Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

oh btw I forgot to mention my gas/elec bill also is over $300 a mo in winter! wich is why I line dry as much as I can in the basement in winter, a $ saved is a $ that can be spent on something else.

Our basment is the warmest room in the house besides the bathroom. *L*

I too am afraid to see how much our bill is!

[Jason]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

I currently have a blanket that seperates our family room from the rest of the house. We have a fireplace in the family room and when we use it we take down the blanket to help heat the rest of the house.

[chrysnblue]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

I have done that a few times, but weatherstripping and blocking the drafts helps tons. Do both and it might make a difference. I couldn't imagine paying over $300 for heating! Gas does it every time.

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

i think in this case, i would invest in drapery rods and use heavy drapes in the winter. for easy open in the daytime for the natural heat and light from the sun, closed at night for energy conserving. the rods prolly ten dollars wtih the track so you can slide it open and closed at walmart. you can pick up some cheap drapes too even at thrift shops. or make some by adding trim to heavy blankets to make them look like curtains. i have double, double panes. my expense actually would be my outlets. this is something i need to work on.lol

[Ima saver]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

I have central heat and central air and my house is well insulated. (My husband believes in insulation, we can't even hear it rain outside) I do not ever run the heat upstairs and I keep the heat downstairs set at 60-61 and wear two sweaters every day. My little dog gets cold, so I have a heating pad on her chair for her to lay on!!

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

It is not very practical where I live.

[flash]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

If you get desperate on the window drafts, you can put sheets of cardboard to cover the glass on the inside. Cover them with foil, even better. Not pretty, but you will feel the difference right away. Also works to cut light from coming in if you need to sleep.

[Ima saver]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

I am glad that I have always lived in a new house. We just keep the heat turned down.

[gakline]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

If you get desperate on the window drafts, you can put sheets of cardboard to cover the glass on the inside. Cover them with foil, even better. Not pretty, but you will feel the difference right away. Also works to cut light from coming in if you need to sleep.

I prefer the plastic. That way you can still see out and get some heat during he day. I even did my patio door (wow what a difference)

[BignRichfan]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

well I have natural gas where I live in Pennsylvania and I keep my heat between 62-64 not kidding you because even at those temps my bill is still around $350 PER MONTH! NOT INCLUDING ELECTRIC! hat runs about $75 a month. It is a shame considering PA produces natural gas. Just like the oil we are being ripped off by these companies who are showing billion dollar profits while most of us working poor cannot pay our utility bills. Also gasoline has gone up again to $2.49 a gallon around here last week. Why? They say the wholesale prices have gone up. Do you think I care? NO! Lower your profit margins alittle so we can put food on our table this month please. hen they go and double the minimums on the credit cards. What is going on here? Also I live in a state where the minimum wage is still $5.15 an hour! The wonderful feds won't raise it. Where do they think we can come up with all tis money to pay just the basic living expenses? You can't even afford to live anymore.

[Ima saver]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

Our minimum wage is $5.15 here in Georgia. I can't believe that you are paying $350 a month for heat. That is terrible!!

[gakline]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

Our minimum wage is $5.15 here in Georgia. I can't believe that you are paying $350 a month for heat. That is terrible!!

It's not that terrible. You have to look at average temperatures. Bignrichfan's in PA. Assuming Phily, you have an average of 31 to 44 in December. Blairsville, GA is from 28 to 51. That average high can create much of a difference. Chicago is 24 to 37.

Trust me, I'd rather be having a high of 54 than 43 and dropping 20 degrees when the sun goes down. Last night it dropped 5 degrees (according to the car) in under 10 minutes once the sun set.

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

you should check with your supplier. your living on minimum then you should qualify for any program they may have. ill be eligable in july this year, and my live in bf makes 13 hr. but it goes by take home pay and how many people in the household. which were 5 people. my dad is already on it. in the winter months he pays 167 a month that covers all year and we both cook wtih propane too. i had an electric furnace before and ouch! we just both had our 500 gallon tanks filled which will last thru march prolly, and it was 400. his part was 167, its a big difference and worth looking into. our coop has a program for anyone over one years service w/o a late payment, tis a rebate of some sort plus our deposit back towards our bill. i think its ten percent off monthly for after one year. my deposit is 100 and that will pay one of my bills then to have ten percent off each month will save another ten dollars monthly, im gonna take it! i dont know what you have there but ours is co op electric, county water, and mfa propane ,which is global i believe. we have local orgs that will answer questions such as these. i would type what the companys are in the search bar and see whats offered online too. i have been looking at solar stuff online, its very interesting but still trying to find our states dept that will pay for half the cost in a rebate for energy conservation, i believe i seen that on, i want that, or another hgtv show like it.

[contrary1]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

I do this now...........but in the room we have our wood stove in (our main source of heat at the moment) There is an open doorway that leads from this room into a sort of mud room and a laundry room.....no point in heating those. I'm trying to force the heat through another doorway that goes to the rest of the house.....can't figure out why the wood stove is at the absolute end of the house...Nor, can I figure out why there is such a small doorway into this room.
As I sit & enjoy the heat from the wood stove............I'm mentally knocking down the wall separating this room from the rest of the house. There is a built in china hutch thing that spans the entire wall, but it will fit on another wall...........so I think it's moving!
But, my blue blanket is doing just fine in the meantime!!!

[Ima saver]

Re: Would you do this to keep heating costs down?

When we first moved here, we had wood heat for 4 years, trying to be macho and save money. I am so glad we put in central heat, I won't ever use wood again. Too messy and you are either too hot or too cold.