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Old 12-19-2007, 04:49 AM   #21
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We live in a 200 year old brick farmhouse, 5000 sq feet, and heat it with propane. If that doesn't sound scary, it should...... Walls are three bricks thick, and plastered on the inside, no practical way to insulate, short of tearing off all the plaster, all the trim, all the interior, and furring out the walls. Not gonna happen. We've already blown the attic full of cellulose, and that was a great help, but it's still leaky (heat-wise). We close off half of it in the winter, and live in the half with all the plumbing. 500 gallon tank, $2.40 a gallon at last fill-up. That $1200 will go 6 or 7 weeks in the worst part of the winter in Kentucky...... I may have to go back to wood, which I swore I wouldn't do 25 years ago, when we went to a modern heating system. At least cutting that much wood would keep me fit again.
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Old 12-19-2007, 05:48 AM   #22
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Let's see, expensive to heat in northern climes, expensive to cool in southern climes. The life of a snowbird is beginning to make sense to me now. Winter in Georgia isn't too bad, but summers can be murder on the body and the purse.

Does anyone want to rent out a place in Vermont for two or three months of summer?
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:02 AM   #23
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I've spent $339 so far this year for natural gas. That runs the water heater, gas dryer, stove top and heater.

I suspect what's left of December will be a little higher than last year due to the fact that I had to roll my rugs up until the second pup is house trained. It feels cooler so I'm running the gas fireplace more often in the evening. The pups have a bed in front of the fireplace and they bask in the heat.

For natural gas, water, sewer and electricity, I've spent $2012 this year for at 1670 sq foot home. $168 a month, not bad in my opinion. I added additional insulation when the house was being built, and I think it has paid for itself.

Actually $1087 of the $2012 is for sewer and water, so electric and gas are only $934 which is about $78 a month.
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:29 AM   #24
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Central Ohio (Dublin); last 12 months:

Natural Gas: 518 CCF, $651.10 a year ($1.78 per day) - Heat and Water.
Electric: 6,144 KWH, $626.88 a year ($1.72 per day) - AC, Lights and Cooking.

Live in a newer (Built in 2004) end unit condo, ranch style, 3 levels (Basement, 1st Floor and 2d Floor Loft, Total Square Feet approximately 3,700). Furnace is 94% efficient and we use a set back thermostat (65 day (8am to 7pm) and 55 night). Since the winter began, this year (I know winter actually does not start for a couple of days), the actual inside temperature has not dropped more than 5 degrees (between 7am and approximately 6am (when the heat starts to increase to get to 65 degrees) - at 8am the thermostat is dead on 65 where it stays until 7pm.
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:40 AM   #25
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We'll easily hit 2k. That's with $500 in firewood ... $1500 propane. Saw an oil truck yesterday advertising $2.99/gal heating oil. Not pretty! Sooo I've still got the same fire in the wood stove from last month.

FWIW we're north of Boston.
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:09 AM   #26
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If you can stay in the heat pump zone, heating and cooling becomes fairly reasonable. Here in the Ozarks our highest bill has been $202 for heating. Thats a bit over 3000 sq feet with a 13SEER heat pump. Geothermal works further north, but installation is pricey.
And if that doesn't work, we always have the option of bear wrestling in the backyard to keep warm.
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:45 AM   #27
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If you can stay in the heat pump zone, heating and cooling becomes fairly reasonable. Here in the Ozarks our highest bill has been $202 for heating. Thats a bit over 3000 sq feet with a 13SEER heat pump...
Yep, heat pump costs can be reasonable providing your electric rates aren't through the roof. I'm all electric so I can't break out my heating/cooling costs from the rest of my useage, but my average monthly bill through Nov. is $160 for ~2,500 sq ft in south central TX. Like JPatrick, my highest bilil was $202.

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And if that doesn't work, we always have the option of bear wrestling in the backyard to keep warm.
I sure hope you misspelled "bare"...
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:07 AM   #28
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I sure hope you misspelled "bare"...
Nope, it's bear, but give it a few years and I'm sure some of the extreme sports guys will come up with bare-bear wrestling. Perhaps something Michael Vick would want to pursue
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Old 12-19-2007, 08:50 AM   #29
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Just look at our numbers again and our electric and propane bill run about $750 each for the year. As that represents about 3% of our total budget, it would take impossible savings to make much difference to our lifestyle. 2,700 sq. ft. East Texas
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Old 12-19-2007, 09:08 AM   #30
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Sitting at ~1100 per year for us but we also live in an 800 sq ft apartment with a wall of glass (literally, 11 foot ceilings 13 foot across living room and the glass balcony doors form the wall). Course, my most expensive month was in August so A/C is a bigger cost than heat here in Denver.
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Old 12-19-2007, 09:14 AM   #31
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Interesting. We have the heat pump and are all-electric out here in the hinterlands of Charleston County, SC. Our electric bill averages $103 per month, with lows of $62 in spring/fall and highs of $145 in the summer. 2003 built 1500 sq ft house that I insulated by myself, during a vacation week in July (that sucked less than the job I had at the time), with cotton insulation in the walls and fiberglass in the attic.

I'm really glad I didn't put any gas appliances in, hearing about these rates!
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Old 12-19-2007, 09:16 AM   #32
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Yea, but if the Republicans get their way we will all be spending more!

Seems like this thread didn't have a political statement yet!

Yea, but if the Democrats get their way we will all be spending more!
(in the interest of fairness)
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Old 12-19-2007, 10:55 AM   #33
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I would assume much of the south that pay in excess of that to cool their home in the spring, summer and fall, and, yes many borrow money to do it. I know lots of folks that would like to have a $353 electric bill in August!
air pricing for approx 12-1300 sf 3 bdrm circa 1942 florida shot-gun cottage with insulated, vented attic, vented 3-foot crawl space under house, non-insulated walls, lots of trees on property.

temp generally set on a/c at about 72 during day, hibernation 68 at night and, when it dips below 60 outside, temp set on heat at about 73 during day and 70 at night.

everyone i know in more modern houses pay much more. my brother is in a 3-4,000 sf house with high ceilings and 3 kids and he probably pays between $4-500/month.

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Old 12-19-2007, 11:20 AM   #34
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Obviously there are allot of things that go into the cost of HVAC. I listen to a radio program on upgrading your A/C out of Houston. They ask for folks to call in with the largest A/C bill per sq. ft. People call in with $.30 to $.40 per sq. ft. that is a $735 bill for a 2,100 sq. ft. home. Glad it's not mine!

My brother lived in Houston without A/C. When he passed away, and it was not from heat stroke, we sold his town home to a friends Daughter. Her first electric bill was over $600 in October! Turns out the A/C worked great, only thing wrong, heater came on every time the A/C came on, and it was electric heat. They fixed that in a hurry!
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:13 PM   #35
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For the last 12 months ours was $1,787.56 for natural gas, includes hot water, dryer, and stove. Last month's was $167, next month we're expecting ~$200-250. The record high was $376 but it was COLD outside! We're in the northern end of West Virginia.

The caveats are that we like it warm and are willing to pay for it - the thermostat is at 77 and I'm still wearing a long-sleeve flannel shirt and a sweatshirt over that. We usually turn the heat down for guests, and a friend says that NASA uses the infrared signature from our house as a navigational beacon. We will scrimp in other areas, but staying warm is not one of them.

We figure what we spend in the winter we save in the summer because then the A/C is at 79 or 80, sometimes higher. Everybody else cranks theirs down to 75 or below.

The house (~1700 sf) is recent construction and has more insulation than I've ever seen in the attic. Knowing our penchants we paid for the extra insulation package.<g>
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Old 12-19-2007, 06:54 PM   #36
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My DH supplements our gas heat by using a wood stove. He gets free firewood from the local landfill. I realize this may not be the best thing for the environment, but in our neck of the woods, very few people have woodburners. Plus, our wood stove is modern and very efficient so it introduces a minimum of contaminants into the atmosphere. Our heating bills are much lower as a result plus the cats love curling up by the fire
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Old 12-19-2007, 07:54 PM   #37
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Colorado: 1200 sq ft townhome, middle unit, electric and gas for winter months: $63. I turn it down to 65 at night; 68-70 day.
Summer with AC when I need it: $45.
New construction. High efficiency furnance and air conditioner.

But I think the high efficiency furnance is the key. My son lives in an old cottage nearby with new furnance and his last winter bill was $80.

In contrast my condo rental, same place, with an old electric heating system cost me $125 in winter.
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Old 12-19-2007, 11:38 PM   #38
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Natural gas. About $725 for 2006 and $842 ytd for 2007. 1300 sq ft house main floor plus I heat the basement. Includes hot water and cooking. Chicago area.
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Old 12-20-2007, 08:22 AM   #39
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Our heating bills (natural gas) for 2007 for our 1800 sq ft. house in Northern Virginia total $866. The house is comfortable for us with the temperature set at 71 in the winter. The programmable theromstat sets back to 64 at night. Hot water is electric (instant tankless system).

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Old 12-20-2007, 08:39 AM   #40
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We let the thermostat drop back to 58 at night.

It goes back up to 68 in the morning. I have noticed that it takes longer to bring the temp up than if we kept it at 65. Anyone have thoughts if this is really saving energy? It is below 68 from 9 at night till 6:30 in the morning.
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