Gas and Electric Rates

[rdlr]

Me, too, ElizaMary!

Regarding gas/electric rates, I'm paying my Delmarva Power electric bill on line, as we speak, which is due January 8th. My bill is $96.63. We have oil, baseboard hotwater heat, a 100 year old two story home with old windows, and about 2,000 sq.ft. of living area. Insulation is minimal, downstairs ceilings are 9', all hardwood floors and no carpet. To fill our 275 gallon oil tank in the basement costs $650 for about 8 weeks. I'm perfectly happy with our utility bills. In fact, I'm happy with everything!

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by Delly

Me, too, ElizaMary!

Regarding gas/electric rates, I'm paying my Delmarva Power electric bill on line, as we speak, which is due January 8th. My bill is $96.63. We have oil, baseboard hotwater heat, a 100 year old two story home with old windows, and about 2,000 sq.ft. of living area. Insulation is minimal, downstairs ceilings are 9', all hardwood floors and no carpet. To fill our 275 gallon oil tank in the basement costs $650 for about 8 weeks. I'm perfectly happy with our utility bills. In fact, I'm happy with everything!

Well, as positive as I usually am, I do have to say I was surprised by my electric bill.
The bill due the begining of Jan was $143 or the month which I thought was high with air conditioning.
Now my gas bill was $33 which was very good.
We do have a heat pump which may be the reason for the high electric?
Still......a lot cheaper than my old twin home in Philly.
I was on a budget for $180 a month electric and about that for gas. Maybe more in an extra cold winter or warm summer.
My electric bill in the summer would be anywhere from $$200 to $400 a month.
Same for gas.

[Laural]

If it's not to much trouble, could someone tell me all the ways people heat their houses out there, and which is the most and least expensive.

Thanks!

[from PA]

We bought with solar in mind. Not solar panels per say but the back of our home is situated on a true southern exposure. Our kitchen, morning and family rooms have many windows and these rooms are quite comfortable in the winter months on sunny days. In the summer, the sun is directly overhead and does not hurt our cooling bills. Our home has two systems.
Electric heat pump for the upstairs and gas for the downstairs. This works well for us as we can turn off the upstairs during the day and the heat from downstairs is enough to make the upstairs comfortable. The important thing is to have good windows and insulation. Without these two things, you are pretty much throwing your money out the window (so to speak) Winds are prevelant here which adds to the chill factor in the winter.
The heat pump works great in the summer too. Turn it on 20 minutes before bedtime and we are cool as cucumbers all night.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Hi PA and everyone,

I also used solar energy through a southern exposure that really worked very well. Then I messed up. I replaced all the windows in the house with new, energy star windows, with Low-E, Argon-filled double panes. While they do a great job of keeping the heat out in the summer, they also do a great job of keeping the "heating" out in the winter. They prevent the heat from the sun from affecting the inside of the house.

Oh well. Unintended consequences.

Charley

[from PA]

Hi Charley,

oopps....well we don't have that problem. In fact, when we did our walk through, it was a blustery, cold day in February. I had my shoes off and while I was in the kitchen, I asked if there were heating coils under the floor-
it was that warm.