HOW MUCH(??) Does It Cost To Run A Refleks Diesel Heater on a Canal Narrowboat? 

We are thrilled that you enjoyed our ‘running cost’ video and we really hope that by laying out our running cost- especially but not exclusively for the diesel heating it will help you in the future to decide what heating is best for you. Of course you have so many other things to consider- like the cost of installation, upkeep and aesthetics. Those things aren’t in this video but costs of buying equipment are easily found with a quick google search or an email to a company. Here is a good place to start lockgate.com and www.nauticalworld.co.uk We do not count the cost of installing a coal fire, central heating or diesel fire place to be a ‘running cost’ and therefore it has not been covered in this vlog. We won’t be going into detail about how much each of these systems cost to install and maintain and suggest you email companies to start your own budget if you require that information we are reluctant to quote company prices to you as they tend to change and we are not in a position to speak on behalf of any company about their costs. Whereas in this vlog we thought it helpful to share how much we spent on running costs- and are confident with our breakdowns, we thought you would find this of value as it is nice to see how other people live to help you with your own decisions. Again, we hope you have found it helpful to have our cost breakdown for three different ways of heating the narrowboat.

Why did I find that so fascinating? I will never have a narrowboat or a diesel fuel stove, but you two are just so adorable.

Hello, My name is Michael I'm from Las Vegas I just wanted to say how much I love your videos, I think you ladies are awesome. I have become absolutely hooked on Narrowboats. I watch all of your videos as well as Cruising the Cut, and Country House Gent. I'm a huge history buff and can't wait to visit your Country. Looking forward to coming over and hiring a boat, my dream is to retire to your country and live on a narrowboat, Please keep the videos coming you were a great comfort during the lockdown. Have a wonderful summer cruising!!!

Brilliant analysis ladies. I had. "Squirrel" solid fuel stove central in my 57' n/b. I got my daily exercise sawing up dead wood, cleaning out the ash pan and the mess I made. I kept a winter stew simmering on the top during the winter months. As a single hander during my 15 years living aboard and constantly cruising I got to love my squirrel. Each to his own. John ex "The Dillen"

Thank you for this very interesting video! I use a Refleks 60 on my 34 feet steel schooner for 27 years now. In addition, I had a Hot Pot solid fuel stove. Today, the coal stove had to go for all the reasons, you mentioned. And, here in Germany, the gov. does not like coal and wood fires, you are always on the illegal side with the common boating stoves, as they are not certified. And, by their smell, they are easy to detect! As the Refleks does not produce much smell, nobody cares! Sometimes, my Refleks did not like to start, preheating with gel alcohol (barbecue starter) and lighting with firedrops (Feuerhexe) helped.

Refleks heaters are also much lower maintenance than the likes of Webasto/Eberspacher units that run radiators or supply warm air. Webastos/ebers will coke up, require regular servicing (which they often don't get) and can be expensive to fix when they go wrong - PCBs costing hundreds of pounds, e.g. They also in my experience do not like to be run on low settings for extended periods so not really that suitable for full time liveaboard use in my opinion (11 years full time liveaboard on sailboats here). Refleks heaters come from Danish fishing boats, they're simple, reliable, low maintenence & economical. You made a good choice...

Thank you for today's message. You have confirmed a thought I have had of the benefits of a diesel heater in the right situation. It also gets you closer to a single fuel for everything on a boat or ( bus). Stay warm and enjoy the spring and summer as the canal opens. All the best, Hal

Love your weekly broadcasts, certainly one of my favorite Vlogs on RU-vid.

Each facet you discuss and tell your experiences about Narrowboat living is wonderful and I love! Keep discussing every little thing you do in a normal day's life.

Thanks. I love the fact that you're self-aware and honest enough to actually say that you wanted the diesel heater to turn out to the the best. You worked it out and it was, so that's great. And not just the lowest cost, but the best for your quality of life as well. Very happy for you.

Solid stoves, cowboy's TV. They are hypnotic.

A well presented honest vlog about heating narrow boats. Had to smile about the diesel stove whoosh! Most pyromaniac men would find that the highlight of the day

Hi, I’ve been a liveaboard for the last seven years using a bubble diesel stove in conjunction with a webasto central heating system. I use both to get the boat up to temperature in the winter and then turn the central heating off and stay warm with only the stove. I work nights, three shifts a week, so no heating on then , and go through 20 litres of diesel a week to stay warm. The diesel stove has been fantastic. Quick for heat, easy to shut off and zero mess and maintenance. I would easily use this method to stay warm through the winter even if it cost more to run than a solid fuel stove. The bonus is , as you’ve discovered it’s cheaper ! Thoroughly enjoyed this video, great job, have a fantastic summer. Regards warren.

As a person that is planning the build of a narrowboat, this is great information both on heating choices and also the secondary diesel day tank for heating..Many Thanks.

Hi girls. I’m 65 and have always been a caravanners but I so love watching your adventures with your cats I too take my cats away with me but have to stay on a seasonal pitch now Thank u for your absolute entertaining videos. Stay safe xx

You both exude positivity. Your smiles and your empathy are models for many during these times . Also, your focus on the natural environment provides a much need respite. Thank you, and keep it up!

Converting an old barge I found that extremely helpful. Reflex about to be installed

We had a completely different experience on our boat. As liveaboards we had a refleks stove for over ten years and finally decided to swap it for a multifuel stove with backboiler which gives us hot water and heats the three radiators. In our experience the refleks was expensive to run, there was always a smell of diesel fumes inside and outside the boat which was quite nausiating. The refleks stove looks good and stylish but unlike a multistove you can't watch it (instead of the tv) and it doesn't feel homely. The heat from diesel is not a dry heat as you get from a multistove. Most of the time while on the boat we wear not much more than our underwear as it gets so hot. Virtually all our fuel is gathered from the environment - wood is cut by chainsaw and split with mallet and axe. On the ocassion we buy coal briquettes we bag them up into small bags of about 12 briquettes at a time so as not dirty our hands when throwing them onto the fire. We also make our own fire lighters using waste paper and old engine oil - this is very effective and nothing is wasted. Our annual heating costs are no more than £200. Yes, it does involve some work cutting wood etc and cleaning up dust but that is just considered a part of life! There is something homely and magical sitting in front of a real fire just watching the flames while hearing the rain beat down on the roof and the wind howl. It is really horses for courses!

Thanks for the information. I’m about to get a reflex stove with back boiler fitted to my 54ft narrow boat. I am sure my ruining costs will be a higher. I am on a boat that used to have a reflex with back boiler. So most of the plumbing (including radiators and hot water tank heating element) are already in place. I am so reassured that you are pleased with yours.

It’s a classic win-win. You two, (four), are the most comfortable at the least cost.

Diesel engine, diesel heating, it makes things so much easier and no mess, love that stove.

Thanks for being so thorough with your cost estimates. Appreciate it!

You did a great job of breaking down the fuel costs.

Great advise. I’ve gone diesel myself. Also if you have another tank you can set it up to run heating oil which is half the price or red diesel 👍🏼

Amazing vlog girls, I jumped ahead to this one because it was about heating. Everyone seems to complain about the mess of coal and I have noticed how much space the bags of coal take up you loose your stern or well deck so in a smal space a waste. I had decided I prefered the diesel but was a little worried about the cost so thank you for proving it is in fact the cheaper, cleaner, space saving and efficient option. The tip about the second tank was also very helpful.

I have just subscribed to your magical Chanel, you guys are so much fun. I cant wait to explore all of your vlogs. Keep safe

I'm so pleased you're pleased; getting one of your heaters makes total sense. I'm a sucker for real flames, but you make a very good case. Enjoy!

yes its not cheap to buy and you have the installation costs, so ill keep to me coal fire im happy with it and you cant beat that nice glow you get in the winter, but everyone has there preferences thanks for the info nice video, cheers.

Well done, ladies. Your efforts are duly recognized.

Hi from Aussie. I love your vlogs and have learnt a lot about narrow boats since watching you. We caravan around Aussie as we do not have canals like you do, however some of the information you give has been very useful for the caravan as it is really a very small narrow boat on wheels. Thank you both for the very informative vlogs and please stay safe and happy.

Hi guys,awesome video,very interesting to watch,and listen to the both of you talking about your experiences of your heating performance, In the narrowboat,stay safe,

Gosh Kath is so meticulous in her record keeping and Anneamarie presents so well this video is a goldmine for other boaters or potential boaters ,Well done ladies. *Cheers from Canada"

Absolutely fantastic video and content lady's. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. I live in Canada and will never be able to live on a canal like you, but you two sure know your stuff. Very educational and well-thought-out, well done to you both. Lots of hugs and love from Canada XOXO katt😻

What a great and informative vlog Anna and Kath. Thanks

Thanks vixens. You've dotted the 'i's and crossed the 't's perfectly there for me to make my decision. Time to save some pennies, raid the odd piggy bank, and look behind the sofa for loose change. Diesel heater it is.....Much love, take care, be safe...xx

Even though I’m not a boater (as of yet) but this was so informative and shows how much time and effort you put into making your vlogs. Stay warm and safe. Hugs to the kitties 🇨🇦😎💕❤️

Fantastic information. I just bought a boat and may be bump into you one day xx

Very glad the system works so well. I remember in many of your early videos how often we'd see your breath and how much time was spent getting the boat back up to temp, etc. I'm not counting time when you both were working away from the boat, but it was pretty clear how often there were massive temperature swings you and the cats had to deal with. I'm sure even now if you've found out that "Well, setting 1 wasn't quite doing it, let's go to 2" or "Yup, too much on 3, go down to 1 or 2" the variation is much less. It's one thing to start at "Just a bit chillier than I'd like" and get to "this is what I wanted, and I just turned a switch one position", and another to have to start at "It's absolutely unbearable". Good planning on the fuel tanks - it'll be interesting to see what happens with tax regulations with all of the other changes on the way, but it's better to be insulated from suddenly paying more. Also, if your tanks are separate, you can't run yourself out of propulsion fuel accidentally, so this way if you do run low on heating fuel cold, you fire up the engine and head off to get more, or in an emergency decant propulsion fuel to get through something like being iced in. Thanks for crunching all the numbers :) Stay safe - I can't wait for the next cruising video, cat playtime or a "through the hedge"!

Thank you so much for this information. We are considering having a widebeam built, this is really useful. We currently have a log burner in our house, we certainly don't want this type of heat again.

Great video you must have put a lot of time and effort into making this video which is much appreciated. Looks like it's a win win situation and very cheap to run over the cost of running the other forms of heating and much cleaner than the solid fuel stove. So stay safe and warm and see you in the next.

That’s very interesting and if ever I’m lucky enough to get another boat in the future! I will definitely go for diesel. An interesting point for me would be whether Reflex do a back boiler for water and central heating and whether you considered that. Your stove is really attractive and looks beautiful when lit, which surprised me. Thanks as always for sharing your fantastic experience.

Again another very imformative video, and very easy to listen and watch, I must say i do like the idea of a Reflexs Heater

How much was the cost of the diesel stove itself + installation? Good info 👍

I LOVE hw you two deligate resposibilty .. some people are better at one thing or another ... it rfeminds me so much of when my wife was with me (she passed away) She was SOOO good at finaces and child care .. and I was SO good at cooking and home repair :) ... we shared the work load evenly :)

VERY helpful analysis. Thank you!

Super breakdown ladies! What a fantastic resource for someone looking at the NB life. Really enjoyed the history and experience

Thanks Kath and Anna, I enjoyed that.

thanks for your help and advice.

Still looks cosy, love it. Cosyness is the bestest🤩🥰

Very informative. Well done, Ladies!

Just wanted to say what a good video this was, if we ever get a boat we would like the oil burner. Our sons boat has a multi stove and the dust is a big problem. We had solid fuel in our home for a while and the dust does get you down, we now have oil much better. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, ladies, that a very interesting comparison. Enjoy your travels. Stay Safe and Stay Well.

Nice video thanks Also I am shocked!! Very expensive, all the options, This is the first video i watched from you so I don't know anything about you. Have you got a huge boat? Do narrowboats loose heat easily? Well it is a big piece of metal so would makes sense... What is the temperature in your boat? How warm do you heat her up? But the thing is: In a 3 bedroom flat we used around 30-40 extra gas during winter, thats why I am surprised it must be a much smaller area.

Hi guys, well that was really informative and I think you've converted me! Diesel all the way then. Really lovely to have my Sunday morning cuppa with you both, and thank you for another great video 🌻

Very informative vlog we enjoyed it thankyou and stay safe both of you and the cats

Very interesting information. Thank you ladies.

Really helpful and informative, thank you very much 😁

Well explained girls....top advice....stay safe...thanks for sharing

We live on a 37ft Irwin sailboat in Nanaimo BC Lat49 long123ish and use electric and propane (LPG) for heat. The electric costs $125 a month in the winter and $60 in the summer when the heat's not on, so $65 a month for heat. We use one twenty pound tank of propane a week in the winter $35 per tank, and one for the entire summer so essentially four tanks of propane per month for heat for the four or five months we use the heat in the late fall, winter and early spring. Right now it's 20 Feb 21 and it's 5C outside and 27C inside. We'll cut back to one tank per two weeks in late April early May.. So roughly $140 per month for four months $70 per month for four months and $0 for heat for four months.In total just short of $1300 per year for heat.

Very useful advise.

I’ve 0% chance of living on a narrowboat but 100% enjoyed this vlog! 🤗 Thank you for the information, I do think it would be lovely to have a wood burning fireplace but I appreciate the work involved in chopping & storing that type of fuel.

Thanks for a very informative video you have confirmed is that reflex type is the way to go for me.

Good review girls, you say when cold you set the dial at 2-3. So as it can be 1-6, have you found that your model has plenty of spare capacity, and do you use 6 for a quick warmup? Also is the one radiator you showed Been removed from the heating system? You sold me on the diesel heater, seems it would be better than the wood burner in my house, having a dial control to regulate things.

Well done Ladies, a Great video very informative, Thank you.

Try gelled alcohol, it's used for starting BBQs. Comes in a squeeze tube.

2 of my neighbours have the Refleks stoves on their boats and they have switched to using Kerosene because it's cleaner for the internal workings of the stove and also because it burns more efficiently.

You ladies really give honest useful info & your attention to detail and wanting to give good solid info is really a nice change of pace esp on u-tube but I will say I live in the US and my chances of living on a narrowboat are pretty low but even with those chances you'll kept me intrigued throughout the entire video. Love, Love Love you ladies❤

Nice! Thnx I thought a Refleks would probably be cheaper to run, but didn’t really know the cost of coal.

Excellent report with some surprising information. My dismay was the absence of a thermostat on the Webasto and Reflek heaters. Stay Safe and warm.

Oh that was good thanks. I would add that my solid fuel stove did heat the water and so would a Webasto. The Reflex stove is double plus good though. Also, also, also...... I had a little fan heater that I ran off a little Honda generator. That was great if you wanted a few hours heat. Made my boat nice and toasty very quickly. I still have my Honda generator and my brand new Webasto, but, alas no boat 😁.

I turn the heat down in my house when I want my cats to be friendly and cuddle more. Works every time.

Good Morning NB's I'm catching up with my YT videos. Thank you for posting this informative video. Still think your Diesal fireplace looks so smart. And glad it's turned out to your benefit. Hope you are both well, 💚⚓⛵🔥🐶🐾

Very informative and well explained, ladies, thank you very much! I, too, am unlikely to be on a narrowboat in the near future, but you two and the cats are compulsive viewing!

If y’all haven’t thought about it a couple of small Computer cooling fans mounted to move the warm air off the ceilings into the lower spaces you live in would also lower your heating costs. Another trick is to lower your electric costs by having LED lights that turn on with built in motion detectors when you enter a space and turn off automatically in 20 seconds if no motion is sensed. They are also rechargeable off your USB connector. The light bars are mounted using hook and loop patches. Just sayin’.

Hi ladies I.m back haha loved this vlog. My reflects has a pump and filter going to it had bit of problem the filter needed to be changed because all the muck in the deisel you sometimes get but sorted now and I did giggle a bit when you said about lighting the fire sometimes you do get blowout and when you light it again watch eyebrows etc lol. Very good and excellent vlog.👍👍👍

Love you guys... Stay safe ....and warm .lol.xxx

Your fireplace looks great!!! I saw the vid of you building it, good job!!👍 great channel by the way!👍

Good overview.👍 I think the single fuel logistics is a major win with the Reflexs but you may wish to consider having the facility to pump fuel from your main tank to the day tank which would be easy and relatively cheap to do. On the Webasto there must be a control upgrade that would offer thermostat and timer - great as a back up system should a fault occur with the Reflex during the next ‘Beast’.

That was very instructive, I always thought I would want a solid fuel oven, now I'm not so sure. Need to rethink. And yes Kath is very good at explaining matters 😀

Love you guys!! 😍😍❤❤ Much love from Detroit, Michigan

Awesome video thank you for the information it was helpful😊

We thought the coal would be cheaper than the diesel so great surprise. It’s a lovely heater and seems very efficient, glad you haven’t had to struggle with the cold anymore. I think people forget that your living space is partly below water and adds to the fluctuation in temperature. Keeping a boat comfortably warm can be a challenge.👍🙂

Well done girls, very interesting. Stay well and safe

Hiya ladies thank you for the video it was most interesting and of Very useful. Can't wait to see next video.🤗🤗💯🙏🏼

Good job both oh you! Loved it.

A very interesting and informative vlog! I was keen to see how the costs would compare, having had both solid fuel and oil fires stoves, and was very glad to see the oil compared well with the solid fuel. I think lots of people will feel that foraging will make all the difference, but we never did that. I'm also concerned about what will happen when the propulsion/heating split goes, but in reality, let's face it, Boatings not cheap (as so many people think!), so we'll probably just have to put up with it, as I doubt many places will sell both white AND red deisel! So glad you are pleased with your Reflex stove, you won't remember but I recommended Lockgate to you, and although I was confident they were an excellent company, its always a concern that you've made a good recommendation! Happy cruising, and stay safe.👋👍

Hi there. Thanks for the info. Can you tell us who is the UK distributor of Reflex stoves, ie, where can I buy one?

Interesting video thanks for sharing keep safe both 👍

Great video ladies and very informative. I don't actually have a narrowboat at the moment but one day ...

Hi girls thank you for your video. Ive only had my 50ft narrowboat since last november. Ive only got the old alde gas heating system fitted for central.heating and hot water. Ive got 2 19kg gas bottles and in the winter just gone it used a bottle a week £46 pounds a week. It was so expensive. I dont have any other form of other heating yet and just about to fit a multifuel fire. Im.seriously thinking of the reflex diesel heater in the future. Thank you for working it all out on the cost of everything. Take care you two

I think refleks also makes a stove with a water heat exchanger coil in it. So you can heat water for the calorifier and the central heating system radiators by lighting your diesel stove. I’m curious if you had considered getting that model/option? Or did you and it’s just not hooked up yet? Another great Vlog! Cheers, Jeremy

Great vlog girls! Leave it to Engineering Officer Cath to have all the data sorted. Our engine room is under the salon, so when cruising in cool weather we have the advantage of 3 tons of hot iron warming the interior well into the night. Of course the disadvantage is it’s quite noisy in the salon while underway, but we’re mostly on the flybridge or aft deck. Our aft deck is enclosed by vinyl windows, so as soon as the sun comes up, it starts to warm up like a greenhouse, and by mid morning is very warm, whatever the outside temp is. We have 3 Cruisaire reverse cycle AC’s which we run for heat for a couple of hours in the morning while the Onan 8.0 MDKD generator is on for hot water, cooking, laundry, battery charging. It uses about .75 gal/hr from a 75 gal auxiliary tank that can be refilled using the main tank return if caught away from a fuel dock. Looking forward to your next cruise and of course the eventual replacement of those pesky coupling bolts...stay safe!

Very useful vlog, gals, thanks! I have big multifuel stove on my widebeam that heats the whole boat very quickly when I use wood. It does produce a fair bit of ash, put it's clean ash! Have a Webasto too. But when I reach my dotage, it'll be time for a Reflex for sure.

Most interesting vlog thank you keep safe

Hi. Great info thanks and some of the things you said has really made me question which stove system I should go for i.e. solid fuel or diesel. In my case I have a diesel webasto central heating but this winter it wasn't quite 'man' enough to get boat warm enough on cold days so I was planning to install a solid fuel stove before next winter. So i have a few questions......... 1. When you had a solid fuel stove did you ever worry about leaving the boat during the day with the stove burning on board or is this a normal thing to do with solid fuel stoves on narrowboats? e.g. I have to leave my boat unoccupied during the day when working. 2. Where did you fit your day tank and do you have a fuel pump or is the stove gravity fed? I really like the idea of being able to control the diesel stove and even turn it off when I leave the boat to go to work but I'm wondering if the fuel pump is noisy e.g. keeps you awake at night when refleks is burning? 3. And finally without wishing to be too nosy are you able to say roughly how much I should budget to get a similar stove as yours installed, including day tank and supply lines etc? Many thanks :-)

Thanks for info. I had always assumed I would want a solid fuel burner or a heritage diesel stove 3 in 1 type but your reflecks stove seems to have won the day. I think idea of having separate tank good idea and reduces risks of using diesel from propulsion tank. Happy boating 😊

hi annamarie ordered that lovely painting on the wall by your fire extinguisher

I'd make a suggestion, (which I may have made before, if so, please forgive the repeat), but if you get some reflectix (aluminium insulation), you can measure it out and cut to size for your windows in the winter which will help keep the heat in, especially when it's really cold, or generally throughout the winter. It will of course block out the light, so you'd want to take it down during the day. I live in an RV (caravan) and use it in all my windows, though it's too difficult to constantly take it down and put it up. I live in Texas which gets quite hot in the summer, and it does help reflect some of the heat back onto the windows during the day. Anyway...just a tiny suggestion. Thanks for breaking down your costs. It's always interesting to see what alternative living costs folks. Cheers! DonP

This was excellent! Thank you so much.

thanks for taking the trouble to work out the costs xx