We had our heater on low and our bill was insane!?

Jan

My husband and I live in a 1950's house that is poorly insulated, but we've done our best to insulate. We even boarded up two large windows at the back of the house (single pane all around) and that helped with the warmth. Anyhow, our house is still freezing, to the point where our hands/feet are numb and we can see our breath. We bundle up in sweaters/bathrobes/hats/gloves etc, but it's just not bearable. The house is only 400 square foot, and we only have one baseboard heater for the entire house, and it's about 5 ft long. We turned it on low after Thanksgiving, mostly because we have a new kitten, and even then it's cold enough to see our breath. We got a bill a few days ago from the power company for $147!!! Our bills normally run $35 at the most, and have all been paid, so it wasn't two months in one. Our thinking is that we have a tiny house, and even with the heater on low, it's FREEZING. So why on earth would our bill be so insanely high? And what else can we do to keep warm? We've spackled every opening, boarded the windows, insulated the other windows... we're at a loss.

Answer
Something is wrong here. It does not cost me that much to heat my 600 sq ft garage with no insulation and a 5000 watt heater, Maybe your baseboard heater is no good. Electric fireplace or wood stove may be another way. I don`t pay that much in hydro with 6 kids leaving the doors open and all the lights on. Hell you can get a tent and keep it at 70 degrees easier than that place for the same amount. Time to find a better house. BTW I have a brick house 1940`s and a wood garage w/o insulation

how do you heat your house in winter?

Q. I am just curious as to how others are heating their house during the winter months. We are looking to reduce our propane bill it just seems that every option we choose ends up being about the same cost without investing $10,000 for geothermal (after rebates). We just installed a 91% efficient furnace last year so our furnace is good to go. We also have a free standing wood stove that we use on occasion. The wood stove is old and we don't trust it while we are sleeping or away for very long. Last year we used about 700 gallons LP and burned probably 1/2 cord of wood. We have a single level 1500 sq. ft. house. We were considering putting a pellet stove in but are unsure how many tons of pellets it would burn to determine if it would be worth it. We also though about installing some of the new ceiling fans that have the space heater in them, but they are $250 a pop and still cost a lot to operate. Just looking for some opinions and no, I don't want to hang blankets up or shut rooms off because we use all of them. Does anyone use a pellet stove? How much pellets do you burn? Do you like it? Thanks in advance!!!!!

Answer
We have a 3-story, 4,200 s.f. center-hall stucco-on-brick colonial built in 1890 with 46 windows and five glass (French) doors. We have hot-water radiators and burn natural gas to to heat, as well as we have three functional fire-places built with the house. Natural gas in the PECO service area is approximately $1.14/therm (100,000 BTU), about 43% cheaper than #2 fuel oil at this time. We moved into the house about 2.5 years ago, and when we moved in the existing heating system had been allowed to freeze, the boiler (400,000 BTU oil-burner) had failed and 17 of 34 radiators had also failed along with four of six risers. Yes, we knew this going in.

When we replaced the radiators, we installed thermostatic valves. We installed a 96% efficient gas-fired modulating condensing boiler (230,000 BTU) that also handled domestic hot water via a super-insulated low-loss storage tank. The total cost of the conversion and replacements including the registered master plumber to do the boiler install and the inspection and utility certification was just over $12,000 - I did 80% of the work myself. My plumber stated that if he had done the entire job, it would have cost just under $20,000. I believe him. But the payback against Oil is pretty fast at any price.

Our cost last year (Philadelphia region) for all energy for 12 full months was under $3,600, inclusive of heat, hot water, cooking (gas) drying (gas) and electricity. We do not have central AC, but we do have large window units on the first floor and smaller units in each bedroom, of which three are going at any one time, typically, in very hot weather. Under most conditions only the bedroom units are on and only when occupied. Large masonry houses neither get so not nor so cold as frame houses in weather extremes. We are on track in 2010 to be slightly lower than in 2009 overall. We heat to 58F when the house is empty (during the day) and 68F during the evenings and on weekends, or when we are home (vacation or days off). We use a "smart" thermostat with an outside air sensor that works with the boiler to have the house at-temperature when we want it to be, not just starting the system at that point. We are not fanatical about heating (or cooling) at all. We use the fireplaces (library, dining room and master bedroom) quite often in the winter - they draw well and permit good modulation - so we do feel that they are net-positive for energy. Many are not. If we run the fireplace in the bedroom with the door partially closed it does get warm pretty quickly.

The thermostatic radiator valves allow us to reduce heat in unoccupied rooms even when the rest of the house is warm - which results in large savings - yet have the convenience of just turning them up if needed. We have considered a pellet stove (we have an ideal location for one) and also fireplace inserts. The cost-benefit ratio is not quite there yet - based on our use and habits, we have calculated that when natural gas reaches about $2.00/therm they will be a worthwhile investment - as long as good burning wood (oak) remains at $125/full cord or less.

A 200,000 BTU (net) geothermal system will set us back in excess of $25,000 in our environment - that is simply not going to happen. The payback will be beyond our lifetime.

All our rooms but the four majors (library, dining room, living room and kitchen) have ceiling fans - and we use them pretty much all year. Up in the winter, down in the summer. We do have electric space heaters - basic ceramic plug-in portables - that we use here-and-there as needed. Spending $0.21/hour to make one or two people and/or two cats comfortable in one room is a bunch better than heating an entire house for $2.63/hour to the same temperature - although I repeat - we are not fanatical about heat - we just will not heat all 4,200 s.f. if there is only one of us at home during an odd time. So, calculate on that basis when you are considering alternate fuels or heat sources.

Other things we have done: Install tight storm doors (high-quality), repair windows, caulk cracks, insulate and install the correct vapor-barrier system in our crawl-spaces, use only high-quality energy-star appliances sized for our actual needs, move to CLF lamps for general use, water saving faucets and shower-heads and so on and so forth. Each and every little bit helps. No one item overly costly and nothing exotic or hard to maintain.

Good luck with it.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Suggestions to save on electric bill?

electric fireplace 400 sq ft image

Brandee

Anyone will better understanding would be greatly appreciated; my husband and I live in a entirely electric (no gas) home, and I'm trying to find ways to cut down on our electric bill. We cannot, at this time, afford new appliances, and obviously we cannot unplug some of our appliances when not used (deep freezer, refrigerator). I try to limit the amount of laundry we do, but don't know some things- would it be more efficient to primarily use toaster oven and microwave vs. oven (of course, depending on amount of time), or turn off computer (I've been told it takes more power to stat and stop than let run idle), unplug small appliances (cable boxes and alarm clocks) that have a constant display time, etc...

We try to keep the temp at a regular not adjusting if possible (1200 sq. ft, 2 bed, but last month's bill of $400 is pushing our budget limits.
Any ideas?

Answer
Older model freezers use up LOTS of electricity.
Could you do away with the need for it and use your refrigerator's freezer?
That would save a lot.
Also, your computer should have a power-saving setting when not in use.
Small appliances like clocks and such don't really use that much power.
Your furnace and water heater use the most.
Try turning down the thermostats and bundling up.
If no one is home during the day for say, 8hrs, turn the furnace thermostat
all the way down,
but if your just going shopping or something,
just turn it down slightly.
Otherwise it will have to run longer to get the temperature back up to "comfortable."
Use your fireplace if you have one.
Also, check your insulation and weatherstripping around the house.
Thick drapes over your windows will keep a lot of the cold from coming in the house.
Best of luck.

how do you heat your house in winter?

Q. I am just curious as to how others are heating their house during the winter months. We are looking to reduce our propane bill it just seems that every option we choose ends up being about the same cost without investing $10,000 for geothermal (after rebates). We just installed a 91% efficient furnace last year so our furnace is good to go. We also have a free standing wood stove that we use on occasion. The wood stove is old and we don't trust it while we are sleeping or away for very long. Last year we used about 700 gallons LP and burned probably 1/2 cord of wood. We have a single level 1500 sq. ft. house. We were considering putting a pellet stove in but are unsure how many tons of pellets it would burn to determine if it would be worth it. We also though about installing some of the new ceiling fans that have the space heater in them, but they are $250 a pop and still cost a lot to operate. Just looking for some opinions and no, I don't want to hang blankets up or shut rooms off because we use all of them. Does anyone use a pellet stove? How much pellets do you burn? Do you like it? Thanks in advance!!!!!

Answer
We have a 3-story, 4,200 s.f. center-hall stucco-on-brick colonial built in 1890 with 46 windows and five glass (French) doors. We have hot-water radiators and burn natural gas to to heat, as well as we have three functional fire-places built with the house. Natural gas in the PECO service area is approximately $1.14/therm (100,000 BTU), about 43% cheaper than #2 fuel oil at this time. We moved into the house about 2.5 years ago, and when we moved in the existing heating system had been allowed to freeze, the boiler (400,000 BTU oil-burner) had failed and 17 of 34 radiators had also failed along with four of six risers. Yes, we knew this going in.

When we replaced the radiators, we installed thermostatic valves. We installed a 96% efficient gas-fired modulating condensing boiler (230,000 BTU) that also handled domestic hot water via a super-insulated low-loss storage tank. The total cost of the conversion and replacements including the registered master plumber to do the boiler install and the inspection and utility certification was just over $12,000 - I did 80% of the work myself. My plumber stated that if he had done the entire job, it would have cost just under $20,000. I believe him. But the payback against Oil is pretty fast at any price.

Our cost last year (Philadelphia region) for all energy for 12 full months was under $3,600, inclusive of heat, hot water, cooking (gas) drying (gas) and electricity. We do not have central AC, but we do have large window units on the first floor and smaller units in each bedroom, of which three are going at any one time, typically, in very hot weather. Under most conditions only the bedroom units are on and only when occupied. Large masonry houses neither get so not nor so cold as frame houses in weather extremes. We are on track in 2010 to be slightly lower than in 2009 overall. We heat to 58F when the house is empty (during the day) and 68F during the evenings and on weekends, or when we are home (vacation or days off). We use a "smart" thermostat with an outside air sensor that works with the boiler to have the house at-temperature when we want it to be, not just starting the system at that point. We are not fanatical about heating (or cooling) at all. We use the fireplaces (library, dining room and master bedroom) quite often in the winter - they draw well and permit good modulation - so we do feel that they are net-positive for energy. Many are not. If we run the fireplace in the bedroom with the door partially closed it does get warm pretty quickly.

The thermostatic radiator valves allow us to reduce heat in unoccupied rooms even when the rest of the house is warm - which results in large savings - yet have the convenience of just turning them up if needed. We have considered a pellet stove (we have an ideal location for one) and also fireplace inserts. The cost-benefit ratio is not quite there yet - based on our use and habits, we have calculated that when natural gas reaches about $2.00/therm they will be a worthwhile investment - as long as good burning wood (oak) remains at $125/full cord or less.

A 200,000 BTU (net) geothermal system will set us back in excess of $25,000 in our environment - that is simply not going to happen. The payback will be beyond our lifetime.

All our rooms but the four majors (library, dining room, living room and kitchen) have ceiling fans - and we use them pretty much all year. Up in the winter, down in the summer. We do have electric space heaters - basic ceramic plug-in portables - that we use here-and-there as needed. Spending $0.21/hour to make one or two people and/or two cats comfortable in one room is a bunch better than heating an entire house for $2.63/hour to the same temperature - although I repeat - we are not fanatical about heat - we just will not heat all 4,200 s.f. if there is only one of us at home during an odd time. So, calculate on that basis when you are considering alternate fuels or heat sources.

Other things we have done: Install tight storm doors (high-quality), repair windows, caulk cracks, insulate and install the correct vapor-barrier system in our crawl-spaces, use only high-quality energy-star appliances sized for our actual needs, move to CLF lamps for general use, water saving faucets and shower-heads and so on and so forth. Each and every little bit helps. No one item overly costly and nothing exotic or hard to maintain.

Good luck with it.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

how do you heat your house in winter?

electric fireplace 400 sq ft image

Q. I am just curious as to how others are heating their house during the winter months. We are looking to reduce our propane bill it just seems that every option we choose ends up being about the same cost without investing $10,000 for geothermal (after rebates). We just installed a 91% efficient furnace last year so our furnace is good to go. We also have a free standing wood stove that we use on occasion. The wood stove is old and we don't trust it while we are sleeping or away for very long. Last year we used about 700 gallons LP and burned probably 1/2 cord of wood. We have a single level 1500 sq. ft. house. We were considering putting a pellet stove in but are unsure how many tons of pellets it would burn to determine if it would be worth it. We also though about installing some of the new ceiling fans that have the space heater in them, but they are $250 a pop and still cost a lot to operate. Just looking for some opinions and no, I don't want to hang blankets up or shut rooms off because we use all of them. Does anyone use a pellet stove? How much pellets do you burn? Do you like it? Thanks in advance!!!!!

Answer
We have a 3-story, 4,200 s.f. center-hall stucco-on-brick colonial built in 1890 with 46 windows and five glass (French) doors. We have hot-water radiators and burn natural gas to to heat, as well as we have three functional fire-places built with the house. Natural gas in the PECO service area is approximately $1.14/therm (100,000 BTU), about 43% cheaper than #2 fuel oil at this time. We moved into the house about 2.5 years ago, and when we moved in the existing heating system had been allowed to freeze, the boiler (400,000 BTU oil-burner) had failed and 17 of 34 radiators had also failed along with four of six risers. Yes, we knew this going in.

When we replaced the radiators, we installed thermostatic valves. We installed a 96% efficient gas-fired modulating condensing boiler (230,000 BTU) that also handled domestic hot water via a super-insulated low-loss storage tank. The total cost of the conversion and replacements including the registered master plumber to do the boiler install and the inspection and utility certification was just over $12,000 - I did 80% of the work myself. My plumber stated that if he had done the entire job, it would have cost just under $20,000. I believe him. But the payback against Oil is pretty fast at any price.

Our cost last year (Philadelphia region) for all energy for 12 full months was under $3,600, inclusive of heat, hot water, cooking (gas) drying (gas) and electricity. We do not have central AC, but we do have large window units on the first floor and smaller units in each bedroom, of which three are going at any one time, typically, in very hot weather. Under most conditions only the bedroom units are on and only when occupied. Large masonry houses neither get so not nor so cold as frame houses in weather extremes. We are on track in 2010 to be slightly lower than in 2009 overall. We heat to 58F when the house is empty (during the day) and 68F during the evenings and on weekends, or when we are home (vacation or days off). We use a "smart" thermostat with an outside air sensor that works with the boiler to have the house at-temperature when we want it to be, not just starting the system at that point. We are not fanatical about heating (or cooling) at all. We use the fireplaces (library, dining room and master bedroom) quite often in the winter - they draw well and permit good modulation - so we do feel that they are net-positive for energy. Many are not. If we run the fireplace in the bedroom with the door partially closed it does get warm pretty quickly.

The thermostatic radiator valves allow us to reduce heat in unoccupied rooms even when the rest of the house is warm - which results in large savings - yet have the convenience of just turning them up if needed. We have considered a pellet stove (we have an ideal location for one) and also fireplace inserts. The cost-benefit ratio is not quite there yet - based on our use and habits, we have calculated that when natural gas reaches about $2.00/therm they will be a worthwhile investment - as long as good burning wood (oak) remains at $125/full cord or less.

A 200,000 BTU (net) geothermal system will set us back in excess of $25,000 in our environment - that is simply not going to happen. The payback will be beyond our lifetime.

All our rooms but the four majors (library, dining room, living room and kitchen) have ceiling fans - and we use them pretty much all year. Up in the winter, down in the summer. We do have electric space heaters - basic ceramic plug-in portables - that we use here-and-there as needed. Spending $0.21/hour to make one or two people and/or two cats comfortable in one room is a bunch better than heating an entire house for $2.63/hour to the same temperature - although I repeat - we are not fanatical about heat - we just will not heat all 4,200 s.f. if there is only one of us at home during an odd time. So, calculate on that basis when you are considering alternate fuels or heat sources.

Other things we have done: Install tight storm doors (high-quality), repair windows, caulk cracks, insulate and install the correct vapor-barrier system in our crawl-spaces, use only high-quality energy-star appliances sized for our actual needs, move to CLF lamps for general use, water saving faucets and shower-heads and so on and so forth. Each and every little bit helps. No one item overly costly and nothing exotic or hard to maintain.

Good luck with it.

Heat Pump / Thermostat?

derek z

I have a 1,400 sf home in central indiana. Our electric bill is $400.00 this month! I just put 35 bags of cellulose insulation in the attic and tried to seal up all of the small leaks around the house. We have a heat pump with a secondary supply being an electric furnace. I would have thought that adding insulation and sealing the house would help dramatically, but my bill is still projected to be around $300.00 next month!! I feel as if the heat pump is running waayyyyy too much. I know that when the temps are low here in the midwest they will tend to run quite a bit, but it seems extreme.

We have the thermostat set at 66 and once the temp reaches that set on the thermostat, the heat pump just continues to run. Should it not kick off once it reaches the desired temperature?
My thermostat is not very old, its a white-rodgers digital model. However, I moved the thermostat to 67 earlier about 9:00 pm and by 9:03 the temp in the house reached 67, but the heat pump is still running. I know it is the heat pump because I can hear it and the temp feels cool coming out of the register. The defrost setting is every hour. So it definitely should not continue to run that long after reaching its set temperature? I didn't think that was the case. Thanks everybody

Answer
I too live in Central Indiana actually west central 50 miles west of Indianapolis.
I am an electrical contractor and I have a 2000 sq. ft. home and it is just now 6 1/2 years old and I was against a heat pump for this reason right here. I do not know if you use I P L Duke, Remc or who your power company

how many sq ft dose a 5,115 BTU electric fireplace heat?

electric fireplace 400 sq ft image

babyd

Answer
between 100 and 400 square feet.

It depends on the type of heater, where you live (how cold it gets) and how well insulated your house is. The manual for the heater will give you an estimate. If you are still unsure, call a local HVAC man.

Using small electric portable heaters in rooms at night and turning gas heat way down?

katesreven

I live in a large 3000 sq ft home in a winter city. This past winter our natural gas bill ran $400-$500 a month to heat the home from November through March. So, we divised a plan to cut costs down.

At night, I am turning down the main thermostat to 55 degree and we are closing our 3 bedroom doors and using smaller portable electric heaters. The smaller heaters will heat the rooms nice and warm easily and run off and on about 40% of the time during the night.

So, will this help cut costs down? I know even with gas prices more then tripple in the past few years, electric is probably more, but do you expect this stretegy will save some $? Thanks

Answer
Electricity is Cheaper than Gas at this time. Just make sure those Electric Heaters do have Thermostats and tip over Safety devices on them. I have A Gas Log Fireplace, and the price of a gallon of Gas is outrageous now, so I rarely use it. You can also use Electric Blankets on the Bed at night to help stay warm. Personally I like it cooler when I am sleeping.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Suggestions to save on electric bill?

electric fireplace 400 sq ft image

Brandee

Anyone will better understanding would be greatly appreciated; my husband and I live in a entirely electric (no gas) home, and I'm trying to find ways to cut down on our electric bill. We cannot, at this time, afford new appliances, and obviously we cannot unplug some of our appliances when not used (deep freezer, refrigerator). I try to limit the amount of laundry we do, but don't know some things- would it be more efficient to primarily use toaster oven and microwave vs. oven (of course, depending on amount of time), or turn off computer (I've been told it takes more power to stat and stop than let run idle), unplug small appliances (cable boxes and alarm clocks) that have a constant display time, etc...

We try to keep the temp at a regular not adjusting if possible (1200 sq. ft, 2 bed, but last month's bill of $400 is pushing our budget limits.
Any ideas?

Answer
Older model freezers use up LOTS of electricity.
Could you do away with the need for it and use your refrigerator's freezer?
That would save a lot.
Also, your computer should have a power-saving setting when not in use.
Small appliances like clocks and such don't really use that much power.
Your furnace and water heater use the most.
Try turning down the thermostats and bundling up.
If no one is home during the day for say, 8hrs, turn the furnace thermostat
all the way down,
but if your just going shopping or something,
just turn it down slightly.
Otherwise it will have to run longer to get the temperature back up to "comfortable."
Use your fireplace if you have one.
Also, check your insulation and weatherstripping around the house.
Thick drapes over your windows will keep a lot of the cold from coming in the house.
Best of luck.

how do you heat your house in winter?

Q. I am just curious as to how others are heating their house during the winter months. We are looking to reduce our propane bill it just seems that every option we choose ends up being about the same cost without investing $10,000 for geothermal (after rebates). We just installed a 91% efficient furnace last year so our furnace is good to go. We also have a free standing wood stove that we use on occasion. The wood stove is old and we don't trust it while we are sleeping or away for very long. Last year we used about 700 gallons LP and burned probably 1/2 cord of wood. We have a single level 1500 sq. ft. house. We were considering putting a pellet stove in but are unsure how many tons of pellets it would burn to determine if it would be worth it. We also though about installing some of the new ceiling fans that have the space heater in them, but they are $250 a pop and still cost a lot to operate. Just looking for some opinions and no, I don't want to hang blankets up or shut rooms off because we use all of them. Does anyone use a pellet stove? How much pellets do you burn? Do you like it? Thanks in advance!!!!!

Answer
We have a 3-story, 4,200 s.f. center-hall stucco-on-brick colonial built in 1890 with 46 windows and five glass (French) doors. We have hot-water radiators and burn natural gas to to heat, as well as we have three functional fire-places built with the house. Natural gas in the PECO service area is approximately $1.14/therm (100,000 BTU), about 43% cheaper than #2 fuel oil at this time. We moved into the house about 2.5 years ago, and when we moved in the existing heating system had been allowed to freeze, the boiler (400,000 BTU oil-burner) had failed and 17 of 34 radiators had also failed along with four of six risers. Yes, we knew this going in.

When we replaced the radiators, we installed thermostatic valves. We installed a 96% efficient gas-fired modulating condensing boiler (230,000 BTU) that also handled domestic hot water via a super-insulated low-loss storage tank. The total cost of the conversion and replacements including the registered master plumber to do the boiler install and the inspection and utility certification was just over $12,000 - I did 80% of the work myself. My plumber stated that if he had done the entire job, it would have cost just under $20,000. I believe him. But the payback against Oil is pretty fast at any price.

Our cost last year (Philadelphia region) for all energy for 12 full months was under $3,600, inclusive of heat, hot water, cooking (gas) drying (gas) and electricity. We do not have central AC, but we do have large window units on the first floor and smaller units in each bedroom, of which three are going at any one time, typically, in very hot weather. Under most conditions only the bedroom units are on and only when occupied. Large masonry houses neither get so not nor so cold as frame houses in weather extremes. We are on track in 2010 to be slightly lower than in 2009 overall. We heat to 58F when the house is empty (during the day) and 68F during the evenings and on weekends, or when we are home (vacation or days off). We use a "smart" thermostat with an outside air sensor that works with the boiler to have the house at-temperature when we want it to be, not just starting the system at that point. We are not fanatical about heating (or cooling) at all. We use the fireplaces (library, dining room and master bedroom) quite often in the winter - they draw well and permit good modulation - so we do feel that they are net-positive for energy. Many are not. If we run the fireplace in the bedroom with the door partially closed it does get warm pretty quickly.

The thermostatic radiator valves allow us to reduce heat in unoccupied rooms even when the rest of the house is warm - which results in large savings - yet have the convenience of just turning them up if needed. We have considered a pellet stove (we have an ideal location for one) and also fireplace inserts. The cost-benefit ratio is not quite there yet - based on our use and habits, we have calculated that when natural gas reaches about $2.00/therm they will be a worthwhile investment - as long as good burning wood (oak) remains at $125/full cord or less.

A 200,000 BTU (net) geothermal system will set us back in excess of $25,000 in our environment - that is simply not going to happen. The payback will be beyond our lifetime.

All our rooms but the four majors (library, dining room, living room and kitchen) have ceiling fans - and we use them pretty much all year. Up in the winter, down in the summer. We do have electric space heaters - basic ceramic plug-in portables - that we use here-and-there as needed. Spending $0.21/hour to make one or two people and/or two cats comfortable in one room is a bunch better than heating an entire house for $2.63/hour to the same temperature - although I repeat - we are not fanatical about heat - we just will not heat all 4,200 s.f. if there is only one of us at home during an odd time. So, calculate on that basis when you are considering alternate fuels or heat sources.

Other things we have done: Install tight storm doors (high-quality), repair windows, caulk cracks, insulate and install the correct vapor-barrier system in our crawl-spaces, use only high-quality energy-star appliances sized for our actual needs, move to CLF lamps for general use, water saving faucets and shower-heads and so on and so forth. Each and every little bit helps. No one item overly costly and nothing exotic or hard to maintain.

Good luck with it.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Suggestions to save on electric bill?

electric fireplace 400 sq ft image

Brandee

Anyone will better understanding would be greatly appreciated; my husband and I live in a entirely electric (no gas) home, and I'm trying to find ways to cut down on our electric bill. We cannot, at this time, afford new appliances, and obviously we cannot unplug some of our appliances when not used (deep freezer, refrigerator). I try to limit the amount of laundry we do, but don't know some things- would it be more efficient to primarily use toaster oven and microwave vs. oven (of course, depending on amount of time), or turn off computer (I've been told it takes more power to stat and stop than let run idle), unplug small appliances (cable boxes and alarm clocks) that have a constant display time, etc...

We try to keep the temp at a regular not adjusting if possible (1200 sq. ft, 2 bed, but last month's bill of $400 is pushing our budget limits.
Any ideas?

Answer
Older model freezers use up LOTS of electricity.
Could you do away with the need for it and use your refrigerator's freezer?
That would save a lot.
Also, your computer should have a power-saving setting when not in use.
Small appliances like clocks and such don't really use that much power.
Your furnace and water heater use the most.
Try turning down the thermostats and bundling up.
If no one is home during the day for say, 8hrs, turn the furnace thermostat
all the way down,
but if your just going shopping or something,
just turn it down slightly.
Otherwise it will have to run longer to get the temperature back up to "comfortable."
Use your fireplace if you have one.
Also, check your insulation and weatherstripping around the house.
Thick drapes over your windows will keep a lot of the cold from coming in the house.
Best of luck.

how do you heat your house in winter?

Q. I am just curious as to how others are heating their house during the winter months. We are looking to reduce our propane bill it just seems that every option we choose ends up being about the same cost without investing $10,000 for geothermal (after rebates). We just installed a 91% efficient furnace last year so our furnace is good to go. We also have a free standing wood stove that we use on occasion. The wood stove is old and we don't trust it while we are sleeping or away for very long. Last year we used about 700 gallons LP and burned probably 1/2 cord of wood. We have a single level 1500 sq. ft. house. We were considering putting a pellet stove in but are unsure how many tons of pellets it would burn to determine if it would be worth it. We also though about installing some of the new ceiling fans that have the space heater in them, but they are $250 a pop and still cost a lot to operate. Just looking for some opinions and no, I don't want to hang blankets up or shut rooms off because we use all of them. Does anyone use a pellet stove? How much pellets do you burn? Do you like it? Thanks in advance!!!!!

Answer
We have a 3-story, 4,200 s.f. center-hall stucco-on-brick colonial built in 1890 with 46 windows and five glass (French) doors. We have hot-water radiators and burn natural gas to to heat, as well as we have three functional fire-places built with the house. Natural gas in the PECO service area is approximately $1.14/therm (100,000 BTU), about 43% cheaper than #2 fuel oil at this time. We moved into the house about 2.5 years ago, and when we moved in the existing heating system had been allowed to freeze, the boiler (400,000 BTU oil-burner) had failed and 17 of 34 radiators had also failed along with four of six risers. Yes, we knew this going in.

When we replaced the radiators, we installed thermostatic valves. We installed a 96% efficient gas-fired modulating condensing boiler (230,000 BTU) that also handled domestic hot water via a super-insulated low-loss storage tank. The total cost of the conversion and replacements including the registered master plumber to do the boiler install and the inspection and utility certification was just over $12,000 - I did 80% of the work myself. My plumber stated that if he had done the entire job, it would have cost just under $20,000. I believe him. But the payback against Oil is pretty fast at any price.

Our cost last year (Philadelphia region) for all energy for 12 full months was under $3,600, inclusive of heat, hot water, cooking (gas) drying (gas) and electricity. We do not have central AC, but we do have large window units on the first floor and smaller units in each bedroom, of which three are going at any one time, typically, in very hot weather. Under most conditions only the bedroom units are on and only when occupied. Large masonry houses neither get so not nor so cold as frame houses in weather extremes. We are on track in 2010 to be slightly lower than in 2009 overall. We heat to 58F when the house is empty (during the day) and 68F during the evenings and on weekends, or when we are home (vacation or days off). We use a "smart" thermostat with an outside air sensor that works with the boiler to have the house at-temperature when we want it to be, not just starting the system at that point. We are not fanatical about heating (or cooling) at all. We use the fireplaces (library, dining room and master bedroom) quite often in the winter - they draw well and permit good modulation - so we do feel that they are net-positive for energy. Many are not. If we run the fireplace in the bedroom with the door partially closed it does get warm pretty quickly.

The thermostatic radiator valves allow us to reduce heat in unoccupied rooms even when the rest of the house is warm - which results in large savings - yet have the convenience of just turning them up if needed. We have considered a pellet stove (we have an ideal location for one) and also fireplace inserts. The cost-benefit ratio is not quite there yet - based on our use and habits, we have calculated that when natural gas reaches about $2.00/therm they will be a worthwhile investment - as long as good burning wood (oak) remains at $125/full cord or less.

A 200,000 BTU (net) geothermal system will set us back in excess of $25,000 in our environment - that is simply not going to happen. The payback will be beyond our lifetime.

All our rooms but the four majors (library, dining room, living room and kitchen) have ceiling fans - and we use them pretty much all year. Up in the winter, down in the summer. We do have electric space heaters - basic ceramic plug-in portables - that we use here-and-there as needed. Spending $0.21/hour to make one or two people and/or two cats comfortable in one room is a bunch better than heating an entire house for $2.63/hour to the same temperature - although I repeat - we are not fanatical about heat - we just will not heat all 4,200 s.f. if there is only one of us at home during an odd time. So, calculate on that basis when you are considering alternate fuels or heat sources.

Other things we have done: Install tight storm doors (high-quality), repair windows, caulk cracks, insulate and install the correct vapor-barrier system in our crawl-spaces, use only high-quality energy-star appliances sized for our actual needs, move to CLF lamps for general use, water saving faucets and shower-heads and so on and so forth. Each and every little bit helps. No one item overly costly and nothing exotic or hard to maintain.

Good luck with it.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers