[cbags]

My husband and I are moving to southern vermont in June and looking at houses to rent and obviously heating is a big cost for most houses. But one house we're going to see next week is only 10 years old, 3br/2ba, with gas heat. The owner told me that the gas bill is only ~$90/mo in the winter, can that be right?

She also said there's a wood burning stove on the main level that helps keep the heat costs down.

It seems that most houses cost >$400/mo in winter months when heating with Oil (depending on the oil prices obv). Can gas be THAT much cheaper or is her estimate of $90/mo for gas low?

Thanks for any responses!

[marcav]

Why don't you ask for copies of the bills when you meet?

[cbags]

Oh, I absolutely will ask for copies of bills. But I was just curious if gas heating was this low compared to oil in anyone elses experiences? Thanks.

[arctichomesteader]

Perhaps she hasn't used the gas for the main heat source for a long time. If the woodstove does a good job, what she said might be true. Gas (propane) is quite expensive.

[MTK1]

According to the Vermont fuel price report propane (gas) is the most expensive fuel in the state when looked at in cost per million BTU. Electricity is actually listed as being cheaper than propane. A $90 a month heating bill with propane in my opinion is not realistic. I am in Burlington and have natural gas which according the the fuel price report cost half of what heating oil and propane would cost. I averaged 150-200 a month using natural gas in my small 2 bedroom apartment in Burlington. I have a friend who heats with propane and was averaging 200-400 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment. He said he recently paid over 3.50 a gallon for propane. Keep in mind that propane is a by product of crude oil and the price is directly effected by the price of a barrel of oil. In my opinion its going to get very ugly here by next winter with the escalating costs of energy especially heating oil which is now well over 4.00 a gallon.

VT Fuel Price Report : Vermont Department of Public Service

[flu189]

You bet it is going to get ugly next winter with $4.00+ p/gal heating oil. Talking to my coworkers there almost seems to be a sense of denial of the potential for budget busting energy in the upcoming year, but deep down we all know that household budgets are going to have to be realigned to pay for the absolute necessities. Quite a few folks are researching and speculating on which energy source will be cheaper, but ultimately there will not be much difference as it will all be much higher than we have been accustomed to. The key thing now in May is to think ahead to putting aside enough to cover the next heating season because with all the pandering and posturing of the upcoming election year and agendas to be met you can be sure that the responsibility for taking care of yourself rests with you.

[Colomonter]

Originally Posted by cbags

My husband and I are moving to southern vermont in June and looking at houses to rent and obviously heating is a big cost for most houses. But one house we're going to see next week is only 10 years old, 3br/2ba, with gas heat. The owner told me that the gas bill is only ~$90/mo in the winter, can that be right?

She also said there's a wood burning stove on the main level that helps keep the heat costs down.

It seems that most houses cost >$400/mo in winter months when heating with Oil (depending on the oil prices obv). Can gas be THAT much cheaper or is her estimate of $90/mo for gas low?

Thanks for any responses!

There are so many variables that it is impossible to answer your questions with any degree of accuracy.

How many sq. ft. is the house? What temperature do you keep the thermostat set on? Are there people at home during the day or is the thermostat set back?

The biggest variable though is the wood stove. Depending on the size of the house and the efficiency of the stove it could be possible to heat the house without using any gas. Bottom line.....it is a fact that ALL sources of heat can be expensive depending on the individual using them and how cold the winter is. In Vermont it is cold and stays cold for a long time, you will be heating for approx. 6 months of the year if not longer.

In general, I think that heating costs are going to be a huge problem for most people and next winter will severely test any budget plan for many people.

[Colomonter]

Originally Posted by flu189

You bet it is going to get ugly next winter with $4.00+ p/gal heating oil. Talking to my coworkers there almost seems to be a sense of denial of the potential for budget busting energy in the upcoming year, but deep down we all know that household budgets are going to have to be realigned to pay for the absolute necessities. Quite a few folks are researching and speculating on which energy source will be cheaper, but ultimately there will not be much difference as it will all be much higher than we have been accustomed to. The key thing now in May is to think ahead to putting aside enough to cover the next heating season because with all the pandering and posturing of the upcoming election year and agendas to be met you can be sure that the responsibility for taking care of yourself rests with you.

Exactly....most people are going to see heating costs like they have never seen before. People would be wise to adjust their budgets now and prepare to pay more than they ever have in the past.

I calculate my yearly costs and budget that amount monthly and have it automatically deducted from my bank account year round. Unless someone is wealthy I really can't imagine paying for it any other way.

Utility costs and taxes are making it more and more difficult for the average income person or family to live in Vermont. Is it worth it.....I am afraid that many people over the next decade will decide NO and then this state is going to have problems that dwarf what we have today.

[Betsi]

Ask your real estate agent and look up the states stats. I highly recommend introducing yourself to the neighbors on the next visit to the house and ask them politely an estimate of what they pay. Most people will not feel offended if you do it tactfully. I am currently looking for a home and trust me neighbors are the best resource available to new owners.

FYI: I currenlty pay $400/mo to heat a three level single family house with gas. However keep in mind I live in Jersey so I don't know how the unit costs compare.

[flu189]

Regarding heating costs, today I decided to stop by my heating oil dealer because since March 4th I have not received any delivery to top off my tank for the summer to start off the next heating season which has always been done by late April in the prior years. I pre-bought last year at 2.60 p/gal and still have over 230 gallons credit on the account and the contract is due to expire at the end of the month with the remaining balance in cash to roll into the next year at whatever the new per gallon will be. Well, the rate as of 11:00 am this morning from my dealer is $4.199 per gallon! After speaking with them in person they agreed to make sure that I will get the tank topped off before the end of the month which I estimate will be around 180 to 200 gallons worth. I strongly suspect that if I had not made the inquiry in person they would just have let the contract lapse and carry the excess cash balance into the new season rate, so basically I saved myself around $300.00 by stopping by to make sure that they deliver by the end of the month. I don't know if anyone else is facing the same situation, but if oil is now $4.20 p/gal it would be a safe bet to assume that the odds are it will be even more in the months to come, so I encourage folks to read the fine print in their contracts and and don't get blindsided later.