Keep oil or switch to gas?

D13exile · 07-08-2017 09:51AM #1

Hi all

I'm about to start renovating my newly bought three bed semi. It has an oil heating system but the internal boiler is knackered and needs replacing (it's 20 years old and rusting). I've found out that there is natural gas in the estate outside the driveway and when I rang Bord Gais, they quoted €220 to pipe it into the house, well to a meter on the external wall and I'd have to pipe it the rest of the way. I prefer having a constant supply of gas so I won't have to worry about an oil tank running dry. However I'm getting conflicting opinions from builders I've had in pricing the renovation of the house. Some say keep the oil as the gas is only going to shoot up in price.

Personally, I'd like to switch to gas and get rid of the oil tank and free of space in the small garden. However are the builders right? Will keeping the oil be cheaper in the long run? What's more reliable, an oil or gas boiler and which would be more efficient?

CeilingFly · 07-08-2017 09:59AM

Builders as experts on long term pricing of gas? Change builder.

I don't have the option of gas, I wish I did. Oil prices jump up and down like a yo-yo. I need to check the tank regularly to see if a fill is needed. I need to keep an eye on oil prices to try and get best value.

Oil and gas in the long term always follow a similar pattern. Gas is in plentiful supply, as is oil. (technology allows previously untapped sources to become available)

For me, the hardiness of a direct gas feed into the home would be a God send.

Options for gas cooking, options for gas fire & never running out.

CeilingFly · 07-08-2017 10:06AM

Here's the seai comparison for last April http://www.seai.ie/Publications/Statistics_Publications/Fuel_Cost_Comparison/

Currently oil is about 10% cheaper than gas. Oil prices are on the floor. There's many a week that oil prices rise over 10% due to someone sneezing in the middle east.

Gas price increases have to be approved by the regulator so they are fixed for each 12 months. Discounts on gas supply readily available that would see it about same aa current oil price per kwh.

ronn · 07-08-2017 10:06AM

I'd reckon the builder doesn't want the extra hassle be more like it,
But I'd get bord gais out and get a proper price,
I'd did some work on my house and had to get them out twice, €220 to disconnect and €250 to reconnect,(I think), and I'd to dig the trench and have everything ready for them, then my plumber took over once they connected it,

Gas all the way for me,

D13exile · 07-08-2017 10:08AM

I agree on the price of oil hopping up and down (although it always seems to be on the up when I need to get it!) and I've had my oil tank tapped before and the oil taken. As I haven't had the opportunity of getting gas until I moved to this house, I have no experience of the running costs

D13exile · 07-08-2017 10:10AM

ronn wrote: »

I'd reckon the builder doesn't want the extra hassle be more like it,
But I'd get bord gais out and get a proper price,
I'd did some work on my house and had to get them out twice, €220 to disconnect and €250 to reconnect,(I think), and I'd to dig the trench and have everything ready for them, then my plumber took over once they connected it,

Gas all the way for me,

You had to dig the trench? They told me they'd dig the trench and pipe it into the new meter on the gable wall and they'd backfill the trench later. Or do you mean you had to dig a trench for the pipe work to get the gas from the meter box to the boiler?

ronn · 07-08-2017 10:27AM

I had gas already supplied and I needed it disconnected to put in foundations and then I needed it reconnected to the meter when I was done, I'd to locate the pipe and dig the hole to get it disconnected then I'd to dig a new trench to allow the new pipe be brought to the meter,
And the trench has to be dug to certain spec's.
Bord gais will dig it but it will cost you double for them to do it,
Ring them and get them out there's no charge,

D13exile · 07-08-2017 10:33AM

ronn wrote: »

I had gas already supplied and I needed it disconnected to put in foundations and then I needed it reconnected to the meter when I was done, I'd to locate the pipe and dig the hole to get it disconnected then I'd to dig a new trench to allow the new pipe be brought to the meter,
And the trench has to be dug to certain spec's.
Bord gais will dig it but it will cost you double for them to do it,
Ring them and get them out there's no charge,

They've already quoted me €220 to pipe it in from the road up the driveway and to a new meter box. I presume I'll have to cover the cost of piping it from the meter box to the new boiler in the utility at the rear of the house?

CeilingFly · 07-08-2017 10:39AM

ronn wrote: »

I had gas already supplied and I needed it disconnected to put in foundations and then I needed it reconnected to the meter when I was done, I'd to locate the pipe and dig the hole to get it disconnected then I'd to dig a new trench to allow the new pipe be brought to the meter,
And the trench has to be dug to certain spec's.
Bord gais will dig it but it will cost you double for them to do it,
Ring them and get them out there's no charge,

That situation is quite different to a new customer. The work had already been done previously, and the work you wanted was to facilitate some non gas related wirk on your property, so they and every utility supplier will charge a commercial fee for work such as that.

Dial Hard · 07-08-2017 11:07AM

ronn wrote:

Bord gais will dig it but it will cost you double for them to do it

This simply isn't true. For a new connection within 15 metres of the pipeline, all trenchwork and reinstatement of the surface is included in the â‚¬220. Gas Networks Ireland (not Bord Gais) will also look after the road opening licence.

Anything inside the house is then at your expense, OP, and you need an RGI - not a builder to do the work.

GNI have a talk-to forum here, they'll answer all your questions.

roy rodgers · 07-08-2017 11:40AM

Go gas all the way. The 220 will gey you from the road to the new box. Gas networks will do all the digging and reinstate your driveway.

You will need an RGII engineer to sign off the job and get the meter installed.
Long term the gas is more efficient cleaner and less of a hazard of storing fuel in a plastic container out your back.

And new gas boiler would cost some where between 2500 to 3500 euro depending on the locations. While a new oil boiler would be around 3000 to 4000 euro..
Make sure the system is flushed and look at getting zoning done too.

D13exile · 07-08-2017 05:09PM

Thanks for the replies. The plan now is to get a new gas condensing boiler in with zoning and new heating controls. A system power flush is also in the plan. At the moment, there a small three foot high copper tank in the house that is not insulated and appears to have small leaks so it has to go. A bigger factory insulated tank will also be installed and I'm presuming that this will be sized on the number in the household?

CeilingFly · 07-08-2017 05:52PM

Also check if you can get upgrade grants

http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Better_energy_homes/

Dial Hard · 08-08-2017 12:40PM

D13exile wrote:

Thanks for the replies. The plan now is to get a new gas condensing boiler in with zoning and new heating controls.

Zoned heating should qualify you for an SEAI grant, iirc.

Keep oil or switch to gas?

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