Help! Winter gas bills are here again!

Discussion in Gas & Electricity started by Mockingbird • Dec 6, 2014.

  1. Mockingbird

    MockingbirdActive Member

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    I got the gas bill in the mail yesterday and despite us having an early snow this year the bill was not as bad as I have had in the past. It was $157 and I know it is only a matter of time before the bills go even higher. I have done everything I can, we have insulated, we have even turned back the thermostat and we have an newer high efficiency furnace. I am thinking maybe of getting one of those electric fireplace inserts for the bedrooms which seem to get colder in the evenings but I am afraid they cost a fortune. Does anyone use them and know what I should expect as far as increase in my electric bill?
     
  2. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    Be careful about which one you buy. Some of them can be very energy efficient indeed but others just guzzle the stuff. Do a bit of research online and work out which models use the least electricity. You could alwas put the heater on a timer too, to control exactly how long it is on for.
     
  3. Mika

    MikaMember

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    Wow that's a crazy amount for a heating bill. I live in a tiny apartment so my bills don't get very high, but my mom lives in a pretty big two story house and her electric bill is about that high. She has electric vent heating, with two of the electric wall heaters, and floor heat in a couple rooms and pays about $150 a month in the winter. When she added the second wall heater, the bill went up about $10 I believe. We live in the northern states of the US and keep our heat at about 70 degrees. If you're just wanting a warm bedroom for sleeping, a cheaper suggestion is using an electric blanket. A lot of people set them on a timer to heat up before they get there and to shut off in the middle of the night.

    Although if you really want the room warm, getting a larger portable heater seems to work alright. Using one to heat up a room that otherwise didn't get heat made my bill go up about $40. Note: This room was getting no other source of heat, the door didn't shut properly, and it was barely insulated. So that's not too bad.