Hello, and a question (Penn, Atlantic: renters, vacation home, calculator)

[DE_NePA]

Hi everyone. My name is Paul. My wife Nicole and daughter Jessica live in Wilmington, DE, but in August we bought a vacation home in Towamensig Trails in Albrightsville. I've been lurking hear eer since, I find it very interesting, kind of like listening to a conversation from the next table at a restaurant ;-)
Now the question - at home, we have oil fired, forced hot air heating, and it is far from optimal. Our home "up north" has a ventless propane gas log in the fireplace (flue closed, so it does provide heat to the room), a wall mounted propane heater in the living room and family room (which can heat the whole house), and baseboard electric heat in every room, with a separate thermostat in every room. I really like the even heat from the electric base board.
We plan to rent the house out on weekends. I know renters will use the gas log, as it does look really nice. But, from an efficiency and $ per BTU perspective, I don't know which to recommend (which is more economical), the electric or the propane. I won't get enough direct experience to find out myself.
Anyone have any guidance? Thanks in advance.

[LusOnlyVoice]

I have electric heat like you with the thermostat in all rooms ... I also have a wall mounted gas heater that I use because it is more economical than using the electric heat. Price per BTU I don't really know ... but when I got that first electric bill ... I near lost my mind ... so I started using the gas heater ... and I keep the electric set at 55 just in case the gas heater goes out for some reason.

That is just my experience.

[Irish Eyes]

We don't have the guts to rent our house. Do you mean what to recommend to renters? I'm pretty sure they are going to put the electric heat on in all the rooms and then put the fireplace on.

For yourselves the propane is probably more economical. When you get there on a Friday night it might make sense to put the heat on in the rooms to about 55. Once the house warms a little you can use the propane. We have a wood burning fireplace and that's what we do. But you get A LOT more heat out of propane.

[DE_NePA]

Thanks for the tips, Irish Eyes.

[DE_NePA]

Originally Posted by LusOnlyVoice

I have electric heat like you with the thermostat in all rooms ... I also have a wall mounted gas heater that I use because it is more economical than using the electric heat. Price per BTU I don't really know ... but when I got that first electric bill ... I near lost my mind ... so I started using the gas heater ... and I keep the electric set at 55 just in case the gas heater goes out for some reason.

That is just my experience.

LusOnlyVoice - looks like electric baseboard is cheaper to operate than Propane: FUEL COST CALCULATOR!!! - Anthracite Coal Discussion and News
$29.60 per million BTUS for the baseboard vs $48.34 forthe propane room heater, and that is without taxes for the propane - I used real PPL values for electric, and the reported Mid-Atlantic avg (without taxes) for propane.

[LusOnlyVoice]

Originally Posted by DE_NePA

LusOnlyVoice - looks like electric baseboard is cheaper to operate than Propane: FUEL COST CALCULATOR!!! - Anthracite Coal Discussion and News
$29.60 per million BTUS for the baseboard vs $48.34 forthe propane room heater, and that is without taxes for the propane - I used real PPL values for electric, and the reported Mid-Atlantic avg (without taxes) for propane.

Thank you for the information ... it seemed to me that I was saving money using both ... but it could have been an illusion ... 2 small bills as opposed to one large bills ... I will have to check into it further and see if I really am saving ... again thank you for the information!

[DE_NePA]

"again thank you for the information!"

LusOnlyVoice - Thank TheCoalMan, he had posted the info and calculator in the esperately in Need of Pellets" thread here: http://www.city-data.com/forum/5978276-post18.html

[MermanMike]

Keep in mind that electricity in Pennsylvania will become deregulated in January of 09, and the modest expectation is for prices to rise by about 30%. This is from PPL info, check it out on the web. They are sending around warnings to customers now to plan for the increase.

[thecoalman]

You can expect electricity go up considerably more than the already expected 30% since Obama has been elected. "Skyrocket" is the word he used. Now that's some change you can believe in.

[DE_NePA]

I beleive I will be looking into a small coal stoker next spring/summer