Utility Bill -12/04/2010 to 02/07/211

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katwillny

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Hey All,

So I just received my utility bill for the past two months and it was $464.12. I have been burning 24/7 since early October, with the exception of 2 weeks that we were on vacation. Just out of curiosity, I asked my neighbor who heats his house with natural gas how much his bill was and he shook his head and said " Just opened my bill and nearly passed out, my bill is $1,018".
I mean, I spent some cash on 1 cord of wood, fire starters here and there but nothing close to what my poor dear neighbor is spending to heat. I told him that he should consider getting a wood stove.

Happy Burning.

Katwill
 
Before the stoves: 1,500 gallons of heating oil
With the stove: less than 100 so far
 
Yes DonNC, I love it too. Upgrading stove to a larger more efficient one. Cant wait for weather to break a bit and start scrounging wood again.
 
I don't have anything to compare. Had a stove installed when the house was finished in 1985. But you guys scare the hell out of me with these "before wood" heating bills as I rapidly approach not being able to whack the trees on this place. Good grief. Many years ago I let the heat pump, long defunct, take the job in January just out of curiosity. Felt like we froze the whole month just being able to get to the high sixties in the house. But the electric bill was only a $186. Now that I look back at the bills though I see that the electric rates were less than half what they are now and checking weather history we had a really mild winter that year.

Oh great. Time for vitamin pills and some new saw chains. >:-(
 
BrotherBart said:
I don't have anything to compare. Had a stove installed when the house was finished in 1985. But you guys scare the hell out of me with these "before wood" heating bills as I rapidly approach not being able to whack the trees on this place. Good grief. Many years ago I let the heat pump, long defunct, take the job in January just out of curiosity. Felt like we froze the whole month just being able to get to the high sixties in the house. But the electric bill was only a $186. Now that I look back at the bills though I see that the electric rates were less than half what they are now and checking weather history we had a really mild winter that year.

Oh great. Time for vitamin pills and some new saw chains. >:-(

Ha ha, BB, I with you with that age thing except I don't whack down trees. I just scrounge wood - however - when you scrounge wood you can end up with some VERY large diameter rounds, some angled ends and some rounds that are just too long so I do have to use the chainsaw every now and then. After hefting around some of those big rounds I hurt down to my core. I'm thinking a whirlpool tub would be nice (with $$ saved from no oil bill). In the meantime I settle for a VERY hot bath after working with the wood. :)
 
I see Mr Propane only a few times a year. He came by I think around the end of November or so, and I imagine I'll see him before the month is out. Compared to when I wasn't burning wood, I'd see him once a month and each month the 250g tank was just about running on fumes.
 
You're not alone!

I installed my stove in Feb. of 2008. The previous winter, we had almost $3000 worth of propane delivered, and just couldn't afford to heat with propane anymore. We were keeping the house at 64F all the time, and the cost was still crippling. I had to do something.

The wood burner paid for itself in the first full season. The last few winters since I've put in the stove, I've burned about 50 gallons of propane each year. The stove has provided almost 100% of our heat, using about 3 cords each year.

There are 4 other wood burners in my neighborhood, but I can't imagine what the rest of my neighbors are paying to heat their homes this year, as cold as its been.

-SF
 
My next project is to buy me an old beat up pickup truck and start scrounging wood and that will really help matters. Did a lot of bartering for wood this year, but thats not sustainable.
 
Got our stove this past fall, started burning in October. I usually get three fills of oil during a winter, coming to $1500-$1800. Im going to make it on 1 fill which i got in December, at $600. so i cut my oil bill by $1000-$1200 just this winter. But im thinking that i broke even this year, having to buy the stove and all the chimney stuff. I figure im going to only use about 250 gallons for the entire winter. About 50 gallons a month. I have a EPA exempt stove, which we got cause it was the only one in out price range in the fall that would take 20in logs. But now that ive seen the prices come down cause the season is going out, im wondering how easy i could sell my stove and get a more effecient one. Hence being able to burn longer on less wood.

How well do you guys think that i could get rid of my stove that is 1 year old? Its a 110,000 BTU with fan. Im just curious though of how a lower BTU stove would heat my house. This one does a pretty good job.
 
Last month the NG bill was around $100. That translates to about $70 in NG for heating the other $30 is for the dryer and hot water. This month it was a tad higher around $140. I like what I'm seeing!! Having the new stove reduced the wood consumption by almost a cord.
 
As expensive as it was, in my house, my Equinox paid for itself after it's 2nd season. Without it, I'm looking at around 200 gallons/month during the cold months......sept, oct, NOV, DEC, JAN, FEB, mar, April.......heck my furnace will run in may if I give it a chance. It's a long heating season! As it is now I'll end the season having used 250 gallons of #2.

My wood cost is around $850 per year which is by far the most I've ever paid. Getting old and a little lazy. Funny how I don't mind seing my wood guy come up the driveway in his old dump truck.......the oil man on the other hand might as well be the devil himself.

A bit more work insulating here and there (the basement) and some more sealing up of windows and doors and I'll be able to chip away at it.

Now if I could only find some inexpensive solar panels and the other apparatus to make my own juice. Must spend money now in order to save money later.......it's the only way I can see to retire.
 
My heat is an electric heat pump, winter time bill goes up 20 to 30 a month. Not sure how much is for additional heat since lights and TV are on more at that time.

Insert came with the house, no out of pocket there, do spend some on gas to cut, haul, and split 12 loads a year, and a couple chain loops every 2 years or so. Use scrap wood from projects at work to maintain the woodshed. Bought 1 saw and the splitter over the years.

I have cut average monthly consumption from 1100KWH to 800 KWH over the past 9 years. I was surprised that I just keep finding little things here and there to caulk, insulate, replace, etc. They continue to add up and payback.

Never pay for wood.
 
When natural gas was high I was saving 250 plus a month on average and up to 350 a month. WIth it lower I am not sure. Was a 3 year payback for the wood insert when prices were lower and they spiked, and that was I think 5 years ago. Life is good!
 
Hey All,
I live in a lake community with about 80 houses we have no ng service so everyone is using oil or propane. Unfortunatly I am not working this winter so I must see 3 oil trucks and 2 propane trucks a day delivering around my neigborhood. I love to just watch them roll on by. The last time I filled my tank 275gal before last winter my oil guy, small outfit owner was the driver, saw my wood stacks and told me he burns 3 cords a winter himself
 
I myself actually work for one of the largest home heating companies on my side of the state. And you know i get harassed. But ill take a little harassment over $1200 a year any day.

And Roxys dad, nice Weim. Is its name by chance Roxy? Cause that would be all to coincidental, cause i also have a Weim named Roxy. lol
 
And Roxys dad, nice Weim. Is its name by chance Roxy? Cause that would be all to coincidental, cause i also have a Weim named Roxy. lol

xj camaro
Thats roxy, she needs to walk alot, all the kids in the neighborhood love to see roxy and call me roxys dad.
 
Roxy must be a popular name for weims, ive come across several with that name. Mine is high strung, but luckily we have a big yard for her to run and chase birds and squirrels. And when we walk her different places everyone always has to stop and pet her and say she is so pretty. The dog loves the attention, and to the point where she thinks everyone needs to see and pet her, she is such a brat.
 
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