Typical BTU per month

[edwardkelly]

I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' type question, but I'm curious all the same. I just got my propane bill for the month and it was $890. I nearly died. My house is reasonably well insulated (it's 9 years old), but is quite open plan 2000sq/ft.

We're paying about $2.92 a gallon for Propane, we got about 290 gallons. By my calculations that works out to a about 27 million BTU, or a bit more than a cord of average hardwood.

December wasn't super cold (upstate NY) and not nearly as cold as January is shaping up.

I'm fairly frugal with the thermostat too, it heats to 64 from 6am to 7:30am, 54 for the remainder of the day, then 64 from 6pm - 10pm (54 overnight).

Anyway, where I'm going with all this... Is it just me, or does that seem like a lot of BTU to heat a reasonably well insulated 2000 sq/ft house for a month? Do many people go through a cord of wood a month?

I'm wondering if the gas man read the dial wrong, or if I didn't notice that my front door was open for the last month.


(Already making plans for a wood stove... )

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It's hard to measure directly because many keep their house warmer with wood than with the furnace, but, it's not unheard of for a person to go through a cord a month.

It will not take long to make up the costs of installing a stove when you are used to heating bills like that. Even if you buy your wood....


Matt

 

[edwardkelly]

Schenectady NY, I'm in Duanesburg .

My place has a fireplace, one of those zero clearance ones with folding glass doors on the front (not air tight). I've read that fireplaces aren't much good though, typically they suck as much heat out and up the chimney as they put out. This thing has an external air intake on it though. Think I can reduce the propane bill some if I load up the fireplace as often as I can? Or is that a losing proposition?

I was going to wait until the end of the season to go for the stove, I figure it would be cheaper then. I might look into getting it put in a bit sooner.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Hiya neighbor! What temp are you down to? I'm reading 2 in my back yard. I bet you're probably colder.

I think the fireplace would be a loosing battle, but still nice to be around in case we get another ice storm. Start planning for the stove and gathering free wood. Free wood is a beauty of this area.

Maybe you can blow some more insulation into the attic? It will help now and certainly won't hurt later.

Matt

 

[vtdavid]

I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' type question, but I'm curious all the same. I just got my propane bill for the month and it was $890. I nearly died. My house is reasonably well insulated (it's 9 years old), but is quite open plan 2000sq/ft.

We're paying about $2.92 a gallon for Propane, we got about 290 gallons. By my calculations that works out to a about 27 million BTU, or a bit more than a cord of average hardwood.

Depending what the cost and if you can get dry wood this time of year it may save a few bucks to get a stove sooner rather than later. If you can get cut, split dry cord wood for say $350 and burn for three months the savings would be $1620. A good start on a stove purchase and it may be warmer inside your house. Getting dry wood now may be difficult though.

We burn about 1/5 of a cord a week to heat the house and basement, 1900 sq ft.

Loggers around here are cutting now for next winters supply.

 

[karl]

2600 square feet here, in West Virginia, not at cold as you. I burn about a cord a month. Insualtion is decent but not the best by any stretch of the imagination. The house is in the low to md seventies, except for nights like tonight. Oh and do my procrastination, my new furnace isn't even hooked up.

At $890 a month, get a stove. Even if you totally mess everything possibe up, you're still going to save some serious coin.

 

[edwardkelly]

Hiya neighbor! What temp are you down to? I'm reading 2 in my back yard. I bet you're probably colder.

I think the fireplace would be a loosing battle, but still nice to be around in case we get another ice storm. Start planning for the stove and gathering free wood. Free wood is a beauty of this area.

Maybe you can blow some more insulation into the attic? It will help now and certainly won't hurt later.

Matt

I have one of those indoor outdoor thermometers, but It's a dud. It doesn't go below 32! An old school on in my garage was down in the very low single digits though.

I actually hard a cord delivered last week, figuring the fireplace would help, not hurt. Definitely also going to see what I can do about insulation.

 

[edwardkelly]

Getting dry wood now may be difficult though.

We burn about 1/5 of a cord a week to heat the house and basement, 1900 sq ft.

I had a cord delivered last week, I was planning on using the fireplace. I think I'll speed up the stove plans though...

 

[edwardkelly]

At $890 a month, get a stove. Even if you totally mess everything possibe up, you're still going to save some serious coin.

Right... My wife and I figured we'd save a few bucks getting the stove after the winter season, but I think the money we lose on propane will end up being more.

To the stove store!

 

[CowboyAndy]

at 74* in the house burning 24/7, I have averaged a cord a month.

 

[edwardkelly]

at 74* in the house burning 24/7, I have averaged a cord a month.

If only my house was even close to 74... Thermostat normally set at 54, a few hours a day at 64.