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Northeastern Pennsylvania Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area
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Old 09-24-2008, 06:43 PM
 
487 posts, read 1,374,939 times
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Our new home in Greentown is quite efficient when it comes to heating (all electric - heat pump). Even if our bills go up 30% I still think we're better off than oil or propane. One thing I can say, we invested in good insulation in walls and attic. I do think that has helped keep costs down a bit.
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Old 09-24-2008, 07:42 PM
 
2,834 posts, read 10,765,301 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Soldier01 View Post
I just bought a home with electric heat earlier this year thinking it would be the best option but now reading all this you guys are scaring me to death.
When I purchased my first home with electric.people scared me to death...now when I hear them paying $700.00 to fill their oil tand and three weeks later...filling it AGAIN...I still like my electric heat. I'm on a budget...so I know what it will cost. When the rates go up...I still thing it will be the cheapest. I spend a total of $3,000. a year for all my electric and heat and air conditioning with a VERY large elaborate Christmas light display.
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Old 09-24-2008, 07:58 PM
 
1,623 posts, read 6,527,100 times
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The new electric heat is great. I'm currently renting a home with all electric and save for maybe 1 day where it took a while to warm up, you would think we were running gas.

Propane has to be collected, transported (diesel) and stored. You will be setting yourself up for high energy bills and possibly outages in a bad winter storm. Definitely not worth it...go electric if that is your only other option...

And I think there is some confusion here - I am talking about electric heat pump as I believe you are also. Others are talking about electric baseboard which is VERY expensive to operate. Apples and oranges...
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Old 09-24-2008, 08:09 PM
 
2,834 posts, read 10,765,301 times
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I have electric baseboard....I'm sure heatpump is even cheaper.
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Old 09-24-2008, 08:21 PM
 
41,813 posts, read 51,039,086 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bldginpa View Post
(all electric - heat pump).
Those are quite different than your typical electric resistance heating but have there downside too. The initial cost is more expensive and they become less effective the colder it gets. I'm surprised you can get away with it in this climate, must be because its a new home. Have you gone through a whole winter with it yet?

May I ask how much the unit cost and what the BTU/h rating is?

Quote:
One thing I can say, we invested in good insulation in walls and attic.
That is absolutely important, I've had customers in the past cut their coal bills by 1/3 to a half by installing new windows. If you're house's wall are built with 2x6's the insulation factor rises quite a bit as well.
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:03 AM
 
Location: NEW YORK
14 posts, read 32,790 times
Reputation: 13
This is what I did. Just yesterday I called the builder. NOW he's telling me I need a 2nd zone, he explains that this will more provide more comfort rather than using 1 zone which will be working extrmely hard to heat the whole house . which is by the way 3000 sf. Now I'm starting to get pissed off. Because if he was so concerned about me saving money in the long run, why would you ok the 9ft cielings on the first and second floor that I paid EXTRAAAAAAAAA for. So I decided to to away the 9ft clngs on the second flr. and apply that credit to the 2nd zoned heat system. You guys are a great help to me because I know nothing. everyday I learn something new. Thanks for all the advice
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:12 AM
 
Location: NEW YORK
14 posts, read 32,790 times
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Thats another thing, doesn't the heat pump stop once the temperature drops below 30 degrees? If so, then what will I do? MY HEAD HURTS!
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Northern Wayne Co, PA
620 posts, read 2,055,740 times
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There is only one heat pump that I have heard about being efficient for our climate, and that is the Acadia heat pump made by Halowell. It is new green technology and much more expensive than your average system, but the Halowell claims efficiency close to geothermal. Maybe that is the heat pump your builder is using?
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:54 AM
 
Location: Idiocracy
904 posts, read 2,055,074 times
Reputation: 371
Default Vent-free natural gas heaters

Quote:
Originally Posted by thecoalman View Post
That's useful. Natural gas pretty cheap, too-- vent-free gas heaters especially. We have two in our house, may be using them heavily this winter.

Anyone know anything about the emissions of these? Tried finding studies on them online, but couldn't. I know they should have detectors that shut them off if CO2 levels get to high, and natural gas is supposed to burn quite cleanly, but nothing's 100% free of impurities.

Thanks for any info.
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Old 09-26-2008, 09:38 AM
 
41,813 posts, read 51,039,086 times
Reputation: 17864
I wouldn't use a vent free heater in my house.... I don't care what they say.
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