One of the best things about living on a boat is the bills. I know, you think I'm kidding, I'm really not!
What do our general household bills consist of?
Gas
We have a lovely gas locker, which my Dad built, on the deck. It holds two 13kg propane bottles. A refill for one of these costs around ~£30 at the cheapest local supplier. One bottle lasts about 6 months and provides all the gas we need to cook.
Electricity
We have a 240v electrical hook-up because we haven't quite got to the entirely self-sufficient stage on Tilly. We had done on Wotan, but with babies and moving we've not quite got round to breaking the chains again.
Our bills come annually, because our spend is so low it's not worth invoicing sooner.
We have three solar panels, and a wind generator which are on the to do list to mount and install properly from their temporary homes. We also have a 5kW diesel generator onboard, which needs some repair and investigation to get up and running. These all, when working, charge the 12v battery bank onboard and our appliances - fridge, diesel heater, lights, everything - run off these batteries.
Diesel/Petrol
In the winter we use our Mikuni diesel heater to keep the boat warm. This means we usually have to buy diesel. HMRC duty on fuel is dependent on the use, and as we don't use any of it for propulsion, only heating, we get fuel at a substantial discount to road fuel prices.
We also have a little petrol generator as a back-up for times when the marina electric is out and the batteries are low.
Depending on the weather we might use ~£20-40 a month in the winter months, next to nothing in the summer months.
Council Tax
We get asked this one a lot, and yes... we do pay council tax. Most people query it as the bins are the marina bins, so covered by business rates or a private collection (I'm not sure which). However, I'm quick to point out that council tax pays for lots of other local infrastructure and services, not just bin collection!
Having a registered address also means we are on the electoral role which helps with credit ratings, being able to vote and getting access to local services like GPs and a near consideration for us, Schools.
Marina Fees
These are paid annually or monthly by the foot or metre. Prices are usually also dependent on how much time you are afloat.
Our mooring is tidal and dries out. Due to the draught of the boat (how deep underwater the profile is) we can't moor on any of the pontoons nearer the land and hence with less time afloat. So as Tilly is long and deep and we are located in the UK's sailing mecca of the Solent, we do pay a fair amount for mooring - but its still cheaper than renting a flat, house or any other form of accommodation in the area.
Storage Fees
Just because there are some things we can't keep on the boat we have a storage unit, conveniently located at the marina. We pay a monthly fee, but its pretty competitive and still with the marina fees comparably cheap to a flat or house.
So, boat life really is cheaper...
The savings we make on bills will be put aside for our adventure. For us the only affordable way to reach our dream was to live in the UK on our boat whilst paying off the boat loan and saving for the adventure.
Sure it means we don't have a huge house or a lot of room and sometimes in the winter its pretty grim living - especially when something inevitably breaks when you need it most (like the heating), but it does mean we're getting closer to achieving our dream.
What do our general household bills consist of?
Gas
We have a lovely gas locker, which my Dad built, on the deck. It holds two 13kg propane bottles. A refill for one of these costs around ~£30 at the cheapest local supplier. One bottle lasts about 6 months and provides all the gas we need to cook.
Electricity
We have a 240v electrical hook-up because we haven't quite got to the entirely self-sufficient stage on Tilly. We had done on Wotan, but with babies and moving we've not quite got round to breaking the chains again.
Our bills come annually, because our spend is so low it's not worth invoicing sooner.
We have three solar panels, and a wind generator which are on the to do list to mount and install properly from their temporary homes. We also have a 5kW diesel generator onboard, which needs some repair and investigation to get up and running. These all, when working, charge the 12v battery bank onboard and our appliances - fridge, diesel heater, lights, everything - run off these batteries.
Diesel/Petrol
In the winter we use our Mikuni diesel heater to keep the boat warm. This means we usually have to buy diesel. HMRC duty on fuel is dependent on the use, and as we don't use any of it for propulsion, only heating, we get fuel at a substantial discount to road fuel prices.
We also have a little petrol generator as a back-up for times when the marina electric is out and the batteries are low.
Depending on the weather we might use ~£20-40 a month in the winter months, next to nothing in the summer months.
Council Tax
We get asked this one a lot, and yes... we do pay council tax. Most people query it as the bins are the marina bins, so covered by business rates or a private collection (I'm not sure which). However, I'm quick to point out that council tax pays for lots of other local infrastructure and services, not just bin collection!
Having a registered address also means we are on the electoral role which helps with credit ratings, being able to vote and getting access to local services like GPs and a near consideration for us, Schools.
Marina Fees
These are paid annually or monthly by the foot or metre. Prices are usually also dependent on how much time you are afloat.
Our mooring is tidal and dries out. Due to the draught of the boat (how deep underwater the profile is) we can't moor on any of the pontoons nearer the land and hence with less time afloat. So as Tilly is long and deep and we are located in the UK's sailing mecca of the Solent, we do pay a fair amount for mooring - but its still cheaper than renting a flat, house or any other form of accommodation in the area.
Storage Fees
Just because there are some things we can't keep on the boat we have a storage unit, conveniently located at the marina. We pay a monthly fee, but its pretty competitive and still with the marina fees comparably cheap to a flat or house.
So, boat life really is cheaper...
The savings we make on bills will be put aside for our adventure. For us the only affordable way to reach our dream was to live in the UK on our boat whilst paying off the boat loan and saving for the adventure.
Sure it means we don't have a huge house or a lot of room and sometimes in the winter its pretty grim living - especially when something inevitably breaks when you need it most (like the heating), but it does mean we're getting closer to achieving our dream.