Letter to the Editor: Living in the Forest of Dean many do not have gas.

Home heating is mostly oil, or LPG or electric.

I have had an oil-fired boiler now for over 23 years.

The oil-tank sprung a leak last year and needed a replacement.

Looking via the internet I learnt a few things which confirmed my original choice.

In energy terms electricity costs roughly four times oil although an oil-fired boiler requires an annual check/service and replacement of hose or nozzle.

Over 20-plus years it may also need other spares such as a burner.

Unlike the oil-fired boiler an electric boiler does not have moving parts and is practically maintenance-free apart from the water circulation pump.

Electricity on the other hand costs roughly four times oil in energy terms.

I also had a look at heat pumps which are not unlike fridges in that they extract heat which can then be used for heating the house and/or water.

Typically you need 1kwhr of electricity to get just under 4kWhr of heat from a heat pump.

LPG is about 15 per cent more expensive than heating oil (kerosene).

Heat pumps with their below ground heat absorbing coils and electric motor/compressor are pretty expensive (10 to 20 times the cost of an oil fired boiler installation) and unsuitable as a retrofit – not an economic proposition for most households.

Solar PV can provide fossil- free electricity particularly during the day.

Becoming green is pretty expensive and a difficult choice.

Best insulate your house as best as you can to stop losing heat in the first place.

Venk Shenoi, Blaisdon