Cost to Heat a Home
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I live in Colorado. Approx 1500 sq ft two story (2200 sq ft if you include the basement). Have averaged between $1000 and $1100 a year for gas and electric for the last 9 years.
Surprisingly, the cost has risen very little in the last few years (retired 4 years).
Surprisingly, the cost has risen very little in the last few years (retired 4 years).
marko
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The questioner's house is just slightly smaller than mine in the Boston area with similar layout and description.
Gas last year was roughly $1250 for the year...about six months of heating...about $6 a day. This also includes negligible gas useage for cooking stove and hot water...about $20 a month in summer.
This year's warm weather has been a boon! We're already almost $400 less than last year.
Gas last year was roughly $1250 for the year...about six months of heating...about $6 a day. This also includes negligible gas useage for cooking stove and hot water...about $20 a month in summer.
This year's warm weather has been a boon! We're already almost $400 less than last year.
target2019
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FUEGO
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I was comparing my bill covering December 2011 (that just ended). Exactly half the gas consumption versus last December (which was colder than average). Of course it only saved me about $80 for December!
Gearhead Jim
Full time employment: Posting here.
NW 'burbs of Chicago, so somewhat similar to NJ.
2,000 sf main floor and 2,000 sf finished, walk-out basement with sliding doors/windows along the back wall.
2 x 6 stud walls and good insulation in the attic.
Air-to-air heat pump for heating, elect stove and water heater. We have our own well.
So, our only energy bill is electricity.
Spring/Fall with minimal heat/AC, elec bill was less than $150/mo.
Mid-winter in a bad month, hit $450 one time. So that means a really cold winter month can cost us up to $300 for heating, or about $10/day.
2,000 sf main floor and 2,000 sf finished, walk-out basement with sliding doors/windows along the back wall.
2 x 6 stud walls and good insulation in the attic.
Air-to-air heat pump for heating, elect stove and water heater. We have our own well.
So, our only energy bill is electricity.
Spring/Fall with minimal heat/AC, elec bill was less than $150/mo.
Mid-winter in a bad month, hit $450 one time. So that means a really cold winter month can cost us up to $300 for heating, or about $10/day.
haha
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This seems like a good plan to me. I went on Amazon and read reviews of quite a few different types of electric space heaters. I couldn't find any that did not have many one-star reviews, usually because the units had worked a few days or weeks then gave up.
Anyone have suggestions for a quality unit?
I have in-ceiling resistance heating, and it gives a very slow response so I don't like to turn the thermostat down very low when I go out, since it takes it so long to get the room comfortable in any kind of cold weather. My other possibility would be to bypass the ceiling radiant heat and put a wall unit in my LR (which is open to the kitchen and is the only room I heat.)
I like to sleep cold, and also to keep my bedroom cold so I can row my C2 without sweating like a pig.
Ha
That electric cable heating in the ceiling is about the most costly way to heat. Have you got natural gas available? If you're willing to invest in a wall furnace installation it could save you a lot of money.
Another relatively cheap-but-good option IF you already have a NG water heater and it has sufficient capacity (BTU's) is to plumb a small hydronic baseboard unit or two to it. That way the water heater's burner also serves as your furnace. Keep the electric ceiling heat for emergencies or if the NG can't keep up on the coldest days.
Less money but more per month are the small baseboard electric heaters. They aren't too pretty, but they have a rather quick response time. They also make small in-wall units that look just like the register for a central system but they are all self-contained and pump out warm air with a fan.
Lowest cost: Portable room heater. Sorry, that's what you asked about and I don't have a recommendation. I'd buy a ceramic-element unit with a fan if you want the room to heat quickly.
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REWahoo
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Amazon.com: Broan 6201 Big Heat Portable Heater Efficient Two-Level Heater 1500 or 1200 watts Built-in thermost: Appliances
It isn't all that attractive, but the unit is is compact, sturdy and very well-built. I have one in the RV and really like it as it can be placed almost anywhere and takes up very little room.
It has a powerful fan for its size and has a strong airflow - significantly stronger than most portable electric heaters. It can heat up a room much quicker than its size indiicates.
On the negative side, the fan is louder than heaters with lesser airflow, but I don't find it loud enough to be a problem.
haha
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Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I don't have access to natural gas, so that is out. My only beef with my ceiling system is its very slow response time. I think I'll I'll get one of these Broan 6201, since it works for REW and since it gets good reviews, seems durable, and it is cheap. This will likely be all I need. I can carry it into the bedroom or bathroom when I need some heat in there, and use it in my living space when I come in from outside and it is cold. I don't think there is any heat at all in the bathroom, but then it isn't all that cold around here anyway. I'll make the background heat at 58-60 degrees, and see how it goes.
Ha
veremchuka
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Way north of New Jersey and it was zero this morning here. I pay $450 (3 cord) to heat my 1500 sq ft house. Heating oil is for hot water, I buy oil once every 14-15 months.
I heat with wood and it was 78 last night in here and 72 when I woke up. If you go this route you'll be incredibly warm. Even if you pay $225 a cord, it's probably cheaper than oil and you will be MUCH warmer unless you want to keep your thermostat at 76-78 and pay the price which will be easily double the cost of wood and if you get it as cheap as I do triple.
I heat with wood and it was 78 last night in here and 72 when I woke up. If you go this route you'll be incredibly warm. Even if you pay $225 a cord, it's probably cheaper than oil and you will be MUCH warmer unless you want to keep your thermostat at 76-78 and pay the price which will be easily double the cost of wood and if you get it as cheap as I do triple.
obgyn65
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I live in a cold part of the country also. Snow still in the streets. I own a small condo, less than 1,000 sq ft, and heating / air conditioning is free.
TromboneAl
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52 degrees in the bedroom and 56 in the living room right now. Waiting for the wood stove to start putting out heat. It's free, though.
Space heaters: I'm watching for a no-fan type space heater, such as a dish type, at garage sales and thrift shops. Want it pointing right at me in the hour before the wood stove heats up the room. My hands get really cold if the room is cold, and I can't play piano.
Space heaters: I'm watching for a no-fan type space heater, such as a dish type, at garage sales and thrift shops. Want it pointing right at me in the hour before the wood stove heats up the room. My hands get really cold if the room is cold, and I can't play piano.
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I live on the Connecticut shoreline, in a 2500 sqft house built in 1857. We have oil heat (radiators) and domestic hot water, and use almost exactly 800 gallons per year of oil. Here are the figures for the past 4 years (including service fee).
2011 -- $4252
2010 -- $2897
2009 -- $2186
2008 -- $3482
Some of the yearly variation is tied to the timing of deliveries around the end of the year, but it generally correlates closely with oil prices, since our usage is fairly constant.
We installed programmable thermostats about 5 years ago, which cut down on our usage. We also finally installed flue caps on our fireplaces.
I just signed a contract to convert to natural gas as soon as my current tank of oil runs (almost) dry. It will cost $3900 to convert and I am estimating that it will drop my yearly heating costs, at current relative prices, by approximately $2600 per year. Pretty good payback period, I think.
2011 -- $4252
2010 -- $2897
2009 -- $2186
2008 -- $3482
Some of the yearly variation is tied to the timing of deliveries around the end of the year, but it generally correlates closely with oil prices, since our usage is fairly constant.
We installed programmable thermostats about 5 years ago, which cut down on our usage. We also finally installed flue caps on our fireplaces.
I just signed a contract to convert to natural gas as soon as my current tank of oil runs (almost) dry. It will cost $3900 to convert and I am estimating that it will drop my yearly heating costs, at current relative prices, by approximately $2600 per year. Pretty good payback period, I think.
REWahoo
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A payback in less than two years? Yep, I'd say definitely a good deal.
Knowing my luck, if I did something like that the price of natural gas would go through the roof. Based on projected supplies, doesn't look like that will happen.
youbet
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Years ago we had oil heat and electric cooking and hot water heating. When we converted it all to natural gas, we experienced a short payback period as you are expecting. And since our oil heat was forced air, we really appreciated getting away from the odor and oily residue that oil forced air heat tends to have. We never regretted spending the money for the conversion. I'm thinking you're going to be very pleased.
If you have the room, consider keeping both. Two boilers can easily be plumbed in parallel (or series if you wanted). You've already paid for the oil one, if NG shoots up someday and oil drops, you'll be glad you did...just a thought anyway. Also, in the event that your NG supply ever gets disrupted, you can still heat the house (and in a pinch you can run out and buy diesel fuel at the gas station for your oil burner, its the same stuff).
I have two completely separate boilers in my house tapped into the same baseboards; they can run independently or simultaneously and either is capable of heating the house (though I no longer use the oil one). I can switch from one to the other with the flip of a couple of switches. So even though I put in a hi-tech wood boiler a few years ago, my oil boiler is ready to go at a moments notice. Just to be sure I burn 20-30 gallons of oil a year just to keep in exercised and ready to go.
Of course with wood its more important to have a backup (so you can go away for a few days), but even so, something to consider.
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When we moved into this house I converted from oil heat to NG. The NG pipe went right to the house, but the previous owner hadn't gotten the house hooked up. All the other appliances were electric, so I took the opportunity to go to NG for hot water and cooking (I don't think I'll change the clothes dryer over from electricity: I'm a little worried about the safety aspect of that). It has been a lot less expensive, a lot less trouble, and the fumes are gone. As a bonus, the oil tank was in the garage and I gained about 15 square feet of floor space for storage. I think you'll be happy, we have been.
I switched from oil to ng in '06 and been very happy so far. no more clean-outs The last straw was when I paid $550 for a tank of oil and it lasted less than 2 months. No more oil deliveries and i'm on balanced billing of $84 a month with the gas company.
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An intangible but certainly valuable benefit to me. The young wife has often complained about the oil smell.
BUM
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REWahoo
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Inflation?
