I picked up a portable gas heater a few days ago, which is pretty much my only heating option for the winter,

My preferred option of getting a wood burner installed looks like it's out of the question - the cabin's owner is very open to the idea but she wants one installed professionally given the extreme fire risk around here but lacks the funds to do so atm, and gifting someone a burner and professional install is out of my own price range, so portable gas heater it must be!

The capital cost was 125 EU - I probably could have got one slightly cheaper, but given my dislike of driving and inability to be able to speak Portuguese, I opted to just buy what was the only brand available in the hardware store I went to.

I did do a bit of research, and 90 EU seemed to be the cheapest price for a decent one anyway, so I think I've done OK on the price, and it's rated at a very high efficiency level...

I did take a picture of my actual heater, but LEO was having none of uploading that, so here's a stock image instead, same variety!

It also cost me around 30 EU for the gas bottle - which I think is 18KG - it's heavier than 15 for sure and 18KG seems to be the standard size.

And that'll be 30 EU every time I need a new one!

I'm discounting the deposit on the bottle as I can always get that back!

I've only fired it up once so far, for an hour this morning, as it was a bit chilly - it is at this time of year, until about 10.00, although TBH you could just get up and get moving rather than lazing around and sticking the heater on, but being realistic.... I'm probably going to be having A LOT of lazy mornings this late-autumn/ winter!

So I've got to thinking... how much am I likely to use my gas heater, how long will it last me and how does that compare to my (very minimal even in winter) heating costs back in the UK?

How much am I likely to use my gas fire?

Well it depends how cold it gets and what I'm going to be doing!

Judging by the annual temperature chart:

If I was going to be 'in all day' I might well need the heater on for most of the day during November - end of January, after which day time temperatures seem to rise quite substantially.

HOWEVER, I'm not going to be in all day every day! I should be out around 50% of the time (I do spend a lot of time indoors, as I work online of course).

I can rule out night times - one just wraps up for one's 10-11 hours bed time (you got me, I'm going to sleep A LOT this winter!) - which rules out the need to heat the cabin during the coldest times, so I should be able to get away with a minimum heat setting for most of the time.

So, IF I need to heat the cabin for 50% of let's call it 100 days during winter, for 12 hours a day, that's 6 hours a day of heating, times 100, I need 600 hours of heating capacity for 3 and a bit months.

How long will an 18KG bottle last in my gas fire?

Well according to the Google Oracle it'll last about 120 hours on a 2KW setting.

That's 5 gas bottles for 3 months over the coldest period which averages out at 30 EU per bottle, times 5 = 150 EU = 50 EU a month for heating.

And that's just the coldest months. From now until November, I'll hardly need it at all, from late Winter to mid spring, gradually less and less, and into summer, heat really isn't a problem, or rather it is, but too much of the damn stuff!

TBH 50 EU a month for the coldest months is fine, especially if I average this out over the entire year, that figure is probably more like 25-30 EU a month.

If I add the capital cost of the heater itself on the costs rise, but they fall every year after of course!

How does this compare to the UK?

The comparison is very favourable! For the last couple of years I've paid around £40 a month for gas, and that's for water and space heating, so say probably £30 of that is for space heating (I didn't have a bath!) it's pretty much the same - BUT minus the huge outlay on the boiler and the cost of maintaining it!

Off-grid really is the way to go, and this is only off-grid 1.0 as far as I'm concerned - I could go cheaper with proper insulation.

I'm going to have to explore whether a wood burner would (so sorry about the play on words!) be cheaper, I've heard that firewood ain't cheap, and it's unlikely that I'll be able to afford enough land (or have the will) to establish my own sustainable firewood production scheme!

Anyways, best be off, gonna stick the heater on, it's getting a wee bit chilly!

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