my friend currently.
It will settle but I'm looking at 450 pcm with the heating on. It's set to 14deg currently
I’m in that Market job wise. However it’s wildly up and down.
Oh yes.
Of our 2 suppliers, one won't quote but will add you to their delivery schedule and then tell you 2 days before delivery what the price will be.
So I went back to the other one, they quoted £990 for 1,000l - so I took it.
A friend of mine had her 1200l tank in her front garden. She then had three full tank loads nicked one after the other, within about a month. She thought the first one was a leak so had the lines tested, all was sound so she then had better security lights installed. After the second tank full was taken she then had a gert big lock installed and cctv, cue the third load being taken again within a week, with nothing showing up on the cameras apart from some shady movement on the periphery. She's a single mum so this was really unnerving too.
She's since paid several more thousands to have the whole thing moved to her back garden for security.
I'd imagine with prices rocketing oil theft will be on the increase. Apparently if they can't get the top off they have a scaffold tube with one end cut at an angle like a massive syringe and just push it through the side of plastic tanks, suck all the contents out and then bugger off. Obviously you've then lost a tank full of oil plus the whole tank is bolloxed.
I've always wondered what people who pinch heating oil put it into and how do they transport it?! Another tank in the back of a van and a pump?
Another tank in the back of a van and a pump?
Yup, they caught some guys near my dads house a few years ago, maybe last time the prices spiked?
One of the tanks in the van (think they had two or three 1000l IBCs in the back) had sprung a significant leak...
Another tank in the back of a van and a pump?
However they do it they have a very quiet pump. It must be quick as you wouldn't want to be waiting for ages to nick it all, but quicker pumps are usually noisier. No idea, I'll ask at the local scrotes site up the road next time I'm in there (which is never!).
I'm eying up the oil pipeline that's running through one of my paddocks - I'm sure the boiler would love a good feed of Jet A1!!
When I first moved to my oil heated house 6 years ago I had no clue. Called a few of the local providers they gave me information like how to work out big my tank was and minimum order (usually) of 500l. I got 500l delivered. At the time I think it was 37p a litre (exc VAT) and when the guy delivered he advised me to get another 500l as it was cheap.
I watched the price of heating oil fluctuate around 40-50p a litre putting 500L when I had to or if I felt it was cheap and had room tried to fill up.
Then it fell to 14p a litre around the time of the first lockdown. I managed to squeeze 500L in then!
I needed to put 500L this January. Grudgingly did at 59p a litre, glad I did now.
Currently using the https://www.oil-club.co.uk/ they seem to be a tad cheaper than Boiler Juice and if nothing else the weekly email about the price they are delivering at is useful.
Agree - it’s an astronomical price rise! I had oil stolen last weekend from the tank overnight, so I’d recommend adding some security. I’ve now got a Spinsecure lock & a locking vent cap, plus security camera. It won’t stop theft but at least it might be a deterrent. Oil theft on the increase near me.
How can you stop theft from a plastic oil tank other than with a guard dog or something? I guess if you wanted the oil it'd take about 2 seconds to drill a 4 inch hole in the top.
Don't have it on an external/vehicle accessable boundary.
Lock the cap keep the honest man out.
Fit an Apollo sonic sensor- watches your tank level so you know how much left. If it starts draining quickly an alarm goes off in the house (assuming your in)
Although the next question becomes..... When the alarm goes off .... What next . After all they know where you live.
That’s odd, they fill their tank at £x amount then just pass that on + margin should be that difficult to quote for a delivery the next day
You'd be surprised at the through put.
Yes stocks always revalued. But no more than goods on a shelf in tesco
a scaffold tube with one end cut at an angle like a massive syringe and just push it through the side of plastic tanks, suck all the contents out
Thanks for ratcheting my paranoia up another notch :-/
I suspect oil theft (and theft in general) will see huge growth in the near future 🙁
Wait for red diesel to be dropped for industrial use at month end
Fair point about security- might actually put a lock on our gate.
However it’s very difficult to secure oil tanks in reality given the nature of where they are (rural) and where they have to be located (away from a building)
I certainly wouldn’t do anything to the tank as once the plastic is damaged it’s a new tank job !
Yeah don't be modifying your tank.
Also check oftec legislation before doing anything to hide it.
I ordered Kero for the dairy boiler last week, a faulty banking app means the payment didn't go through by 5.30 (to keep the price). Rang back next day price went up 20p a litre. Boss said don't order any as it'll come back down (pffft). We've enough left to fuel the boiler for cheese making for one week. If we don't get it after that we'll have to stop producing. Supermarket customers aren't accepting price rises (Morrisons and Waitrose) so our only option is really to say stuff it, and stop making cheese after 95 years.
Also check oftec legislation before doing anything to hide it.
Ours is hidden behind a shed. It probably shouldn't be hidden behind said shed, but both shed and tank were there when we moved in, and we ain't moving them.
Also check oftec legislation before doing anything to hide it.
If oftec had their way you'd be putting your tank in a compound 4 miles from your house.
Prices appear to have peaked at £1.60 ltr and are currently around £1.05ltr
Does heating oil get the 5p tax reduction, because it doesn’t look like it on the price charts
Does heating oil get the 5p tax reduction, because it doesn’t look like it on the price charts
No it doesn't.
I checked yesterday before paying 103.88/L for 500L
😖
On the plus side, if there is one, our PV is making all our hot water and heating the kitchen floor on a day like yesterday.
Solar gain heated the house so oil use is minimal
118.9ppl here in the south Cotswolds today. Down from 187ppl just a week ago and up from 63ppl 4 weeks ago.
Just short of £0.90/l in West Yorkshire for 1000 litres last week. (Plus the Vat).
We're at half a tank (500l-ish), so I'm pretty sure we've got enough to last out spring, then it'll be switched off until Autumn as we can run the hot water on solar.
I assume that summer is (usually...) the best time to buy, when's normally best, August?
Look at the price charts on Boiler Juice
No seasonal variation, heating oil is such a small part of oil usage the costs do not alter much.
How does the hot water work on solar, might be worth exploring ourselves
How does the hot water work on solar, might be worth exploring ourselves
With a solar-powered immersion heater, which coincidentally there is currently a thread on...
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/solar-immersion-heater-controllers-recommendations/
Oil price is artificial
OPEC will respond and pump more eventually, for now I guess they are enjoying the record profits.
Oil price is artificial
Tell that to my credit card provider.
