Electric Hook up costs (2 Viewers)

[Neckender]

I must admit I have been reading up on diesel heaters as a back up to gas.

I’ve fitted an 8Kw unit in my garage and recently fitted a 2 kw to our VW T6.1 both diesel heaters are cheap Chinese models and they’re both working most satisfactory.

John.

 

[Steve and Denise]

I’ve fitted an 8Kw unit in my garage and recently fitted a 2 kw to our VW T6.1 both diesel heaters are cheap Chinese models and they’re both working most satisfactory.

John.

Thanks John
I am looking at a 5 kw unit wether it’s Chinese or Webasto I just want reliability

 

[Pausim]

I have just done a few calculations to work out approximately how many kW of heat you can buy for a £1.
Electricity 3kW
Diesel 6kW
LPG (refillable) 8kW

 

[Basildog]

I have just done a few calculations to work out approximately how many kW of heat you can buy for a £1.
Electricity 3kW
Diesel 6kW
LPG (refillable) 8kW

Not a criticism but that’s based on the current domestic market price for electricity.
I was chatting with a customer who supplies power plants to businesses and he told me that as current business electricity prices are roughly between £0.40 and £0.80 new customers are being quoted £1,10
So running an Alde heating system at 3kw could potentially lead to a 24 hour bill of £79.20

 

[Pausim]

Not a criticism but that’s based on the current domestic market price for electricity.
I was chatting with a customer who supplies power plants to businesses and he told me that as current business electricity prices are roughly between £0.40 and £0.80 new customers are being quoted £1,10
So running an Alde heating system at 3kw could potentially lead to a 24 hour bill of £79.20

I was being generous to electricity by using the current domestic rate but you rightly point out that the actual cost could be a lot higher.

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[funflair]

Not a criticism but that’s based on the current domestic market price for electricity.
I was chatting with a customer who supplies power plants to businesses and he told me that as current business electricity prices are roughly between £0.40 and £0.80 new customers are being quoted £1,10
So running an Alde heating system at 3kw could potentially lead to a 24 hour bill of £79.20

And a very very hot van and hook up cable

 

[The Wino]

And a very very hot van and hook up cable

Depends on the size and outside temperature but ours would be like an oven. However it's a scarey amount for 3kw over 24 hours. Another option for sites who don't want the expense of fitting meters could be lower power trips on the supply

 

[Pausim]

Depends on the size and outside temperature but ours would be like an oven. However it's a scarey amount for 3kw over 24 hours. Another option for sites who don't want the expense of fitting meters could be lower power trips on the supply

One site I visited last year had already replaced their 16A trips with 10A ones.

 

[funflair]

Depends on the size and outside temperature but ours would be like an oven. However it's a scarey amount for 3kw over 24 hours. Another option for sites who don't want the expense of fitting meters could be lower power trips on the supply

Of course and yes a 4A breaker would be great but but we could still run our 3kw kettle microwave and air conditioning (not all at once) combi/inverter and network compensation

 

[Just smiffy]

Doesn’t it just make sense to pay for what you use wherever you go… rather then just being charged whether you want it or not, it’s why people have the mind set that if they pay say £25 for a pitch with electric they think it’s free so use as much as they can, or if they are charged £25 plus £5 EHU they’ll use as much as they can to get their money’s worth..

It’s about time we only pay for what we need and want…

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[Lenny HB]

I have just done a few calculations to work out approximately how many kW of heat you can buy for a £1.
Electricity 3kW
Diesel 6kW
LPG (refillable) 8kW

You must have very cheap Electricity, we are paying 42p a unit.

 

[Basildog]

You must have very cheap Electricity, we are paying 42p a unit.

Wife looked at me strangely the other day when I said “I get free electricity “
Then she realised that she pays the direct debit from her personal account

 

[Just smiffy]

Wife looked at me strangely the other day when I said “I get free electricity “
Then she realised that she pays the direct debit from her personal account

Ohh your going to pay for that confession now…

 

[Jim]

One site I visited last year had already replaced their 16A trips with 10A ones.

Even at 10, they can still use well over £12 a day at today's domestic rates and it's only going one way.

 

[Wissel]

I have just done a few calculations to work out approximately how many kW of heat you can buy for a £1.
Electricity 3kW
Diesel 6kW
LPG (refillable) 8kW

Just to add, most diesel heaters can be run on Kerosine, which has 10.35kWh per litre. Currently around 80p per litre, so:

Kerosine 12.9kW

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[Hoovie]

I stayed awake (just). The conclusion is that if you are heating a van by electric on a hook up and the electricity is metered, then it can be significantly more expensive than heating by LPG or Diesel. LPG is great, except that we are all doomed as we are told that it will disappear by 2024 : LOL.

I haven't watched it but .....

LPG is a fuel gas. You can get LPG by filling up from a Pump OR by buying a gas bottle.
I bet if someone was using LPG supplied via a Calor Gas 6Kg bottle, the conclusion would not be so clear cut as people seem to be saying?


I am making this point as when it comes to motorhomes and caravans, LPG refillable system are in the minority and most use exchangable LPG bottles - but they are both bloody LPG!! So if someone when they say "LPG" means LPG via self-refillable tanks, then make that clear!

 

[Hoovie]

I have just done a few calculations to work out approximately how many kW of heat you can buy for a £1.
Electricity 3kW
Diesel 6kW
LPG (refillable) 8kW

That is an incomplete picture.
Yes, that may be the cost of the fuel per kW, but it does not take into account the efficiency of the different devices. Electricity tends to be far more efficient in how the energy is used (half of it doesn't go up a chimney heating the sky!).
Once you factor in the efficiencie, only then will you get a correct cost comparison. And I would not be surprised to find that using an electric heater is cheaper than using LPG via Exchangable bottles (which is what most people have).


I did some calculations recently as well - mine were based on actually running the heater on gas compared to running it on hookup (via house lead). I found using the gas WAS cheaper, but not greatly so. And those costs were using LPG bought from a pump. If I used my backup Calor Gas LPG Bottle, the conclusion would have flipped the other way for sure.

 

[Pausim]

You must have very cheap Electricity, we are paying 42p a unit.

I think 34p is the present cap.

 

[Rob Turner]

Thanks John
I am looking at a 5 kw unit wether it’s Chinese or Webasto I just want reliability

The Chinese units maybe fine but I’m not convinced they’ll be reliable over the years. I have had Eberspacher units in 2 previous vans and numerous trucks and they’ve never let me down so I’d rather spend the money knowing I’ll be warm.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think 34p is the present cap.

Our current rate from Bulb (part of Octopus now)

We're increasing our electricity day unit rate from 38.716p to 41.813p per kWh and our night unit rate from 23.150p to 25.003p per kWh. Our electricity standing charge is staying the same at 42.771p per day.

Two thirds of our usage is off peak as our off peak clock is out & we get off peak from 9:30 until 16:30.

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[nicholsong]

Our current rate from Bulb (part of Octopus now)

We're increasing our electricity day unit rate from 38.716p to 41.813p per kWh and our night unit rate from 23.150p to 25.003p per kWh. Our electricity standing charge is staying the same at 42.771p per day.

Two thirds of our usage is off peak as our off peak clock is out & we get off peak from 9:30 until 16:30.

Come on Lenny, tell us how you fiddled the clock.

 

[Pausim]

Our current rate from Bulb (part of Octopus now)

We're increasing our electricity day unit rate from 38.716p to 41.813p per kWh and our night unit rate from 23.150p to 25.003p per kWh. Our electricity standing charge is staying the same at 42.771p per day.

Two thirds of our usage is off peak as our off peak clock is out & we get off peak from 9:30 until 16:30.

This is a screenshot from the Ofgem site. I guess you still have a contract with Bulb/Octopus because of the night rate.

 

[Basildog]

This is a screenshot from the Ofgem site. I guess you still have a contract with Bulb/Octopus because of the night rate.
View attachment 722567

It’s the average capped rates
As mine is free that lowers the figure

 

[Pausim]

That is an incomplete picture.
Yes, that may be the cost of the fuel per kW, but it does not take into account the efficiency of the different devices. Electricity tends to be far more efficient in how the energy is used (half of it doesn't go up a chimney heating the sky!).
Once you factor in the efficiencie, only then will you get a correct cost comparison. And I would not be surprised to find that using an electric heater is cheaper than using LPG via Exchangable bottles (which is what most people have).


I did some calculations recently as well - mine were based on actually running the heater on gas compared to running it on hookup (via house lead). I found using the gas WAS cheaper, but not greatly so. And those costs were using LPG bought from a pump. If I used my backup Calor Gas LPG Bottle, the conclusion would have flipped the other way for sure.

It wasn’t intended to be a comprehensive calculation, just an approximate guide to the relative fuel costs. As for efficiency Truma claim 98% efficiency for their LPG Combi 6 and I don’t think that is likely to make a big difference to my approximated figures. I did a quick calculation on exchange bottle costs and if you are using the 6kg Calor propane it comes in a tad below the 34p for electricity but allowing for a 2% loss of efficiency it levels the playing field. The bigger exchange bottles still work out cheaper than electricity.

 

[Jim]

The Chinese units maybe fine but I’m not convinced they’ll be reliable over the years. I have had Eberspacher units in 2 previous vans and numerous trucks and they’ve never let me down so I’d rather spend the money knowing I’ll be warm.

Are Eberspacher not made in China too? If so, arguably to a higher German standard though.

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[The Wino]

Just to add, most diesel heaters can be run on Kerosine, which has 10.35kWh per litre. Currently around 80p per litre, so:

Kerosine 12.9kW

Only if it's 100% efficient?. Same with gas and diesel. Electricity is 100% providing heat.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Just wear some clothing !

 

[EuroTrotters]

Im all for metering. Sometimes we hardly use any electric. Then some data/nights we use a lot.

And I do sometimes warn the awning slightly by gas . But then I don’t mind paying for it.

 

[VXman]

You must have very cheap Electricity, we are paying 42p a unit.

I think 34p is the present cap.

I'm still paying 25p.

 

[Pausim]

I'm still paying 25p.

I am guessing that you took a fixed term contract when prices were a lot less.

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