january-february heating cost

[Doug MacIVER]

did a quick figure on our cost so far this year. heating around 3700 sq.ft. approx. 1/3-1/2 cord = $125.00 + 600# canawick brick $125.00 + 130 gals. oil +$485.00 + $30-40.00 electric space heat = high est of $800.00. 1600-1700 sq.ft. raised ranch first floor apt, heated only by oil, plus some oil used to keep bedrooms @ 60* and warm ups on the coldest days on the main floor.. my guess is the heart of a cold winter is a wash cost wise. our best savings seem to come from the edges of the hounds of winter. this is confirmed from annual oil use of 1200-1440 gals. prestove to 650-750 gals/yr. after stove. these figures for comparison are from 01/04/14 to today.

some free fire wood would help here, not using as many cut up pallets as I used to. this really one of those ocd things this wood stove burner wastes time with

 

[Soundchasm]

This Dec/Jan was brutal. I keep a spreadsheet of kilowatt hours/avg monthly temp so I can compare months by temperature. Dec 2012 was 39 degrees avg, and 2013 was 34 degrees. That five degrees made all the difference. However, now that I look at it, I used 1676 KWHs in 12 and 1688 KWHs in 13. So if I rule out all the effort I put into processing/burning, I made significant progress this time around. Overall I think we're still winning.

 

[woodgeek]

My latest elec bill was $408, 12.4 cents/kWh for wind power. Figure $360 for heating from 1/6 to 2/4. Ave temp for the month 29°F.

From 2/5 to 2/7 I burned about 350 lbs of wood and 3.5 gallons of gasoline (no grid power).

 

[BrotherBart]

My latest elec bill was $408, 12.4 cents/kWh for wind power. Figure $360 for heating from 1/6 to 2/4. Ave temp for the month 29°F.

 

[woodgeek]

The last Jan this cold I was still using oil, a tank fill cost me $1000, and lasted me a bit less than three weeks.

 

[BrotherBart]

The Dec./Jan. electric bill was the biggest one I have had in six years because I had to go to Texas to bury Mom and leave he oil filleds doing the job for six days. $158 at 12.6 a KWH all in.

I am serious about this wood heating stuff. And this is the coldest winter we have had since 1996.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just looked at the logs and comparable 1/2 to 2/4 would be $148.

 

[Soundchasm]

I just checked January's monthly average here, and what a shocker. 22 degrees. Since 2003, we've had three months that were 20, 21 and 23 degrees. Old Man Winter took the gloves off this year.

 

[Ashful]

My latest elec bill was $408...

Geez, woodgeek! I thought you were better than that.

We burn 1000 gal. oil at $3.39/gal for a 5000 HDD average year, and we had 1100 HDD's this January, so $750 for the month. There's probably some small amount of electric used for one mini-split heat pump we're running right now, but since my electric meter crapped out for two months (yay!), I have no idea what that would've cost. I burned 2 cords in January, but that was all free, in principle.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

My latest elec bill was $408,

Wow, just wow. I get uptight about our usage (waste) through the holidays even then it's just over $100/month.

Figure $360 for heating

If I ever have a bill approaching that for heating, only two possibilities. A) we left on holidays for a month & forgot to close the front door on the way out. B) The gas co just did a 5-10x increase in price. I have never had a bill approaching 1/3 of yours & thats in a month where the warm days were -30. I think I would be storming the gates of the castle at the local utilities. Either that or insulating & working on infiltration. Or both just for fun.

 

[BrotherBart]

but since my electric meter crapped out for two months (yay!),

Don't "yay" yet.My meter crapped out five years ago and I called them and told them about it the day it happened. Two days later they came out and didn't tell me they were here and changing the meter and blew out a $2,000 Powerware 6000VA UPS system. Fortunately it gave its life for the servers. And then estimated the usage and billed three times what I have used in a month in twenty years.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

And then estimated the usage and billed three times what I have used in a month in twenty years.

Yep gotta read those 75 pages of fine print, it's all in there somewhere.

 

[jatoxico]

Used 192 g fuel oil from 12/26 to 2/7 so right at 6 wks. Stove was down for a full week during one of the colder weeks. Burning for comfort, nights and weekends, no overnights just don't have the supply. Down to my last 1/4 cord then I'm out. Went from 700-800 g/yr (prob would've been more this year) to 550 in 2012 IIRR.

Next year I have a better supply and the following year I have more than I can burn through.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep gotta read those 75 pages of fine print, it's all in there somewhere.

It's co-op and they were real sorry that they handed me the mike at the next annual meeting.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

It's co-op and they were real sorry that they handed me the mike at the next annual meeting.

Yes a real "oops why did we do that" moment for them. Next meeting in camera. Or better yet 2 states over.

 

[woodgeek]

I've got a couple neighbors with newish heat pumps, and it turns out both their HVAC guys set their systems to shut off the compressor at 25 or 30°F, and switch to 100% electric strip heat, for no necessary reason other than their bad training. They reported monthly elec bills over $800, for December. Haven't asked about January yet. The other neighbors are still on oil, and prob running $2-3k for the heating season, after energy retrofits.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

the last week we have had great passive solar and (this happens every year, amazing uh)noticed how much easier it was to keep the 70* comfort zone. in the mean time, we have our own little snow storm. 23*,cars coated with llgt snow falling. DAMN IT, STOP IT,NOW

 

[parthy]

I pay slightly less than 7 1/2 cents per kw/hr here. (considered all-electric - a wood stove doesn't change that-it's considered supplemental/ornamental) Your energy prices are to the moon. I am wondering if you shouldn't be looking at increasing your insulation to more in line with us up north. I have R52 in my attic, R20 in my walls with a continuous vapour-barrier on the inside under the drywall. Including the the walls in the crawlspace. I don't even hear the wind outside when it is raging. I also have a lot of passive solar heating when it's sunny, and it's at least sunny when it's cold here.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

I pay slightly less than 7 1/2 cents per kw/hr here. (considered all-electric - a wood stove doesn't change that-it's considered supplemental/ornamental) Your energy prices are to the moon. I am wondering if you shouldn't be looking at increasing your insulation to more in line with us up north. I have R52 in my attic, R20 in my walls with a continuous vapour-barrier on the inside under the drywall. Including the the walls in the crawlspace. I don't even hear the wind outside when it is raging. I also have a lot of passive solar heating when it's sunny, and it's at least sunny when it's cold here.

do not disagree, this was originally an all electric house but is now 40+ yrs. old. all things on the list. need a bigger stove as well. still with the passive solar it is a breeze to toast up even when in the teens.

 

[parthy]

Doug - it is -24C (windchill -34C) here right now. The passive solar I am getting has the house at 19C (about 70F) with none of my electric running other than the crawl space- not turned off, but just not coming on yet. I packed bags of leaves 2 high and 2 deep of fallen leaves in the fall all around my crawl space (which is above grade). I have 2x 500 kw electric baseboard heaters down there to keep the pipes from freezing set at 50.

I did the leaves thing the first time this year, and with the really cold temps we have been having this winter, it really has made a difference. Don't ask me what I am going to do with a couple of hundred bags of leaves this spring, when I drive a honda civic. I do have trailer that is a long story. I will worry about that when it's warmer. lol

 

[woodgeek]

Your energy prices are to the moon.

Pffft. In New York City and Connecticut they are charging 18 cents/kWh. They envy us our 12 cent power. And Quebec Hydro company is trying to figure out how to sell more south to that market.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

Doug - it is -24C (windchill -34C) here right now. The passive solar I am getting has the house at 19C (about 70F) with none of my electric running other than the crawl space- not turned off, but just not coming on yet. I packed bags of leaves 2 high and 2 deep of fallen leaves in the fall all around my crawl space (which is above grade). I have 2x 500 kw electric baseboard heaters down there to keep the pipes from freezing set at 50.

I did the leaves thing the first time this year, and with the really cold temps we have been having this winter, it really has made a difference. Don't ask me what I am going to do with a couple of hundred bags of leaves this spring, when I drive a honda civic. I do have trailer that is a long story. I will worry about that when it's warmer. lol

compost!?!

 

[parthy]

Pffft. In New York City and Connecticut they are charging 18 cents/kWh. They envy us our 12 cent power. And Quebec Hydro company is trying to figure out how to sell more south to that market.

Oh my. Is that 18 cents with buying from Quebec? Or am I misunderstanding. Here if you aren't all electric you are paying 10 - 11 cents. (hence most are natural gas if it all possible). And we sell hydro. I have a lot choices for reasonable power. The downside for me is that a natural gas stove is not combustible in that it doesn't dry. I live near Lake Winnipeg and it is very humid and I need that lowering of humidity levels or my arthritis gets intolerable and I can't do anything. I am using kerosene for that until my wood stove is installed shortly. Kerosene can't be bought here other than in small containers that don't get cheaper the more you buy. I use it just for those times when I have a chill and can't warm up.

 

[parthy]

compost!?!

I do compost, but that much overwhelms even my ability to compost. I just have to find a way to get it to our local dump, they have a huge composting station. The problem is, I used black garbage bags and they won't cart it away unless it is in paper or see through composting bags and they are costly. A first world problem for sure.

 

[woodgeek]

As I understand it a lot of Q Hydro goes south, but wholesale to the NY/CT utilities.