OUCH!!! Just got my home heating bill...

[kellyinkc]

Hey guy's sit down when you open your (natural) gas bill for the house. If you heat with gas. Got mine yesterday. $185.00 US. My dads was close to that.


Guess it's Merry Christmas from the gas company..


Kelly

[Pete-FWA]

Not sure about your square footage, but that is a hefty bill. Mine was actually much higher, but it could be due to different interior measurements. Either way OUCH!

[Paramedic]

Thats the sad part.. They are telling people to install a digital thermostat and set it LOW during the day when you are gone and turn it up when you get home. Nice idea, but still kills you because if you set it too low and get home and crank it up, takes a while to raise the temp, so not saving there!!

A lady who works for me lives in a 960 sq. ft. mobile home and her bill was $165.00. Furnace and Stove are only thing that are gas. She either has some killer drafts or likes it 100+ in there

Hell, mine was $125 for 2500 sq. ft. and thats because my girlfriend and I work during the day so I can set it somewhat low.

I feel bad for the people who are using propane or fuel oil.

[Godiva]

Nice suggestions except for the fact I've already done all of that years ago.

So whatever the bill is that's what the bill is. Pre-programed, insulated, turned down, sweaters, draftbarriers, yada yada.

There gets to a point where you just can't do anything anymore.

Next thing you know we'll be paying triple for using NOTHING at all.

[gregcavi]

my parents informed me ours tripled since last month..

Greg

[SVT Lightning]

Originally posted by Paramedic
I feel bad for the people who are using propane or fuel oil.

Fuel oil is now actually cheaper to heat with than natural gas. We payed $390 for 174 gallons. Our tank is 275 gallons and will last us for at least a year. But then we don't have freezing a$$ cold winters like alot of the country.

[gb387]

Haven't received my new bill yet, should be any day.

I guy at work suggested this to me, so since we are on the subject..... Do any of you supplement with an portable electric heater? Not a burn the house down type but something a little higher quality. I know its not going to heat the house but I guess the idea is to help out a little and may only work in a smaller house/town house or in the main living areas.

[Five Star]

I have 1700 sf of living space and heat with oil

I installed new replacement windows myself at a cost of $1900

went from using 900 gallons to 400 gallons per winter

this will be my 2nd winter and i will recover my investment this year.

[gb387]

Originally posted by Five Star
I have 1700 sf of living space and heat with oil

I installed new replacement windows myself at a cost of $1900

went from using 900 gallons to 400 gallons per winter

this will be my 2nd winter and i will recover my investment this year.

That sounds well worth it! Many projects like that cost a little up front but you will get your money out one way or another.

[Totoland Mach]

Re: OUCH!!! Just got my home heating bill...

Originally posted by kellyinkc
Hey guy's sit down when you open your (natural) gas bill for the house. If you heat with gas. Got mine yesterday. $185.00 US. My dads was close to that.


Guess it's Merry Christmas from the gas company..


Kelly

Wow Kelly! You must be using MGE over in Missouri. I'm using KS Gas and mine was $76. But, I've done a lot of winterizing and keep the house at 64 down to 60 at night. It's cool in the house, but I'll be darned if I want to pay any more for utilities than I absolutely have to.

Have a great Christmas... gonna be 60 Thurs & Fri so I'll probably break out the Meg's and do a quickie on my vehicles

Totoland Mach

[kellyinkc]

Yep it's MGE. House is 1100 sq. ft. Built in the 1950's. No insulation in walls. Do have R-49 in attic. Therm. set at 68. Feel sorry for the elderly in old house and the thermostat set a 73. And a fixed income.

We are wearing sweats sweaters etc. Hopefully can do a wash this weekend. Merry Christmas.

Kelly

[gregcavi]

Re: Re: OUCH!!! Just got my home heating bill...

Originally posted by Totoland Mach
Wow Kelly! You must be using MGE over in Missouri. I'm using KS Gas and mine was $76. But, I've done a lot of winterizing and keep the house at 64 down to 60 at night. It's cool in the house, but I'll be darned if I want to pay any more for utilities than I absolutely have to.

Have a great Christmas... gonna be 60 Thurs & Fri so I'll probably break out the Meg's and do a quickie on my vehicles

Totoland Mach

60!!! i would do a fully in that kind of temps!! haha

Greg

[2000]

Originally posted by gb387
Haven't received my new bill yet, should be any day.

I guy at work suggested this to me, so since we are on the subject..... Do any of you supplement with an portable electric heater? Not a burn the house down type but something a little higher quality. I know its not going to heat the house but I guess the idea is to help out a little and may only work in a smaller house/town house or in the main living areas.

the supplement idea is what I do, at night the furnace is turn down, and we run a vornado room heater to heat the bed room, tried other space heaters but this one really covers the whole room instead of just areas. in the moring the furnace goes up untill the house is at time, than we have a gas burning fire place (99% efficant) that we use during the day for the living room. when the kids come home from school its back to the furnace for thier rooms. seemed to help alot, last year I used twice as much gas by this time of year and its been MUCH colder this year all ready.
as for cost I'll trade you guys this months gas was $250. alot cheaper than last year thought.

[Slick]

was wondering when this topic would come up. I've been dreading the winter for this very reason... especially after last year. I have an 1800 square foot house (single story) up on a hill. Stays realtively cool during the summer, but stays downright COLD in the winter. Last year, my gas bill went from $15 to $45 to $90 to $120 over the winter. This past month I finally had to light the pilot on the furnace. When the thermostat got below 55 in the house, it was just TOO DARNED COLD. Ah, the joys of having an older home on a crawlspace... the floors are freezing! Am not looking forward to this season at all. I turn my thermostat down to 55 when I go to bed & put a space heater on a timer in the bathroom (comes on about 15 minutes before the alarm) so I just have to make the mad dash from the bed to the bathroom in the morning. Yes, Virginia... it DOES get cold in southern california! Was thankful for the recent warm spell... (was 85 degrees on x-mas eve). It was the first time in almost a month that it was above 65 degrees in the house. Hope those of you in the midwest & northeast have a mild winter. The gas companies are probably laughing all the way to the bank... just like the oil companies.

[OctaneGuy]

OMG, my wife informed me that our heating bill last month was $40 and this month was $180! Ok yes we did have the heat on more, and it's not simply the price went up, but wow, my heating bill is the same or more where it's snowing?

Who would have "thunk it" here in Sunny California.

Richard