Tuffa FirePro: A Homeowner’s Solution to Stylish Off-Grid Heating

Alex Rood and his partner had just moved into their first home in Norwich. The house was off-grid and used an oil-fire boiler to for heating. This was Alex’s first experience of heating oil, having always lived in gas heated homes. Like many, he wasn’t aware that there were homes in the UK still heated with oil until he moved into one.

Upon viewing the house and deciding it was right for his family’s needs, Alex set about researching heating oil. Weighing up the pros and cons of oil compared to gas was actually reassuring. Not being fixed into a contract and subject to gas wholesalers, suppliers and the government increasing rising price caps offered Alex freedom and flexibility.

The online search also offered the new homeowner three valuable insights that all oil-heated homeowners should be aware of:

Community buying groups such as BoilerJuice is a great way to divide delivery costs and get the best oil price.
Buying oil during summer tends to be much cheaper than buying in winter.
Tuffa FirePros can be installed where conventional oil tanks cannot go.

While the house was sold with an existing plastic oil tank, it was in poor condition and needed replacing before it deteriorated further which could risk oil weeping and leaking on the property. It’s position near a boundary line meant this was a bigger hazard as insurance for oil leaks often don’t cover neighbouring properties.

Using Tuffa’s Expert Guide to FirePro Tanks, Alex realised that a normal tank would need to be at least 1.8m from the building and 760mm from fences – not a viable option for many homeowners. However, a Tuffa FirePro can be installed as close as 300mm from buildings and boundaries and could be hid discreetly in the garden in the same location as the old tank.

Alex called the Tuffa team and after discussing his options chose a Tuffa 1100 litre steel bunded FirePro. He explains why this was the right choice:

“Getting a steel FirePro was a no-brainer. The fire jacket and small footprint meant that I still had room to install a big shed in the garden. A normal tank would have been sited in the middle of the garden. The build quality and long design life was also a factor in going steel.”

A lack of access to the garden meant that our steel tank made a dramatic entrance to the garden. Alex commented:

“Tuffa organised the delivery of the tank to a local crane company a few days before installation. Getting the tank sited was definitely something to behold, but, I’ve got to admit, I was worried when it dangling over the house.”

While the crane was an unavoidable addition to the delivery costs, Alex was able to scrape some money back by asking his father-in-law, a semi-retired plumber, to help with the installation while Alex provided labour. We’re sure that seasoned installers would agree they’ve done a grand job. A new base has been constructed with a hole and flexi-tube to allow a new fuel line to neatly slide through the base. At the other end of the fuel line and near the house, the team have fitted a safety shut off valve as an additional precautionary measure.

We caught up with Alex to check-in and make sure everything had gone to plan:

“I was more than happy with the service from Tuffa. From first reading the Expert Guide to getting the tank delivered, everything has been clear and simple. The tank looks sturdy and the fire protection means we can hide it behind the fence and still have enough room for the large shed. Winning the champagne hamper competition was a huge bonus.”