Typical energy bills (Portland: insurance, house, heat pump)

[The White Rabbit]

We have a daughter who just moved to Portland and has started a new job. We are thinking about following her and as we looked into living in the state, the question came up regarding utility costs, particularly in the winter. I've seen discussions on propane heat, electric heat, wood heat, oil heat and splits and one comment that keeping a home warm in Maine is akin to an art form. Can anyone shed some light on what it costs to keep a home warm in your state. I've searched the forums and if this has already been a topic, please excuse my asking and point me to that thread. The one site I found that did have information stated that the average heating bill in Maine was $87/month. That doesn't seem right considering the cold you experience. Thank you very much in advance.

[AustinB]

Whatever you do, don't get electric heat. It is the highest cost for heat. Heat pumps are getting pretty good, but it is still wise to have a back up for the really cold times and for when the power is out. Wood will be the cheapest form of home heating, but it can be labor intensive.

Your cost for any home you will buy, depends on the home you buy. At my home I have wood, pellet, and oil heat. I have an inefficient house. At my cottage I've got wood and a mini split heat pump. That will get a propane heater, maybe next year.

[dubthang]

Totally depends on where you live. In Portland, the best option is generally natural gas. A new gas boiler is over 90% efficient.
Mini splits can help offset costs in the shoulder seasons where you'll get a 3 to 1 ratio of heat to electricity. In the winter that ratio drops to 1 to 1 which makes it no better than electric base board heating.

If you live outside of Portland, a wood stove can be cost effective if you have a decently insulated house. A cord of wood is between $200 and $300 dollars depending on time of year and location. The amount of cords needed per winter will depend on house size and air tightness. It's even cheaper if you have your own land to harvest wood from. A pellet stove can be a better option, but many models need electricity to run. Many Mainers suffer from power outages throughout the winter.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by AustinB

Whatever you do, don't get electric heat. It is the highest cost for heat. Heat pumps are getting pretty good, but it is still wise to have a back up for the really cold times and for when the power is out. Wood will be the cheapest form of home heating, but it can be labor intensive.

Your cost for any home you will buy, depends on the home you buy. At my home I have wood, pellet, and oil heat. I have an inefficient house. At my cottage I've got wood and a mini split heat pump. That will get a propane heater, maybe next year.

What AustinB said :-). You can see some data here at Efficiency Maine, where you can also adjust for the cost of fuel as desired.
https://www.efficiencymaine.com/at-h...st-comparison/

[Submariner]

We contract one of our neighbors to deliver cut&split firewood every Spring. Our annual heating fuel cost is $700.

Our main woodstove heats water, which circulates through a thermal bank, which then circulates through our radiant heated floor. The idea is to capture as much heat as possible, to store that heat, and to re-distribute that heat throughout our house.

We also have a wood-fired cookstove that is capable of heating our house, but it does not do as good a job in home heating. Because it does not heat our floor.

Looking around at our neighbors nearly everyone in my township uses wood heat. Though many also have oil as a backup heat source.

You can also use wood pellets they are gaining popularity. There are a handful of pellet stove models that do not require electricity.

For whatever method of home heating you select, keep in mind that most home heating systems require electricity. This then brings up the discussion of backup generators and fuel capacity. One of my neighbors is a gunsmith, his insurance requires that he must have electricity [for his security system] 24 hours a day during power outages. He routinely consumes $150 of generator fuel each month, due to the frequency of power outages in our township.

[The White Rabbit]

Thank you, everyone, for your help. In particular, the efficiency maine.com website From Outdoor Lover will help a lot. I imagine that if you used heating oil as the fuel source for a boiler you could use that fuel to power a backup generator. I've always been one to focus on redundant systems.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by The White Rabbit

Thank you, everyone, for your help. In particular, the efficiency maine.com website From Outdoor Lover will help a lot. I imagine that if you used heating oil as the fuel source for a boiler you could use that fuel to power a backup generator. I've always been one to focus on redundant systems.

Does your generator use heating oil?

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by The White Rabbit

Thank you, everyone, for your help. In particular, the efficiency maine.com website From Outdoor Lover will help a lot. I imagine that if you used heating oil as the fuel source for a boiler you could use that fuel to power a backup generator. I've always been one to focus on redundant systems.

You could run a diesel generator on home heating oil, but it won't be as efficient as a modern propane or gas generator. Plus, using your heating oil would mean running out of oil quicker, and it costs more than propane.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by The White Rabbit

Thank you, everyone, for your help. In particular, the efficiency maine.com website From Outdoor Lover will help a lot. I imagine that if you used heating oil as the fuel source for a boiler you could use that fuel to power a backup generator. I've always been one to focus on redundant systems.

I think I see what you're after there - it simplifies managing the fuel if you have one fuel type and reservoir for both heating and generator, so that would be an advantage.

At least for the generator, I'd prefer propane. Propane isn't the cheapest fuel, but the generator is only being used intermittently. The nice thing about propane is that it ignites readily and it burns really clean, leaving virtually no residues, which should make the generator require less maintenance and be more reliable. For something that sits around most of the time, but absolutely must work when called upon, that's a good property.

[nm9stheham]

Looks like the main problem with using home heating oil in a diesel generator, the sulphur content, was solved 2-3 years ago with the mandate of using only ultra low sulphur home heating oil in Maine. But that matter merits some further research and reading of the operating manuals to see what the manufacturer says. https://www.afccomfort.com/ultra-low...means-for-you/

I don't see any maintenance issues with diesel powered generators simply due to fuel type. The fuel burn and exhaust temps are sooo much hotter in a diesel than in a furnace that the residue problems that can occur in a furnace flue do not exist in a diesel engine. And diesel engines are designed so much more heavily inside than other engines (to stand up the to the very high cylinder pressures), that I would expect better engine durability in general with a diesel... just like in on-road and construction vehicles. Propane powered engines are just gasoline engines, which are more lightly constructed than diesel engines. But for infrequent generator use, that internal durability may not be much of an issue. Things like keeping moisture out of the cylinders when sitting, and regular oil changes (to remove accumulated moisture) and filter cleanings, are likely much more important.

One issue that may rear its ugly head with diesel for standby generator use is the fuel degradation. Like gasoline, diesel will suffer degradation due to oxidation, and I have read reports of that becoming worse with the coming of ultra low sulphur diesel; the process of cleaning our the sulphur also removes anti-oxidants and lubricants. https://www.agcs.allianz.com/content...adation-EN.pdf

However, if you are using the same fuel for a home heating source too, then your 'fuel turnover' would seem to solve those fuel storage issues.