Fuel prices

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
Pebble
Posts: 1930
Joined: 7 Jun 2020, 11:59pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Pebble »

at the opposite end here for use, averaging 4200 kwh elec & 19600 gas per year puts me about 50% above what the "Standard Average" is based on. So if they are predicting that to rise to £4,400 mine is going to be around £6,600 that is averaging £127 per week

And looking at last winters peak usage of 100 electric and 900 gas, that week alone would be costing something like £280
gbnz
Posts: 2552
Joined: 13 Sep 2008, 10:38am

Re: Fuel prices

Post by gbnz »

Sweep wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 9:05am
minus 7 sounds pretty damn cold to me.
I know you reffered to pipes above but aren't you worried about your pipes bursting?
- 7 refers to a possible, one off low temperature. Doubt if it rarely gets below -2/-3, after all we don't really experience winter in the UK (Nb. It get's a bit grey and wet, but not much more). I'll put the heating on for an occasional 1 minute blast, but never had an issue - suppose it'd make sense to drain the pipes, but it is enjoyable having heating on for a special ten minute treat at Christmas :lol:
Biospace
Posts: 1990
Joined: 24 Jun 2019, 12:23pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Biospace »

Pebble wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 5:38pm
Biospace wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 4:21pm
There's something I find mildly crazy using grid electricity or gas to heat water from April to October when there's more than enough solar radiation to do the job for free. Our power and energy grids are things of wonder which allow people to heat their food and houses at the touch of a switch as far away power stations heat water to turn steam turbines to generate electricity by burning oil or gas piped from drillings under the North Sea and elsewhere, with hardwood forests processed (with diesel) and shipped from America (this biomass is labelled 'environmentally friendly') or with controlled nuclear reactions.
possibly a bit pushed to achieve that here in Scotland, weeks of persistant low cloud are not uncommon at any time of the year, an water hot enough for a brew at 6am

Sure, you're not going to be boiling water by 6am (unless it's sunny and you isolate just a litre from the tank) but lots of Scots are heating their water with solar power. Even with cloud cover - except for the very thickest when everything goes dim - the radiation coming from the sky is more than enough from April through to early October.

The Scandinavians heat their water in the summer then pump it underground where the rock is warm for use in winter. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7907618338 and https://www.thenationalnews.com/busines ... r-1.391103

I suppose our generally mild climate has long meant we're relatively lazy with anything to do with heating compared with nations with cold winters.
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20297
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Fuel prices

Post by mjr »

Sweep wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 9:04am
mjr wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 5:03pm Temperature control is almost as instant: we just have to remember to let the new power setting take effect before changing it again... but worst case, any spills are simply wiped up.
er temp control asfast BUT you have to REMEMBER to LET THE POWER SETTING TAKE EFFECT.?
Something doesn't follow there.
It follows fine. The keypad doesn't send the new power level setting to the hob until you either press a different ring selector or it times out after a second. So if it shows 9 and you press front-left 5 front-right, the change is immediate, but if you dither about and press front-left 6 no 5 no 4 no 5 then let it time out, it will still be on 9 until it times out. It's probably just a quirk of the touchpanel controls. Most gas hobs still have manual controls where the power will lower during the dithering. I just mention it as a difference which can mislead. As soon as the power setting is sent, the pan does not heat as fiercely, adjusting faster than a gas-heated one.
plus the spills (boiling over I assume) you refer to pretty much says there's a delay
No, it says not everyone watches every pan closely enough all the time. That's life. Sometimes the rascal boils over while you get the parmesan out.
Last edited by mjr on 12 Aug 2022, 1:23pm, edited 1 time in total.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by pwa »

Sweep wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 8:55am
pwa wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 4:41am Since hearing Paul Lewis on R4 stating that heating water by electricity costs us about four times what it does to heat it by burning gas, we have dug out a hob kettle and are boiling water on the gas hob for coffee and tea. And when I want a pan of water to cook pasta I am now putting the cold water directly into the pan to be heated on the gas hob rather than boiling water in the electric kettle and then pouring that in the pan. At least these concerns over energy costs are making us look afresh at our energy use habits.
interesting - I always had the idea for years that gas was cheaper than electricity but had the vague idea that the difference had narrowed over the years. Didn't realise it was actually four times. I never thought the gap was that big in years of old.
I have used a small kettle on a gas hob for quite a while for teas and coffees - also allows me to just heat one cup full very easily - just measure it and chuck it in the kettle.
For as long as I can remember I have been in the habit of boiling water in an electric kettle and then pouring it into a pan on the gas hob for pasta. But I now put cold water directly into the pan and use gas from the start.
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8441
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Sweep »

deleted - dupe post
Last edited by Sweep on 12 Aug 2022, 1:32pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sweep
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8441
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Sweep »

pwa wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:29am
For as long as I can remember I have been in the habit of boiling water in an electric kettle and then pouring it into a pan on the gas hob for pasta. But I now put cold water directly into the pan and use gas from the start.
On pasta, you can do the thing that some folks do when camping - boil water - chuck pasta and and let it boil for a short time, stick lid on and let it stand for 10 to 15 mins with no more power - maybe a bit of extra power at the end if needed. Can only really do with short pasta, not spaghetti.

I have even had this method approved by an Italian - was expecting to be told that it's sacrilege, so anal religious are many italians about food. The italian who gave it the thumbs up said they often did this when boating. If you think about it, not all that surprising - pasta is a processed food.
Sweep
reohn2
Posts: 45143
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by reohn2 »

I paid £1.68 for E10 in Caton Lancs today.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
hemo
Posts: 1438
Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Fuel prices

Post by hemo »

I actually looked today diesel 182.9 and e10 173.9 in West Sx at Sainsburys.
Ben@Forest
Posts: 3647
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 5:58pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Ben@Forest »

pwa wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:29am For as long as I can remember I have been in the habit of boiling water in an electric kettle and then pouring it into a pan on the gas hob for pasta. But I now put cold water directly into the pan and use gas from the start.
What's more effective if you only have electric hobs? Seems better to use a kettle first... will it get to the point that buying and using fresh pasta is overall cheaper because it only takes 3 minutes to cook? :wink:
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by pwa »

Sweep wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 1:29pm
pwa wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:29am
For as long as I can remember I have been in the habit of boiling water in an electric kettle and then pouring it into a pan on the gas hob for pasta. But I now put cold water directly into the pan and use gas from the start.
On pasta, you can do the thing that some folks do when camping - boil water - chuck pasta and and let it boil for a short time, stick lid on and let it stand for 10 to 15 mins with no more power - maybe a bit of extra power at the end if needed. Can only really do with short pasta, not spaghetti.

I have even had this method approved by an Italian - was expecting to be told that it's sacrilege, so anal religious are many italians about food. The italian who gave it the thumbs up said they often did this when boating. If you think about it, not all that surprising - pasta is a processed food.
I'll play around with that idea. It sounds good. It reminds me of how I cook potatoes for mash, in our pressure cooker. I get the pressure cooker up to pressure (which doesn't tale long), wait a minute, then switch off the gas, walk away and come back when the pressure has returned to normal. So some of the cooking happens after the gas has been turned off.
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by pwa »

Ben@Forest wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 6:49am
pwa wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:29am For as long as I can remember I have been in the habit of boiling water in an electric kettle and then pouring it into a pan on the gas hob for pasta. But I now put cold water directly into the pan and use gas from the start.
What's more effective if you only have electric hobs? Seems better to use a kettle first... will it get to the point that buying and using fresh pasta is overall cheaper because it only takes 3 minutes to cook? :wink:
You joke, but already there are people going to food banks and asking for food that doesn't need cooking, because they are concerned about the cost of cooking. And I think using the oven may become a luxury thing. Sadly, I think there may be a move away from fresh veg because of this.
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by pwa »

reohn2 wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 7:14pm I paid £1.68 for E10 in Caton Lancs today.
Remind me. What is E10? Regular unleaded?
Ben@Forest
Posts: 3647
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 5:58pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by Ben@Forest »

pwa wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 9:40am You joke, but already there are people going to food banks and asking for food that doesn't need cooking, because they are concerned about the cost of cooking. And I think using the oven may become a luxury thing. Sadly, I think there may be a move away from fresh veg because of this.
Fair comment, but I've spent a fair part of my life living in houses only with coal or oil (or both) for heating and cooking (coal only). In that time prices for both, particularly oil, have fluctuated wildly. We have paid as little as £350.00 for 1,000 litres of oil and some months later £750.00 for 1,000 litres.

In that time, despite various rural action groups trying to get government help on this nothing has ever happened. Once l mentioned these fluctuations in price on this forum - it prompted one - just one - response.

You'll have to excuse me if l am not really too bothered about gas prices and their effect upon others - nobody cares about heating oil. Though of course in all of this l know and am seeing the effect on my electricity bill.
pwa
Posts: 17357
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Fuel prices

Post by pwa »

Ben@Forest wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 10:06am
pwa wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 9:40am You joke, but already there are people going to food banks and asking for food that doesn't need cooking, because they are concerned about the cost of cooking. And I think using the oven may become a luxury thing. Sadly, I think there may be a move away from fresh veg because of this.
Fair comment, but I've spent a fair part of my life living in houses only with coal or oil (or both) for heating and cooking (coal only). In that time prices for both, particularly oil, have fluctuated wildly. We have paid as little as £350.00 for 1,000 litres of oil and some months later £750.00 for 1,000 litres.

In that time, despite various rural action groups trying to get government help on this nothing has ever happened. Once l mentioned these fluctuations in price on this forum - it prompted one - just one - response.

You'll have to excuse me if l am not really too bothered about gas prices and their effect upon others - nobody cares about heating oil. Though of course in all of this l know and am seeing the effect on my electricity bill.
My son is hoping to move to a cottage reliant on oil for heating. I hope he has looked at the cost of oil. All fuel is getting more expensive. We are all going to feel a bit poorer over the next winter and beyond.
Post Reply