How's your Heating Bills

[banana]

I heat my house with oil. We also use oil for hotwater. We've used 150 gallons for the past 2 months at a price of $2.50 a gallon. Total for November and December $375.00 or $187.50 per month.

I could have done much better if I didnt prepay my oil this year.
The mild weather sure helped keep the consumption down.

[fultron]

We heat with gas and use the budget program so we pay the same amount each month and it gets adjusted at the end of the year. So obviously I don't feel the difference now, but we are below our monthly average due to the mild weather so we should be in good shape come adjustment time.

[sparkysgirl]

ours have been fine since Ohio has had some warm weather this year. I have been turning it down when I'm not home and back up when were home and it rose considerably. I was suprised by that.

[boefixepa]

I've been having trouble with my heater kicking on and I've come home to a really cold house a few times. Like 40 something...ikes! I finally had the heater serviced ($98) and it's been working wonderful since then. I have my thermostate programed to 50 during the day, 55 at night and 62 when I am generally home. So I am hoping this will keep costs down. During the summer my gas bill is generally between 10-20 dollars. During winter the most it's ever been is about $60. I know this is nice now, but will not last long. I don't know if new hubby will be willing to live with these settings. So far he's never complained, except when the heater was acting up. I know once we have a baby, I'm not going to be alright with it being that cold for it's sake. So I am enjoting it while I can!

[Broken Arrow]

Hehehe.

Mine hasn't arrived yet, but I've never been so eager to see what it is.

I've been trying something radical, and I'm hoping that despite of it all, my overall utility will (and should) come down dramatically.

I should find out soon enough.

[tinapbeana]

BA, i forgot about your , um , unique arrangements! how's it working out, staying warm? keep us posted when you get the bill!

[Daylily]

My heating bills are always lower than what I hear others in my area talking about. I'm in the midwest so we do get cold winters here. I pay $600 a year for propane for heating and cooking. From what I understand this is really great considering that some people pay $300-400 a month during the winter season.
It probably helps that I bought a new furnace when I bought the house seven years ago. I keep the thermostat at 68-72.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

BA, i forgot about your , um , unique arrangements! how's it working out, staying warm? keep us posted when you get the bill!

I just checked, and it came in.

Here are the results.

[Ima saver]

I have used about 50 gallons a month, for the months of November and December. Our propane is about $1.90 a gallon, so it is running us about $100 a month. I keep it set at 60 except when my dh complains!

[PrincessPerky]

last year this bill was 100, this year it was 60, partly due to colder house, partly due to mild weather.

[s.saver]

Okay...My rant with the PUD company. I just recieved my bill and it was $303 for two months. I was in shock. We normally are billed about $150 for two months. So I asked for an audit. They came out and told me they were right (big suprise) and I am So irritated.

Heres the funny part of the story. At the end of November there was a bad storm in the NW. Out power was out for 11 days. I forgot to tell you we live in a 2000 sq foot 1969 mobile. However we only use the bedroom and bathroom. One oil filled radiator hater, and a hot water tank and a fridge. Oh yeah and a water well.

Anyways when that storm we lost all our pipes in the house. So no water, no hot water tank. 2 weeks later we had completly moved out of our house and shut the power off. Except the well.

2 weeks after that they demo'd our house to make room for the new one.

So over an 8 week period.
-3 weeks normal power use
-1 week no power
-2 weeks no water
-2 weeks well only
---NO HOUSE---

How is this possible. I know I have to pay and can't do anything about it. I just needed to rant. Thanks I feel better now, at least for the moment

[JBinKC]

From October of 2006 to present about $8 ($5 in gasoline/oil and $3 for a sharpened chain).

[PRICEPLUS]

We are on the balanced budget plan. We settle up one way or the other at the end of the year. We came out about 180 dollars ahead. Even though gas has gone up our use has gone down due to unseasonably warm weather so the balance with our local utility company is in our favor.

[JanH]

Originally Posted by s.saver

Okay...My rant with the PUD company. I just recieved my bill and it was $303 for two months. I was in shock. We normally are billed about $150 for two months. So I asked for an audit. They came out and told me they were right (big suprise) and I am So irritated.

Heres the funny part of the story. At the end of November there was a bad storm in the NW. Out power was out for 11 days. I forgot to tell you we live in a 2000 sq foot 1969 mobile. However we only use the bedroom and bathroom. One oil filled radiator hater, and a hot water tank and a fridge. Oh yeah and a water well.

Anyways when that storm we lost all our pipes in the house. So no water, no hot water tank. 2 weeks later we had completly moved out of our house and shut the power off. Except the well.

2 weeks after that they demo'd our house to make room for the new one.

So over an 8 week period.
-3 weeks normal power use
-1 week no power
-2 weeks no water
-2 weeks well only
---NO HOUSE---

How is this possible. I know I have to pay and can't do anything about it. I just needed to rant. Thanks I feel better now, at least for the moment

Maybe they reset the new power wrong. If you started all over--seems like you would have two bills instead of one. End of old bill and start of new one. When they replaced our meter, that's what happened. Sounds almost like you got billed twice for the same thing doesn't it?

[cicy33]

we have a natural gas furnace and hot water heater. We never put our heat less than 67 and when we are home it is usually around 70. I am not going to freeze for anyone and I am COLD at 60 anything. I am constantly telling everyone to turn off lights and we dont' use power except where we need it. For the past two months it has been about 140 a month. Last year it was over 250 so between the nicer weather and me being more diligent it has helped alot! Our current house is about 1300 sq feet but we are adding an addition that is 1/2 that size. I can live with 140 a month. Usually when I dont' run the heat or the air it is around 60 or so. now in the summer I am really weird, we can live with it a little warm during the day but it must be cool at night or I can't sleep and I wake up soaked in sweat like twenty times a night and when you lay back down you know that icky wet feeling area?? yeah, I hate that! so I keep it cool at night.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by fultron

We heat with gas and use the budget program so we pay the same amount each month and it gets adjusted at the end of the year. So obviously I don't feel the difference now, but we are below our monthly average due to the mild weather so we should be in good shape come adjustment time.

Same here. Our bill does list actual usage, though, so I'm waiting to see the January bill. It has been exceptionally warm. It was 56 today. One day last week, it hit 71. Needless to say, the heater has been getting a break compared to usual.

[simpleyme]

s.saver - we believe that our power meter has a battery backup that keeps it spinning during power outages ;-)

all kidding aside tho my natural gas bill came yesterday 260 bucks;-0

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Lower than last year. But it's been warm weather. But even now I'm paying $200/month balanced billing for heat. And $200/month electric also balanced.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I think that our bill is high for the comfort it buys us. Last bill was $166 for natural gas. That pays for our 1970's furnace heat, gas for cooking (also contributes to house heat, of course), and hot water. Our house is only 900 square feet, but 100 years old. Very good windows, but *zero* insulation other than the really thick masonry walls. We keep the thermostat at 66F. Used to keep it lower but two years ago (during summer!) I suddenly developed a cold nature. I've been wearing long underwear in the house everyday since October, also undershirt, turtleneck, sweater, and If I am doing something seated, a coat! Sometimes even while cooking I wear a coat. I am warm at night while sleeping under multiple blankets, so I'm going to ask my husband if he would mind turning the heat down at night.

[tinapbeana]

no gas, and this month's electric bill came in at 71 and change. we heat with a woodstove, and a space heater and heated mattress pad in the bedroom.

DH and i prefer the house cold so winter is a cinch. on the flip side, in the summer, the thermostat is set at 68. at 72 he sweats, at 74 i'm miserable too...