Yikes..Could this Heating Bill be Right?
We moved into a large victorian house last spring, so this is our first winter in the house. We were expecting to pay a ton for winter heating, but we just got our National Grid bill for Nov…it’s over $700. We replaced the boiler last month, so I can’t imagine that eating up gas. We…
We moved into a large victorian house last spring, so this is our first winter in the house. We were expecting to pay a ton for winter heating, but we just got our National Grid bill for Nov…it’s over $700.
We replaced the boiler last month, so I can’t imagine that eating up gas. We also keep the thermostat at 68 degrees…often to the dismay of our office tenants on the first floor.
Is this what others pay for heat in the winter? Or are we out of whack? Granted, the house is big (4000 square feet), three stories, detached, and drafty. But $700/month??? I shudder to think of what Dec and Jan will look like. Tell me it ain’t so…
Thanks for the input. Especially the point about catch up: indeed, the bill does seem to be higher because of a low estimated reading last month. But, still…
My post shouldn’t dissuade folks from moving into these houses. They are awesome in so many other ways. And we save a lot on AC in the summer, with four exposures and lots of windows. Something for something, I guess
Yes, it seems high for November. Expect the months of January and February each to be 3 times as high as November.
Insulation, weather stripping and lowering the evening setting should help cut the bill to a more reasonable amount. With bills like that any insulation project will have a much quicker payback than is typical.
we pay 700 for a two family house plus two renters. yes it is right
My wife wanted a Victorian frame house and I wanted a row house. Beautiful as the former are, posts like this make me glad we bought the later. My Nov. gas bill was $198.41 for a three story 2800 sq. ft. house.
New boiler. Is it a steam or hot water system?
Sometimes there are things that can be done to the boiler and piping to increase efficiency.
Insulate the space above the ceiling on the top floor and the roof. Call Federal Conservation. Look under the insulation posts for the number
You really have to check whether either your previous or current reading is actual or estimated. Sometimes they underestimate and then there’s a big catch up.
Sorry, it is so, Yes, $700. per month sounds right. You had best start thinking about insulation. Start with your windows. If you have drafty windows, buy a bunch of plastic window kits to stop the draft now. Then work on your entrance doors with weather stripping. Walk around your house and seal every draft you can find.
For big, detatched and drafty that sounds almost low…