Home Heating Costs

[Anonymous]

I just learned that our monthly cost of home heating oil (we do budget billing) is increasing from $242 to $434, pushing our annual home heating costs from around $3k to over $5k. This is for a smallish (approx. 1800 sq. ft.) two-story house built in 1934, so it's definitely less than air-tight. I'm wondering whether it's time to switch to electric heat. Would appreciate hearing what others pay to heat their home, esp. those of similar size & age, and what type of heat they use. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It's time to replace windows and blow in some insulation. The insulation will likely pay for itself in 4 years. Windows are more expensive, but will save you $$ on heating and cooling, and make it all so much more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just learned that our monthly cost of home heating oil (we do budget billing) is increasing from $242 to $434, pushing our annual home heating costs from around $3k to over $5k. This is for a smallish (approx. 1800 sq. ft.) two-story house built in 1934, so it's definitely less than air-tight. I'm wondering whether it's time to switch to electric heat. Would appreciate hearing what others pay to heat their home, esp. those of similar size & age, and what type of heat they use. Thanks!

Ouch! That seems really high to me, but it will be very expensive to convert. It is not cheap to replace the HVAC system.

How old is your current furnace?

[Anonymous]

Yikes -- assuming you only use your heat for 6 months of the year, that equals $868 a month! Putting in insulation, especially in the attic is very easy and inexpensive. My husband and I did it ourselves. How old are your windows? You need to get an "energy review" of your home. Usually the local utility company will do it for free or for a nominal charge. Do you have large trees or shrubs that block your southern exposure during winter (summer blockage is good, winter blockage is bad). Can you shop around for a different oil company?

If you want to investigate the cost differential between electricity, gas, and oil these figures should help --

1 Gallon of residential fuel oil (diesel fuel) products 138,690 BTU's per gallon
1 KWH of electricity = 3,412 BTU
therefore, 1 gal of fuel is about equal to 40 KW

Note however that when you switch to a heat pump, its effeciency decreases as the temperature decreases below 40 degress -- so the actual KW of energy used by a heat pump varies greatly with temperature.

[Anonymous]

PP here -- forgot to add the figure for natural gas (assuming it is available in your area):

Natural Gas -- 1 Cubic Foot = 1,031 BTU

[Anonymous]

I have oil heat and live in a 2000sq foot rambler built in 1965. Only the top 1000sq feet are heated. I don't do the payment plan you do, but do fill my 275 gallon oil tank 2xs a year and always have some left over at the end of the season. Currently the price is approx $4.50/gal, so I guess this will probably cost me $2,475 to heat this year (though looks like oil prices will be heading down). The cost to heat has doubled since we moved into the house in 2003.

I have a pellett fireplace insert that heats my basement and heats the upstairs as long as the temps stay about 32-35. I go through about a 1.5 palletts of pelletts a season, which cost me about $350. I have new windows and need 2 new doors. I also reinsulated a part of the attic and will finish the rest when it cools down. It is AMAZING how that attic reinsulation has effected the A/C in that area of the house. That area used to be so warm in the summer, now it holds the cool air nicely. I suspect that we will use even less oil htis year after it is completed.

Converting to electric? Probably not. I would most likely add another pellett stove upstairs if anything, the pellett insert is wonderful and is also beautiful. This is the one I have: http://www.portersmvs.com/stoves/harman_accentrainsert.html I like the warmth the oil heat provides and elecric is not cheap either and will cost a FORTUNE in cold winters. I used to live in a TH and had Gas heat and it was very expensive as well. When we moved into the oil house, it was actually cheaper to heat with oil than gas. I have never known someone to actually say that they like their electric heat pump!

[Anonymous]

We are moving from natural gas to heated ceiling fans.

http://www.fanheatlight.com/

[Anonymous]

I think electric heat is usually more expensive than oil (although I haven't tracked it lately).

[Anonymous]

I second new windows. We replaced our windows (1940s house) this past spring and we have used 1/3 LESS electricity this summer so far than we used last summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are moving from natural gas to heated ceiling fans.

http://www.fanheatlight.com/

This is VERY interesting! Please do report back your review when you start using it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are moving from natural gas to heated ceiling fans.

http://www.fanheatlight.com/

This is VERY interesting! Please do report back your review when you start using it!

Absolutely, but it will be six months from now.

[Anonymous]

Kind of OT, but are the local utility companies the only ones to do energy reviews of your home? Would they be able to recommend changes to be made?

[Anonymous]

There are independent reviewers as well. Some insulation companies do reviews, but I would steer clear since they have a vested interest.

The issue is that there are probably a ton of newbies out there with everyone's sudden interest in energy efficiency. I would make sure you're hiring someone who has some experience.