Case study on 2 years of natural gas usage - year 1 WB fireplace and year 2 WB insert

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laxin213

Burning Hunk
Sep 18, 2014
154
Buffalo NY
I wanted to take a semi-scientific look at my personal heating costs and usage in my first 2 years in this house. It was built in 1985, is about 2800sf and located near Buffalo, NY. It has a great room with a high ceiling and lots of windows, but located with a lot of trees around that cut off a significant amount of wind. I do not know any specifics on insulation and average R value that the house has. I believe just batt insulation and ridge vent there is no attic. I purchased it 2 years ago.

I went to national fuel's website and downloaded my usage from the last 2 years. Each month they alternate between taking an actual reading and an estimated usage. So the meter is read 6 times a year. I took only 4 of those actual winter readings and charted them, and tossed their estimated numbers. I didn't want the last owners usage getting estimated into my usage and also in consideration of my heating changes.

So actual meter readings were taken in October, December, February and April. I also have a gas dryer, gas water tank and gas stove, so that usage is in here as well.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace and went through 2.25 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 618ccf , cost of natural gas $596.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert and went through 2.5 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 315ccf cost of $298.

In an effort to get full season winter gas bills I will do some of my own estimating. I made up this formula: January usage is estimated to be the average of February and December. And so on for the "missing months". For example 12/2013 usage was 156ccf and 2/2014 was 288ccf. , so my estimate for 1/2014 is 222ccf.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated, amount of natural gas 1149ccf, cost of $1,092.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated at 559ccf of natural gas, cost of $531.

In short conclusion, I do not have a true control, a year where I didn't burn any wood. I cut my gas bill nearly and neatly in half. The extraneous variable is usage of gas hot water heater, gas dryer and gas stove. So while I cut my bill in half, I may have cut my heating portion down 70-80% or more. I think this is as far as I can take these numbers unless I can find a reliable estimate for monthly usage for these 3 items. But if I save an average of $515 a year, my insert, liner and install is paid for in 8 years. That's the elusive ROI number I was searching for pre purchase. Plus it adds to the value of the house - which is a difficult thing to quantify just how much (depends on next buyer and age of unit). But in hard numbers it's paid for in 8 years - which is what I sought to figure out initially. Also difficult to quantify is increased quality of life. I know I wanted to keep the thermostat near 60 if heating by gas year round, and the insert keeps the rooms close to it near 68-70 which is a big difference in my wife's eyes - so again I lack that true control - a year without wood burning keeping the house at the same warmer temps the wood burner can achieve. Given that its certainly paid for in less than 8 years and at a savings greater than $515 a year. Thanks for reading please share any thoughts below
 
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That is pretty impressive savings, especially if you consider that it was much colder than normal in WNY this year.
You may be able to better calculate your gas savings if you look at months where you are not heating and your gas consumption is primarily for the stove, hot water, & dryer. It might help you figure a better baseline number. Just a thought.
At the very least it shows how much more efficient an insert is over a fireplace and how a fireplace/stove can affect gas usage.
 
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Thanks for sharing. Sounds like the fact that you're keeping the place 8-10 degrees warmer is the real win.
 
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So actual meter readings were taken in October, December, February and April. I also have a gas dryer, gas water tank and gas stove, so that usage is in here as well.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace and went through 2.25 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 618ccf , cost of natural gas $596.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert and went through 2.5 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 315ccf cost of $298.

In an effort to get full season winter gas bills I will do some of my own estimating. I made up this formula: January usage is estimated to be the average of February and December. And so on for the "missing months". For example 12/2013 usage was 156ccf and 2/2014 was 288ccf. , so my estimate for 1/2014 is 222ccf.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated, amount of natural gas 1149ccf, cost of $1,092.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated at 559ccf of natural gas, cost of $531.
You are over-thinking it. You can get an accurate reading of your consumption. The October, December, February and April raw meter readings can be subtracted from the previous raw meter readings to give you 2 month totals for your gas. No estimating needed. Cost per MCF or therm may vary from month to month but volume need not be an estimate. You know the real 2 month numbers.
 
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I looked up some more useful info to add - how cold was it?
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/climate/buf_hdd00s.php

Oct + Dec + Feb + Apr 2013/14 = 3307 heating degree days
Oct + Dec + Feb + Apr 2014/15 = 3406 heating degree days

So your comparison took place over two reasonably comparable winters.

Not only can you affordably keep your house more comfortable, but when you've just come in from the outside and it's so cold your hands hurt, standing in front of the fire feels fantastic.
 
I wanted to take a semi-scientific look at my personal heating costs and usage in my first 2 years in this house. It was built in 1985, is about 2800sf and located near Buffalo, NY. It has a great room with a high ceiling and lots of windows, but located with a lot of trees around that cut off a significant amount of wind. I do not know any specifics on insulation and average R value that the house has. I believe just batt insulation and ridge vent there is no attic. I purchased it 2 years ago.

I went to national fuel's website and downloaded my usage from the last 2 years. Each month they alternate between taking an actual reading and an estimated usage. So the meter is read 6 times a year. I took only 4 of those actual winter readings and charted them, and tossed their estimated numbers. I didn't want the last owners usage getting estimated into my usage and also in consideration of my heating changes.

So actual meter readings were taken in October, December, February and April. I also have a gas dryer, gas water tank and gas stove, so that usage is in here as well.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace and went through 2.25 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 618ccf , cost of natural gas $596.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert and went through 2.5 cords. Consumption for 4 months measured 315ccf cost of $298.

In an effort to get full season winter gas bills I will do some of my own estimating. I made up this formula: January usage is estimated to be the average of February and December. And so on for the "missing months". For example 12/2013 usage was 156ccf and 2/2014 was 288ccf. , so my estimate for 1/2014 is 222ccf.

2013-2014 winter: heated with fireplace. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated, amount of natural gas 1149ccf, cost of $1,092.

2014-2015 winter: heated with insert. Full Consumption for 7 months measured and estimated at 559ccf of natural gas, cost of $531.

In short conclusion, I do not have a true control, a year where I didn't burn any wood. I cut my gas bill nearly and neatly in half. The extraneous variable is usage of gas hot water heater, gas dryer and gas stove. So while I cut my bill in half, I may have cut my heating portion down 70-80% or more. I think this is as far as I can take these numbers unless I can find a reliable estimate for monthly usage for these 3 items. But if I save an average of $515 a year, my insert, liner and install is paid for in 8 years. That's the elusive ROI number I was searching for pre purchase. Plus it adds to the value of the house - which is a difficult thing to quantify just how much (depends on next buyer and age of unit). But in hard numbers it's paid for in 8 years - which is what I sought to figure out initially. Also difficult to quantify is increased quality of life. I know I wanted to keep the thermostat near 60 if heating by gas year round, and the insert keeps the rooms close to it near 68-70 which is a big difference in my wife's eyes - so again I lack that true control - a year without wood burning keeping the house at the same warmer temps the wood burner can achieve. Given that its certainly paid for in less than 8 years and at a savings greater than $515 a year. Thanks for reading please share any thoughts below

I would have thought your dollar savings would be larger. Here in Ohio NG was close to $.69/ccf in January 2014. It was .43/ccf in January 2015.

In roughly comparable winters, I paid roughly 40 percent less this past winter just because petroleum in general was that much cheaper.

How often does your price for NG change? Here in Ohio it adjusts once a month.
 
National Fuel might be able to get you usage figures on that meter before you owned the house.
 
Any savings is worthwhile. I'd be more worried about snow load on your roof in Buffalo than cost of NG this past winter.

Other than the crazy snow you had, my winter is probably very similar in southern ON. I saved almost $2,000. but my main heat is electric.
 
Consider yourself very lucky to have natural gas. My option is propane or oil and oil is installed right now. I'm thinking this winter I'll save $1,500 - 2,000.
 
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Consider yourself very lucky to have natural gas. My option is propane or oil and oil is installed right now. I'm thinking this winter I'll save $1,500 - 2,000.

I am on propane also and my saving are like yours. Which means I will have the ROI in about 4 years.
 
Smaller house but near Buffalo too. I guess I'm saving about $600 a year and the house is 74.
 
The only good thing about Hydroone is that every year our heating savings are increased by about 20% over the previous year, with no effort on our part. Pays for a good woodstove very quickly. I first started heating with wood in 2004, and was probably paying 1/4 of what I am now paying for electricity.

I amlucky13, the winter we just had was far colder than the previous. Feb bill may not have covered all of Feb, I don't know, but February and March were both considerably colder than the previous year, which itself was colder than normal.
 
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American translation: Hydro One = utility company

Yup, rates are going up so fast to pay the millions for the Execs. How can the person in charge of a utility make 10x the person who is in charge of the whole province??? No different in the US on that.
 
American translation: Hydro One = utility company

Yup, rates are going up so fast to pay the millions for the Execs. How can the person in charge of a utility make 10x the person who is in charge of the whole province??? No different in the US on that.

Will be interesting when it is sold off by Wynne. Bend over, Ontario....
 
I amlucky13, the winter we just had was far colder than the previous. Feb bill may not have covered all of Feb, I don't know, but February and March were both considerably colder than the previous year, which itself was colder than normal.

I know it was more severe, but NOAA's data indicate the net heating demand was only slightly higher. The long, really bad weather spells were apparently interspersed with relatively mild weather that was mostly overshadowed by the heavy snowfall and big storms. The data show February was indeed the worst of it.

There's some nuances, of course, that aren't reflected in heating-degree-days numbers. On the one hand, snow helps insulate the home. On the other, wind cools a building more than calm air, as do clear nights that often accompany cold snaps.
 
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