Heating question (Great Falls, Clifton: rentals, houses, heat pump) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

ajzjmsmom · 09-02-2008, 09:27 PM

I was curious if NOVA uses gas or electric for heating. My inlaws live in TN and they have a heat pump that provides their ac in the summer and their heat in the winter so it is all electric. When we lived in Texas we had a heat pump also, so no big gas usage. Here in NM because evaporative coolers are so widely used we have a separate furnace that uses gas. So instead of just flipping the thermostat from cool to heat here we have to have the a/c turned off and disconnected and the heater turned on. But even in the houses here that have refrigerated air, you still get your heat from gas. I guess my concern is I always hear on the news about heating costs on the east coast so was wondering if this applied to NOVA. If this makes no sense I am sorry it is late and I am tired but wanted to post while I was thinking about it.

ses5909 · 09-03-2008, 04:11 AM

I think it depends on the house/neigborhood. We have gas heating ourselves.

ajzjmsmom · 09-03-2008, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ses5909

I think it depends on the house/neigborhood. We have gas heating ourselves.

Do you have huge gas bills in the winter? We really only have maybe 1 or 2 months that we really need a heater here and last winter I think the highest our bill got to was $250, don't know if that is considered high or not. I keep reading all these horror stories where people are saying it is possible for their heating bills to be upwards of $500 a month in some areas. I know alot has to do with the price of natural gas but that is alot of money.

handy man88 · 09-03-2008, 07:32 AM

Most of Great Falls has only electrical heating because they don't have gas access. Cooking of course is with electricity too. Other parts of NoVA do have gas.

I can't see how people can stay warm without gas during the winter.

ajzjmsmom · 09-03-2008, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handy man88

Most of Great Falls has only electrical heating because they don't have gas access. Cooking of course is with electricity too. Other parts of NoVA do have gas.

I can't see how people can stay warm without gas during the winter.

Does having electric for gas translate into large bills in the winter? I think our electric bills are outrageous here in NM. I don't have central air and my bill routinely runs about $225 a month. My mother in law says her bill in TN has never been over $150 and she has central air. I know TN has their water provided by TVA so maybe that is why her is so cheap. I do notice when I look at rentals and the give estimates for utilites, it seems low to me, but that is good.

handy man88 · 09-03-2008, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajzjmsmom

Does having electric for gas translate into large bills in the winter? I think our electric bills are outrageous here in NM. I don't have central air and my bill routinely runs about $225 a month. My mother in law says her bill in TN has never been over $150 and she has central air. I know TN has their water provided by TVA so maybe that is why her is so cheap. I do notice when I look at rentals and the give estimates for utilites, it seems low to me, but that is good.

It really depends on how large your home is and how many zones you have, but the largest bill I've ever had during the winter months is maybe $300-$350 for a roughly 3800 sq. ft. house (1st & 2nd floor).

I'd rather spend money on gas heat than electric heat. With gas heat, you feel the warmth right away. With heat pumps, you just feel cold air blowing, and heat pumps don't work when the temperature drops below freezing.

ajzjmsmom · 09-03-2008, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handy man88

It really depends on how large your home is and how many zones you have, but the largest bill I've ever had during the winter months is maybe $300-$350 for a roughly 3800 sq. ft. house (1st & 2nd floor).

I'd rather spend money on gas heat than electric heat. With gas heat, you feel the warmth right away. With heat pumps, you just feel cold air blowing, and heat pumps don't work when the temperature drops below freezing.

Thanks, so as with anything the smaller of a space you have the cheaper it will be.

car54 · 09-03-2008, 10:21 AM

I can't imagine anyone who has access to natural gas not using it for heat/hot water/cooking. It is far and away the best and cheapest (at least so far).

A lot of those mansions in Great Falls, Clifton, or anywhere without access to natural gas have a large propane tank buried or hidden somewhere to provide cooking fuel. Find me a serious cook that prefers an electric stove!

ajzjmsmom · 09-03-2008, 10:33 AM

Why are there areas that have no access to natural gas? I think everywhere we have lived there has been access and if you lived to far out in the country you used propane.

g3org3 · 09-03-2008, 12:48 PM

"Why are there areas that have no access to natural gas? I think everywhere we have lived there has been access and if you lived to far out in the country you used propane."

Exactly. Clifton and Great Falls still are sort of rural. A little. Those parts of the County also have larger lots, so there are/were fewer opportunities for the initial cost of bringing in natural gas to be spread among a 100-lot subdivision. Many of the newer houses use propane for heating. I'd say, generally, the preference runs: #1 Natural Gas; #2 Propane; #3 Heat Pump; #4 everything else (ground source, oil, etc.).