Electric Heat & Fireplace (apartments, renting, appliances)

[Jillzilla]

So, after 27 years in NY and a year in Florida we are moving to PA. Our new apartment has electric heat (which I am not familiar with, i've always had gas or oil) and a fireplace. We are on the second floor. I called the power company and they couldn't really give me an estimate on what the prior tenant's bill was because my apartment has been vacant for a year. She said based on square footage and amount of occupants my bill should run about $150 a month.

Does anyone have any experience with electric heat? All i've heard is how expensive it is.. I am kind of nervous. Our apartment is on the second floor, 1100 sq feet and we do have a fireplace. Any suggestions? Anyone know know how much I should expect the bill to be? Should I use the fireplace, or will it waste more heat than it produces? I've heard of fireplace blowers, but I am renting so I can't really make any modifications..

Thanks!

[PA-native71]

Originally Posted by Jillzilla

So, after 27 years in NY and a year in Florida we are moving to PA. Our new apartment has electric heat (which I am not familiar with, i've always had gas or oil) and a fireplace. We are on the second floor. I called the power company and they couldn't really give me an estimate on what the prior tenant's bill was because my apartment has been vacant for a year. She said based on square footage and amount of occupants my bill should run about $150 a month.

Does anyone have any experience with electric heat? All i've heard is how expensive it is.. I am kind of nervous. Our apartment is on the second floor, 1100 sq feet and we do have a fireplace. Any suggestions? Anyone know know how much I should expect the bill to be? Should I use the fireplace, or will it waste more heat than it produces? I've heard of fireplace blowers, but I am renting so I can't really make any modifications..

Thanks!

I myself have had electric heat and it is not bad just keep it at where it is comfortable , we find 65 F is a good spot but if you need it warmer turn it up a degree at a time till you get it where it is comfortable ,and use the fireplace to off set the rest since you will be in that part of the apt more and close your bedroom doors and see if you have an automatic thermostat if you do set it to let the temp to drop to 60 degrees when you sleep at night but will start to raise the temp to your day time temp about an hour before you wake ,and if no one is going to be home in the apt for a certain time period drop your temp down to 60 then have it raise it about an hour before someone gets home this will save you money ,but now I have some bad news for you the electric utility rates have been in a freeze and come January they are going to jump up here in PA about 29% ,unless congress orders a hold you will get a bigger bill after the new year ,but there are things you can do to combat this, don't use lights if unless you have to (unless someone is in the room why have a light on),switch to energy efficient lighting,unless you need them unplug any appliances and electronics that are not a necessity ,for Christmas use LED Christmas lights they are great and use hardly any wattage .
Now since you have an apartment below you and above ,you have a lil more insulation and a lil heat coming your way from the apartment below so that will help and see if you can get on a budget plan with your utility company you may have to pay a lil more in the warm weather but it will help with your expenses and will be more stable and you will know what to expect every month in the bill .
Good Luck and welcome to PA.

[Honest Bob]

My opinion is - run, don't walk, do not pass go, do not collect $200

The people who build apartments usually do everything as cheaply as possible, so they can get the maximum amount of profit out of the tenant.

A gas furnace costs money, but is very efficient and actually saves you money because the cost per a cu ft of gas is very cheap per a btu as compared to electricity.

I had rented many apartments in my day and I found that everytime I rented a all electric apartment, I usually spent more money on electric, and froze then I spent in a house or apartment that had natural gas.

I would expect to pay $150 a month on the budget plan, where you paid the same amount all year long. But in the wintertime - if it gets below zero and the dump has a minimum amount of insulation - your electric bill might be as much as $800 for a single months electric.

The only thing good about being on the second floor is if the people on the first floor has their heat turned up, some of it will rise up and heat your floor.

Landlords who heats their buildings with electricity, doesn't actually have to pay to heat the building, because it is all on your electric meter. In time the electric stove goes bad and you will have more problems cooking and stuff then a person that has natural gas.

I would keep looking if I was you. Surely you can find a better place then that!

[dj10]

Here's my opinion based on my experience with electric heat. I really like it. I've had gas and oil and the constant cycling on and off of the heater would drive me crazy. Not to mention the burst of cold air you would get at first everytime the heater kicked in.

Electric heat is quiet and since I have a thermostat in every room I can control the amount of heat. I have a bi-level home and there are some rooms I am not using right now. Sometimes I don't even have the heat on in those rooms. We have had milder winters lately and I never had a problem.

I have been on a budget plan and my monthly budget last year was around $108.00 This year it is around $111.00. However, as the above poster mentioned the caps are coming off electric rates and they will increase. It has me concerned but not panicked. In my opinion, all sources of heating whether it is gas, oil or electric are expensive. Previously when oil prices went crazy it cost more to heat my mother's small home with oil than it did my larger home with electric. I was just reading gas prices may be going up and of course we all know how crazy oil prices can get. It's just hard to get around the expense no matter which you choose.

If I ever move, I would look for another place with electric heat. It's just my personal preference.

I wouldn't worry. I would definitely get yourself set up on a budget plan. Then you know what your monthly expense will be.

Enjoy your apartment and welcome to PA.

[thecoalman]

Giving any estimate is really hard as there is so many variables, insulation, wall thickness, windows... teenagers? You say your on the second floor which is good thing especially if here is no insulation between the two floors as you'll be getting heat your neighbor is paying for. I'd suggest the $150 quoted is low unless that is just for heat. Plus the rates are going up so it will be more than that.

Originally Posted by Jillzilla

Should I use the fireplace, or will it waste more heat than it produces?

What kind of fireplace is it? Gas? Wood? If it's gas and you're on a gas line where the cost of natural gas will be cheap that will definitely be cheaper than electric.

[Jillzilla]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

What kind of fireplace is it? Gas? Wood? If it's gas and you're on a gas line where the cost of natural gas will be cheap that will definitely be cheaper than electric.

I believe it's wood, since everything in the house is electric.. I don't think there is any gas lines running in.

I really didn't put much thought into it until I mentioned it someone and they said "Electric heat?! You're gonna be broke!".. kind of scared me. What is the benefit of electric heat? I would assume the apartment community does it because it's cheaper for them to run lines in.. Being in Florida now with the Central Air on 24/7 my bill is only about $120. Doesn't the electric heat kind of work the same way?

I appreciate everyones feedback, that is why I love this forum!

[thecoalman]

I'm surprised they would have a wood fireplace in an apartment simply because of the risks involved. It's not necessarily unsafe but when using wood regularly chimneys need maintenance because of the creosote and there's a lot of other do's and dont's. I'd imagine such a fireplace was installed for the occasioanl fire for ambiance. They are pretty much ornamental.

Fireplaces are not very efficient because a lot of the heat goes out the chimney. The wood is a lot cheaper per BTU output but since your efficiency is so bad it might be only marginally better than the cost of electric. Having said that heating with wood is lot of work and you'll need quite a large area to store any amount of wood and probably not worth the effort with a fireplace.

They make wood stoves that are much more efficient which is why you'll see a lot of people heating with wood around here.

[Summering]

I have to say that I've owned two homes with oil and I found it to be quite dirty and so troublesome.
The nozzles clogging......The lines freezing.........Having to wrap lines or call someone in because the furnace is not working. Rugs, full of black from the oil ..........No heat on Christmas morning when it was zero and the lines froze. Hubby going outside at 2AM to unfreeze lines.........Just a nightmare.
I love electric heat. I've had it in two homes now. I love that it is clean. I love that it is quiet.......no noise coming from any furnace. Granted, you should conserve where you can. We close off rooms we don't use, just in the winters.

If you go away......only the rooms with water lines need heat the rest can be on 50 and nothing will freeze.

Fireplaces are not efficient and thats correct for sure. Having a wood stove insert, or a pellet insert would be much better for extra heat. I've had pellet stoves and I like them. Just be sure to read all cleaning directions.
PS ......The most I ever spent on a three level home in the winter time was close to $400 ( before the pellet stove went in) and with cathedral ceilings.
Summers the cost is very low on electric. With AC and a Pool filer we were at 130.00
Now in this one level home I can keep the winter bill ( if I am here) at about 250 per month. ( 1750sq feet, and not counting the basement)