What are you heating bills

[Fischer_girl]

Originally Posted by kerplunk

Wow, I am getting ripped off then. I live in a three bedroom, corner apartment in Grand Forks and our electricity bill last month was $240. This includes approximately $40 in regular electricity use and $200 in heating, alone.

That is the most obscene thing I have ever heard of! How can that be?! You had to have had all your windows open and your heat set to 90!!
Actually. I would check into it. However, when I contacted out electricity company about out bill (...ya know...the $25 one?? ) she said that typically bills are highest in Feb. because the days are shorter and colder and therefore you have your lights AND heat on more. I'd contact your company.

PS...do you have central heating? That makes a huuuuuge difference and makes your bill TONS higher.

[parrotheadmomma]

When you say central heating, as opposed to what kind of other heating? You mean heat that comes from a baseboard rather than central heating that comes out of an air duct in the wall?

Also thanks for all the replies

[kerplunk]

Is that why Fargo has baseboard heat all over? Yes, we have central air vents on the ceiling.

[Fischer_girl]

Yes. I told about our heating bill being like $25 with the floor baseboard heaters in ND. Now.. we just moved to Santa Fe... its its not been toooo warm here... 30s in the mornings..and we have central heat (from the ceiling)...and we never SHUT our heat off! We are on the bottom floor (we had to bring our couch in through the balcony or we would have lived on the top floor) and heat rises..therefore we are pretty much simply heating the apartment above us. Rediculous! I hate central heat and will never ever have it agian! To make matters worse we don't have double windows and good insulation. Probably the reason ND doesn't have central is because they know how bad it freaking sucks!!

[parrotheadmomma]

You know, my Dad always said baseboard heat was better and I assumed it is because he's old fashioned and liked the old way as opposed to central heat. Now I realize he really knew what he was talking about! I'll definitely have to put that at the top of my list when we decide on houses.

I don't think I've seen many new houses with baseboard heat though, am I wrong or right about that?

[Fischer_girl]

Originally Posted by parrotheadmomma

You know, my Dad always said baseboard heat was better and I assumed it is because he's old fashioned and liked the old way as opposed to central heat. Now I realize he really knew what he was talking about! I'll definitely have to put that at the top of my list when we decide on houses.

I don't think I've seen many new houses with baseboard heat though, am I wrong or right about that?

You ARE right about that..and I don't have any idea why that is! Maaaybe central heat would work in a house... if you but the heater in the BASEMENT!
I really don't know the answer to that question. However, AFTER I moved into this place and I was complaining about how cold I was my mother politely reminded me of an apartment we had when I was very young with central heat and how we absolutely FROZE. I don't understand the logic, especially when *I'm* paying the heating bill!
And.. I agree with your father's opinion. And..as the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

PS- Don't bank on using those stupid portable heaters to help ya out either! My husband and I bought (and returned) four different types of heaters hoping to help with our problem. I think the only ones that work are those like t.v. sized heaters for like $400!

[pinkykt05]

Well this was my first winter as a home-owner paying bills and during the winter months it was around $200... We are heated by natural gas... Usually keep it about 70 degrees. Our windows are old and a little drafty so that adds to the heating bills. When we were looking for houses, we saw some that had OFA (oil forced air) which scared us because of the high cost of oil... yikes! Don't know what the average cost for heating is using that, though..

[SomewhereInND]

Type of heat matters, Propane is rediculous, so stay away from it.

2002 it was $0.60 / gallon. Which made it pretty much even with electric heat.

Fall 2008 it was $2.00/ gallon

March1 2009 it was $3.00/gallon

It is cheapest in late summer.

[nd4me]

The previous poster seems to be about the norm for an avg. household. Not sure what ours is, as hubby pays bills lately. As far as the power plants go, that energy goes out of state--Minn.I think. We have a cabin at L. Metigoshe also, we are there weekends between May and Oct. Baseboard heating, (and pot belly stove for chilly days) $157 for the whole year.