[johnmac]

We have a combi boiler oil central heating in our 1900's farmhouse.

No insulation at all

Oil bill for winter 2009 spring 2010 was around £2000!!!!!

Added 13" insulation to the loft and fitted a 8.5kw multifuel stove in the dining room (core of house) cost to buy and install myself £1000.

Oil bill for winter 2010 spring 2011 was £300 plus maybe £300 for logs and coal.

Stove kept core of house at 25oC at -20oC outside.

For this winter I bought a chainsaw (£200) and have cut 8m3 of logs for free!

Couldn't live without the stove, FANTASTIC!!!!!

[egglady]

OMG!  went to the place at kinross today and the chap was very helpful......could do everything we wanted.....for........wait for it.........£5K!!!!!

i dont think so!!!

was on our way to perth (thansk glentarki) but it was 4pm by this time and i think it was closed as there was no answer when we phoned.

so i think we were maybe getting a wee bit stitched up    we did however, get answers to quite a few of our questions and some more information.

he did say that it was gravity fed but that we would sometimes have to run a tap anyway.......
next visit to perth me thinks   

[northfifeduckling]

Hi Laura,

 our way of doing it - back boiler , definitely! keep the oil as it is much more efficient in the summer than any stove - for example we need the oil burner to start off the central heating pump but that already warms the water by the time the stove  (Much Wenlock wood and coal) kicks in. Our lovely stove you have seen is the Ilaria from www.pipinghotstoves.com/ , delivered onto our property but not installed - OH said he could do it himself  so hopefully it will be done once next winter rolls along I am sure they can recommend an installer or look in the wood booklet from the NHTT, I think they mention stoveco www.woodburningstovesco.co.uk/  in Guardbridge but they also seem to be a bit" fancy" if you know what I mean...I sort of remember that our neighbour had a whole fireplace conversion + simple stove for £ 3000, done by a local builder. Or John can learn to do it - I'm sure it will be done earlier than ours...