If you’ve switched from oil to natural gas recently, you should be feeling pleased with yourself.
Since I last looked at the annual cost of centrally heating a house, the gap between the price of the two fuels has widened from £75 to £155. This is largely due to an increase in the price of oil but there is another factor at work. I have carried out some calculations using a new figure* for the energy density of kerosene, the fuel typically used as home heating oil.
After the two changes mentioned above are accounted for, I estimate the yearly charge for centrally heating a fairly typical home with oil at £885 and the annual charge for gas at £730.
There is little change in the cost of using anthracite for central heating. Interestingly if one were able to access a 90% efficient coal based boiler, solid fuel heating would be the cheapest choice for home heating by some considerable margin.
Wood pellets remain the most expensive of the four fuels compared.
If you have any comments own questions, please contact me by email at enirgy@btinternet.com.
* According to the SEAI, the net calorific value of kerosene is 44,196 MJ/t.
