heating bills

[Dry Socks]

We have a programmable thermostat and set it to switch down to 55 degrees at 11:30pm and come back up to 65 at 6:30am. The neat thing is we didn't even notice the lower temp at night.

The power bill dropped quite a bit.

EDIT - that was last winter. So far here in Sunny CA it hasn't gotten too cold yet.

 

[MJ]

My house in NYC is not well insulated and due to the extreme cold last winter, my natural gas total just for the 3 coldest months was over $1300. That's last years prices. I just hope that it is not a very cold winter. I didn't raise the rent for my tenant, so I will have to convince him to wear sweaters and warm socks during the evening and morning hours. It will be rough on me because for the 1st time, I will be at home and not at work during the day. I guess i'll be wearing my winter jacket and keep the thermostat at 63.

Life this winter will not be a beach. I can't wait to sell the house.

 

[MJ]

We have mostly purchased older houses w/ radiator heat, so we can't really use a programable thermostat.

Why? I have radiator heat and I use a honeywell programable thermostat. It works pretty well.

We have a programmable thermostat and set it to switch down to 55 degrees at 11:30pm and come back up to 65 at 6:30am. The neat thing is we didn't even notice the lower temp at night.

I had it set to 60 at night but my tenant who is really nice, gently complained that it was too cold when he had to get out of bed in the middle of the night so I set it to 63. My thermostat is on the 2nd floor so I think the 1st floor might get a tod colder just before the heat kicks in.

 

[SteveR]

We have a programmable thermostat and set it to switch down to 55 degrees at 11:30pm and come back up to 65 at 6:30am.  The neat thing is we didn't even notice the lower temp at night.   

I can assure you that my wife sure notices when the temp goes down overnight. As soon as her warm tail hits that cold seat....

 

[justin]

Hey, somebody has to heat it up before you sit on it.

 

[Danny]

There must be heated toilet seats on the market, else nature opportunity calls....

 

[justin]

There must be heated toilet seats on the market, else nature opportunity calls....

You are correct. Japan is the place to go for fancy toilet seat gadgets. Heat, massage, remote control, radios, wind, and the list goes on. Why? Don't ask me!

 

[Danny]

You are correct. Japan is the place to go for fancy toilet seat gadgets. Heat, massage, remote control, radios, wind, and the list goes on. Why? Don't ask me!

Wow! I'm going in the wrong place!

 

[HFWR]

Damn, and Ron Popeil just retired...  

Ronco Bun Warmer, just $19.95, call now and receive the Ronco Portable Bun Warmer, normally a $19.95 value, ABSOLUTELY FREE. CALL NOW!!

 

[Danny]

Damn, and Ron Popeil just retired...

Ronco Bun Warmer, just $19.95, call now and receive the Ronco Portable Bun Warmer, normally a $19.95 value, ABSOLUTELY FREE. CALL NOW!!

Plus, if you call now....
Have - what about you as the new Ron Popeil?

 

[HFWR]

I think Jim Cramer has already claimed the "throne"...

 

[kz]

We're in a 2300 sq ft 2-story in Wisconsin and haven't cracked $200 yet but I'm figuring this winter we will.

We're pretty well insulated and use auxilary wood heat which helps a bit.

We recently set up budget billing (so I won't actually crack $200) and we'll pay $150 per month. Our previous 12 months averaged out at $121 but with the increases I told the utility co. to take $150 per month. I don't want to be surprised with a huge "you owe us" bill next yr.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

course what she isn't telling you is that 60 degrees in Canada is really 140 degrees F   

If you keep that up, they may actually believe you! I haven't met an American yet that can convert F to C off the top of their head.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

If you keep that up, they may actually believe you!     I haven't met an American yet that can convert F to C off the top of their head.

When I was a younger man, I could convert from F to C in a heartbeat.
Oh, I see we're talking temp. conversion

JG

 

[laurence]

So let me ask this, as I sit here in San Diego not understanding what y'all are talking about; what about those parabolic electric heaters? If heating oil is so expensive, buy a couple of those and just use as needed! Maybe this never lived anywhere where the lows get below 50 guy is oversimplifying things, but is there no alternative?

 

[pbrane]

Whenever I buy a new (old) house, I like to get the previous owners' energy usage and see how much better I can do. It's amazing to me how many holes and drafts people live with...watching their money pour out into the cold Wisconsin air. I'm now in a 1200 ft2 townhouse and worst month (last Jan) was about $110 worth of nat. gas. Average monthly is around $50. But then, it's just me (rooms shut off etc).  But, since I keep my income low, I qualify for energy assistance, which will pay most of my heat bill this year -ha!). feel free to flame me for that (it's kinda cold in here anyway). But it's nice to see some of my old tax dollars come back to me (or wherever it come from --I'll take it, I'm cheap.

I wonder at what point electricity (even with a space heater) becomes cheaper? I'm @ 6.5 cents/KWH. If nat. gas increases by (they say) 70%...(?)

If I were to stay here in the arctic north, I'd build a small energy-efficient house with a masonry heater in the center and near a source of cheap wood. But a better plan might be to beat the rush to some sunny spot in the tropics...........

-m

 

[sgeeeee]

Heating bill It's still in mid-90's here in Phoenix.

 

[Danny]

Heating bill It's still in mid-90's here in Phoenix.

It was hot here last week-end, rained 6 inches Tuesday and there were reports of snow flakes flying here yesterday in Minnesota, the heats on now....what a country...

 

[mikew]

You are correct.  Japan is the place to go for fancy toilet seat gadgets.  Heat, massage, remote control, radios, wind, and the list goes on.  Why?  Don't ask me!

Yep I just turned up the heat on my toilet seat last week.

Water massage on the pooper is good once you get used to the ah "sensation".  Plus no need to wipe.

Wind is worthless unless you have 5 minutes to dry your pooper.

Radio is so yesterday. Now its TV.

The remote model is just to wall mount with no wires.

Why? Why not.

 

[greg]

It was hot here last week-end, rained 6 inches Tuesday and there were reports of snow flakes flying here yesterday in Minnesota, the heats on now....what a country...

Dan: Today at approximately 12:45PM the first snowflake hit my . . . um . . . bald spot. I DO believe I may be the first (US citizen) on this board to experience first-hand snow this fall. Tomorrow I close the storm windows and start 'the process.' I'm all excited about my brand new top-of-the-line Honda, 10 hp, thirty inch snowblower w/ a key, electric light(s), electric starter, hydrostatic transmission, and tracks instead of wheels so manuvering on ice is easier. I'm also going to clear some evergreen branches in the backyard so that I have some new holes to aim snow at. I need the extra room just in case we get more than ten feet this winter. Last year I ran out of space in our yard. Should be fun. DW's job tomorrow is getting out the winter clothes.

Do you remember the 'snow emergencies' we used to have in the good old days when you could ride your snowmoble on the city streets for a couple of days until the plows got unburied and cleared the streets?

REW: When our roof on the garage collapsed a few years ago, it was all my fault and not a random act. I knew the roof supports were poorly constructed and should have shoveled the snow off beforehand. I should have known the exact timing too .

--Greg

 

[SteveR]

Sorry to correct you Greg, but I think I was the first here to have a close encounter with snow this year. We had 6 inches in the mountains and it was snowing where I work for a short while. It was 70 today but we are expecting more snow Sunday.

I am having snowblower envy with your machine. I have a 10hp Ariens with a 28 inch width with drift cutters for the cabin. It is at 8000 ft. and gets a ton of snow each year. My drive way is 120 feet long so it takes a while to clear out 3-4 feet of snow. The wheels have chains but treads sound like a great improvement.

 

[sgeeeee]

. . .Tomorrow I close the storm windows and start 'the process.'    I'm all excited about my brand new top-of-the-line Honda, 10 hp, thirty inch snowblower w/ a key, electric light(s), electric starter, hydrostatic transmission, and tracks instead of wheels so manuvering on ice is easier.   I'm also going to clear some evergreen branches in the backyard so that I have some new holes to aim snow at.  I need the extra room just in case we get more than ten feet this winter.  Last year I ran out of space in our yard.  Should be  fun.  DW's job tomorrow is getting out the winter clothes. 

. . .

Winterizing is starting here in Phoenix too.  I chose my denim hat instead of my straw hat when I went jogging along the canal this morning.  This evening I switched my dark sunglasses for my less-dark pair in my truck.  Within a month or so, I'll be switching from short- to long-sleve shirts . . . and to long pants.  Some of my neighbors have scalped their lawns and planted winter grass.  And I cut back on my flood irrigation from 1.5 hours to 1 hour every 15 days.  

 

[greg]

Why? I have radiator heat and I use a honeywell programable thermostat. It works pretty well.
--MJ

Our old house only has insulation in the attic. The walls are about 12-14 inch thick brick with no insulation. I had the energy guy from the power company visit us when we first moved here. He said the same thing others have said, a programable thermostat basically won't save much, if any, money in our zone. I did caulk all the windows. You are basically fighting a battle about six inches deep in the brick, keeping the inside bricks warm. On a very cold night, if I turned down the heat at about 9PM, it would need to come back on about 2-3AM in order to rewarm the house by 6AM. He said it wasn't worth the time and effort to fiddle around learning different timing patterns dependent on differing temperatures. He said just try to lower the temp by one or two degrees and adjust your expectations. I'm still working on the DW's expectations. I now have a serious pocketbook argument.

--Greg

 

[greg]

Sorry to correct you Greg, but I think I was the first here to have a close encounter with snow this year. We had 6 inches in the mountains and it was snowing where I work for a short while. It was 70 today but we are expecting more snow Sunday.

I am having snowblower envy with your machine. I have a 10hp Ariens with a 28 inch width with drift cutters for the cabin. It is at 8000 ft. and gets a ton of snow each year. My drive way is 120 feet long so it takes a while to clear out 3-4 feet of snow. The wheels have chains but treads sound like a great improvement.

Dang! Luck you. Did any hit you on the bald spot head?

I don't need no stinkin drift cutters. If the snow is that deep, I send DW out ahead of me with a pole to find the edge of the sidewalk and a shovel to do fancy beveled trim work. She functions like a router. If she does a good job, I let her make a snow angel afterward. Sometimes I help.

--Greg

 

[Danny]

I'm all excited about my brand new top-of-the-line Honda, 10 hp, thirty inch snowblower w/ a key, electric light(s), electric starter, hydrostatic transmission, and tracks instead of wheels so manuvering on ice is easier. I'm also going to clear some evergreen branches in the backyard so that I have some new holes to aim snow at. I need the extra room just in case we get more than ten feet this winter. Last year I ran out of space in our yard. Should be fun.--Greg

I am having snowblower envy with your machine. I have a 10hp Ariens with a 28 inch width with drift cutters for the cabin. It is at 8000 ft. and gets a ton of snow each year. My drive way is 120 feet long so it takes a while to clear out 3-4 feet of snow. The wheels have chains but treads sound like a great improvement.

Dang it you guys - mine's, only 5.5 incheshp - my wife calls it Toro, I call it my little friend.....You guys must really get a lot of throw with your equipment. I have to eventually shovel the top of the snowbanks in a good snow year inorder to continue clearing....
Greg - it's cool when the world comes to a stop after a really good snow...kids listening to the radio for school closings and me for work closing...well, not anymore
SteveR - 120 feet? Man you need a plow!