I’m Going Green

I’m going green in my old age, or at least I’m trying my best. I’ve been busy looking into getting myself a biomass boiler for all our hot water and heating supplies.

Off Grid

Living off-grid as far as mains gas is concerned, heating our little abode in the middle of nowhere can be a little on the expensive side. Ideally, one of those tanks that look like a submarine has just surfaced in your garden would be a solution. However, they can be expensive and you get tied to a supplier for your gas and believe me, I hate being tied to anything!

No To Oil

A huge plastic green oil tank, ‘doubled bunded’ whatever that means is another option. I’m not a lover of oil and it’s not very green. So, what options are there left to choose from? Well, we could freeze by doing nothing, keep using what we have now which is bottled gas, electricity (too expensive) or fit a biomass boiler. This latter option is by far my favourite which will happen, just that I’m unsure when.

So Many Systems

It’s funny how living without the things you’ve always taken for granted, suddenly makes you focus the mind. Hence my study of all things biomass boiling and other ideas. There are some great solutions out there, the only problem being that the really good ones are prohibitive by their cost. Heating systems that take cold air from outside and turn it into warm air, so warm it can even provide hot water!! Or there’s another system that takes air from the underground and you can heat your house with it. They have fancy names, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what they are called.

How Much?

So, for me, it’s a biomass boiler. Like all things where plumbing is concerned, you can’t get a real idea of the price just by looking. You have to fill in forms to get a quote. One thing’s for sure though, you can bet your life it won’t be cheap. It’s fine saying you can save five thousand a year in heating costs, but if it costs twenty thousand to fit the thing it ain’t going to happen, not in this house. If you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about, you can find more info on biomass boilers here.

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34 Comments
  • Peter's pondering
    October 23, 2019

    Hope you manage to achieve it!

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thank you, Peter.

  • susiesopinions
    October 23, 2019

    No matter what you do it costs more.

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thanks, Susie. 🙂

  • SueW
    October 23, 2019

    We looked into Biomass, but the installation worked out too expensive. We looked at having gas too but to pipe it here from the nearest point was going to cost us £60,000! So stayed with what we already had, oil and it’s very expensive! We need a new tank- more expense!

    You’ll probably just get your biomass boiler fitted and then someone will come along and slap a tax on it, telling you it’s harmful to the environment. That’s what happened with my car, all the advice was Diesel is best and cleaner than petrol. So I bought diesel and now my road tax is outrageous! I think mileage should be taken into consideration when working out road tax. In Canada, seniors pay less too!

    Sorry Trev I digressed a bit here. I think Biomass is a great idea, all the best with it! ????

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thank you, Sue. I know it’s a minefield and there’s probably always going to be a downside. Perhaps I need to move to a cave where no one knows where I am. 🙂

  • SueW
    October 23, 2019

    Sorry Trev, I don’t know how I came to type 60 it should be 50,000 not 60! Just under 50 was the quote! ????

  • Rosaliene Bacchus
    October 23, 2019

    Good for you!

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thank you, Rosaliene.

  • Author G M Cleary
    October 23, 2019

    “The color green has healing power and is understood to be the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye to view. Green can help enhance vision, stability and endurance. Green takes up more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and it is the dominant color in nature.” Go grin…I mean green :).

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thank you, G. I shall grin from ear to ear with my new greeness.

  • Yetismith
    October 23, 2019

    Nothing is simple these days! I have had similar experience this year and I did get a much more efficient water heater but the system for heating the whole house, while appealing is, as you say, too pricey. I have to have a generator here as it gets seriously cold and no electricity also means no water because I have a well. My generator is run on propane but to find someone who will service such a thing….I spent days calling and emailing and on the last call when I said that’s it, I give in…they referred me to a man who lives right here. Of course I still have to actually get him here…communication is a bit slack in these parts…maybe it’s just me.
    Good luck with yours!

    • admin
      October 23, 2019

      Thank you, Yeti. I’m fortunate in that there is running water and electricity here, so even in an emergency, I can get heat. I hope you get sorted soon.

  • Hope
    October 24, 2019

    Bravo to you! Being “green” is not easy to do. You want to do your best but by the time you are done reading all the rules you are exhausted. Say where I live “If you are not sure if something should go into your recycle bin, you toss it into your regular trash”.

    • admin
      October 24, 2019

      Thank you, Hope. You’re right about being exhausted reading the rules. So many of them !

  • lifelessons
    October 27, 2019

    Trev, I, too, am a silly old sod. The once in 1000 years post I reblogged and that you “liked” turned out to be a hoax. Forgottenman pointed out to me that the same is true of every yea–not just 2019. Someone who put that out is having a good laugh at those of us who fell for it. I took down the posting. Happy April Fool’s Day a few months late….Sorry to have led you astray.

    • admin
      October 27, 2019

      Yikes. No worries, Judy, thanks for letting me know

  • Dave Kingsbury
    October 27, 2019

    Admirable attitudes! Perhaps we should elect politicians who make this stuff simpler to do …

    • admin
      October 29, 2019

      That sounds a good idea, Dave, thank you.

  • Michael Ogazie
    October 30, 2019

    Wau… This is amazing!

    • admin
      October 30, 2019

      Thank you, Michael

  • omordah1
    October 30, 2019

    Hi, just wondering, is solar not an option where you are? There are panels, but I joined a community solar. So far it’s good.

    • admin
      October 30, 2019

      Thank you, Omordah, that’s a good idea that I hadn’t really thought about. I shall have to look into solar panels.

  • mitchteemley
    November 4, 2019

    Rock on, you icon of greenness!

  • Gail’s Snapshotsincursive
    November 6, 2019

    Keep trying. ????????????

    • admin
      November 6, 2019

      Thank you, Gail, I will.

  • boundlessblessingsblog
    November 13, 2019

    Wow it is so nice to go green, Trev and such a beautiful read

    • admin
      November 13, 2019

      Thank you, boundless blessings.

  • Laleh Chini
    November 14, 2019

    Thanks for the following dear.

  • lorriebowden
    November 17, 2019

    I hate when you have to fill in information just to get information…but I get it. Everyone is trying to build a list. Hope it works out for you!

    • admin
      November 17, 2019

      Thank you, Lorrie and I hope so too. That’s very kind of you.