Utility costs? (Herndon: townhouse, to buy, living)

[MicheleG]

We are thinking about moving to the Herndon area and are looking at both townhomes and single family homes. Some of the places we look list the average utility costs at arounds $100 per month. This seems awful low to me. Is that realistic? My bill in SW VA in an old, large home can hit $800/ month in the winter, which is a lot, but still! My average is only $300 a month. Can anyone give me a more realistic idea of what to expect?

[SmerkyGrl]

It all depends on your habits of using electricity/water/gas, etc but I would say 100 is a tad low. Maybe 150 or so to 200 sounds more accurate for this area. I am also from SW VA and one thing I noticed about the DC area is that it definitely is not as cold as it was back in the mountains. Of course, the saved utility bill is replaced by the price for gas...but that's another story

[MicheleG]

Thanks! It still seems strange to be that low....I figure the summers are hotter and the winters are colder (I'm east of the mountains, pretty warm in the wintr here for the most part!) so I thought those numbers had to be way off! I guess not. I can definately deal with cutting my utility bill in half, makes up for a few of the higher living expenses.

[lqda4]

Good windows, doors and insulation can help as well. Take that into consideration when you do house hunting.

[normie]

Also, if your townhouse has a unit on either side and behind it, your bills will be lower because there is less exposure. (But, adjoining walls can be a problem if you have noisy neighbors.)

My worst bill in the winter is usually about $250. It went up to $320 a few years back when we had really cold days and a lot of snow. I live in a mid-sized McMansion, but it was built with an energy efficient design and newer materials.

[normie]

I forgot to note: avoid tall foyers if you want lower utility bills. Those dramatic two-story rooms will run up your totals. A southern exposure can make a real difference.

[MicheleG]

Yeah, I know about those tall ceilings. Our current house has 10 foot ceilings, and no insulation. We only heat our bedrooms at night, (good electric radiators!) and let the rest of the house drop to 62 degrees to keep out bills lower. Those automatic thermostats make a huge difference as well, dropping the temp when no one is home during the day. With all that and new, really good windows, we still have really high bills.

Needless to say, the granduer of a historic home is lost in the reality! I will never be stupid enough to buy a home like this again, believe me! This home was built in 1917, radiator heat, etc. I can't wait to have realistic heat bills!

[HEATHER72]

My elec/gas bill ranges from $150 to over $300 total each month. I keep it cool in the summer and even cooler in the winter (low 60s!) I have a year old 3800 sq ft home. I've relied more on my gas fireplace and a space heater this year.

Make a note of what direction the main living area faces for sunlight. I still say it's cheaper to cool a house down in the summer than to heat it up in the winter. Both of my last houses have faced north, with the main living areas getting south & west sun.

[MicheleG]

I agree about the sunlight! Our home gets full sun all afternoon in the back by our living areas - makes it hell in the summer, but really helps in the winter! Definately something to pay attention to!