Mild Winter

[WA1GFZ]

Last night I checked the oil tanks. We burned about 150 Gal. since the middle of Dec.
I hear the yuppies crying around here about their $500 to $600 heating bills last month. Bo Ho for your big bucks house with no insulation.

my insane amount of insulation payed for itself about 10 years ago and just keeps on saving.

[John Holotko]

Last night I checked the oil tanks. We burned about 150 Gal. since the middle of Dec.
I hear the yuppies crying around here about their $500 to $600 heating bills last month. Bo Ho for your big bucks house with no insulation.

my insane amount of insulation payed for itself about 10 years ago and just keeps on saving.

My parents home is in Westchester County NY. The big yuppie trend there now is to make a BIG HOUSE. Yuppies are not satisifed with the homes that served families well for generations and generations. So, the first thing they do when they buy a home is call in a contractor for "home improvement" which usually entails putting large additions onto the house so they can have BIG kitchens, BIG bathrooms, and just make the house BIGGER so they can impress their yuppie friends. I have seen so many of these endless construction projects going on it's incredible. Of course with BIGGER house comes BIGGER heating requirements. So even amidst this somewhat bizzarre and very unusually warm january they still have BIG oil bill and BIG gas and electric bill from Con Ed.  Con Edison must love these people.

[W3SLK]

Hmmm. Last time the oil guy was here was first week in December. He filled up my tank. It took a whopping 6.6 gallons I just went down and the level indicator on the tank show 1/2 so I should fill soon while the price of heating oil is falling.

[W1RKW]

Frank,
I'm not to far behind you this winter on oil usage. We used about 225 gallons since mid Dec.  I reprogrammed my thermostats to go to 52 degrees in the house during the night in the two zones that aren't being used while sleeping and the whole house while we're away at work instead of maintaining 62 like we did last year while sleeping and being away.  We have a bedroom over the garage.  The garage is insulated and I heat it and maintain about 50 degrees there as well with an electric heater controlled by a programmable thermostat.

I have the thermostats programmed to come on just before I leave from work so the house is coming up to temp by the time I arrive home. 

Doing it this way made a significant difference in overall usage compared to last year.

Essentially putting the thermostats that low normal thermal radiation from the ground into the house prevents the furnace from kicking on.  That 10 degree difference is all it took to make things more tolerable on the oil bill. And of course a mild winter helped big time too.

We're still not through February yet.  Got a few more weeks with the possibility of some low temps.  So I'll find out if my programming is doing the job.

Next year is solar collector year.  Time to get some free heat.

[WA1GFZ]

You can't beat solar. I'm running 130 square feet of glass on the south side. My XYL put up curtains this year to hold the heat in at night. Next we need thermal drapes to really do the job.

The yuppies need something to P&M about so they pecker match heating bills.
I listen to them and laugh.
 We need programable heat. I sometimes forget to turn the heat down at night and sweat. The house is usually about 69 unless the sun is out. Then we are walking around in shorts.  It is kind of a shock when the sun goes down and we shiver at 69. I just can't store enough. My blower is running 300 watts to move air through the rock bed under the floor so we have to suffer with extra heat during the day.

[k4kyv]

December was near normal here, but January was unusually mild.  But the 1st week of Feb is starting off near normal.

Normally the Jet Stream flows from west to east, dipping down in the southeast into northern Georgia in the winter.  North of the stream we get the cold arctic air, and south of the stream we get warm, moist air from the tropics.

During January, the stream was moving straight across the continent west to east along the Canadian border, so the lower 48 had balmy weather all month.  But latest report I saw, the Jet Stream is now back in its normal position.

I understand it has been unusually cold in northern Europe this winter.

Here, we heat with propane.  A couple of years ago, it cost about $300 to fill the tank.  Last time, sometime in Jan, it cost $599.

I predicted this would happen back in the summer when everyone was pissing and moaning about gasoline prices. 

Strange thing, gas prices dropped back down to near pre-Katrina figures, but heating fuel has continued to rise.  Go figure...

[wa2zdy]

Around here, the McMansions (as they're called here) are a million bucks apiece and they're occupied as the builders are finishing up.  I wish I knew where all this money is coming from.

The funny thing about these McMansions is many of them have little furniture inside.  Since the condition of the furniture or lack thereof is not visible from the outside, it doesn't figure into the "impress the neighbours" equation.

I think it's just too funny.  All about appearances; pathetic fake rich folks.

[WA3VJB]

I don't get the attraction with luxury tract housing. In Eastport, on the Bay near Annapolis, they're tearing down cute little 1000 square foot summer homes from the 1950s and building year-round, 4 story "supersize me" houses on the same 1/8 acre lot, yecch.  Tough if you happen to be one of the neighbors in the little house next door to the monsters.  (with a tip of the hat to Al Lewis of the Munsters who passed away this week)

[KB2WIG]

The local PWR Co.   "National Grid" has added a $urcharge to this month$ bill 'cause the winter has been mild....     klc

[k4kyv]

The local PWR Co.   "National Grid" has added a $urcharge to this month$ bill 'cause the winter has been mild....     klc

But had it been a severe winter, they would have jacked up the price because of "high demand."  SOB's.

[WA1GFZ]

Paul,
The same thing is happening along the Ct. coast.

[Tom WA3KLR]

For comparison -

I have a 2550 sq. ft. split-level 35 miles north of Philadelphia.
All-electric house with heat pump.
It sits out in the open and I consider it a leaky house.  Winds is the big factor.
We keep the house at 67 - 68 in the daytime, lower overnight.
The house is usually occupied during the day.

Latest electric bill   -  $208 for period ending February 3. 
     Avg. temp. 37,  avg. 85 kWH/day.

Previous month’s bill - $271 for period ending January 6.
     Avg. temp. 31,  avg. 106 kWH/day.

Yearly use – 19,738 kWHr, monthly avg. 1645.

[WA1GFZ]

Tom,
That is pretty good, do you have your heat pump connected to a well?
My electric is up over $100 now that the big increase went into effect.
I'm heating 1500 feet plus some of the basement. about R25 in walls and R60 overhead.
We tried 67 and 68 and after a while then pushed to 69. I do 65 or so at night.

[WA1GFZ]

nothing looks more stupid than a 3500 foot house on a 1/4 acre lot.
Then they use flake board on the walls with spruce 2X4 studs.
Extended family will bring furnature with them when they move in. fc

[Jim, W5JO]

Tom who is you electrical supplier?  I am on an REA here in a 2100 sq. ft. house with a 15.2 SEER heat pump and my bill has been no more than 180 dollars yet.  It has been much warmer here than there, but we keep out thermostat at 74 year around thanks to my wife.

At night we go down to 69 for sleeping, but that is only about 7 hours max.  I forget the cost per KWH on last bill, but we used about 2100.  Not too bad and am thankful the winter has been real mild in Southern OK.  That leaves more money for the tubes.

[Tom WA3KLR]

Hi Jim and Frank,

The power company here is PPL, formerly known as Pennsylvania Power and Light, headquartered in Allentown, Pa.  They cover a lot of eastern PA, but not the Philadelphia area, which is covered by Philadelphia Electric Company (PECo), one of the most expensive in the country.

Once you go over 800 kHWrs for the month, the rate drops a little.  There is a lot of itemized surcharges and taxes.  To just divide out the total bill above for the period ending January 6, by the total kWHr used, is 8.23 cents/kWHr.  The latest 12 months’ electric bills totals $1709.  My rate is the same all year round.  No heating of the basement.  We are air conditioning in the summer with the heat pump also.

I get a little solar heating through the front windows in the morning sun, but also really get hit by the western sun in the summer.

The Carrier 4 ton heat pump is the basic air exchange type.  This system is about 3 years old.  The original unit failed after 23 years.  The old outdoor unit was installed on the west side of the garage, which is attached to the house.  I had the new outdoor unit installed on the east side of the house, which happens to be the front side of the house.  There are bushes and it is not prominent.  (The house sits 100 yards from the road.)  My reason was that the refrigerant lines are shorter to the indoor unit in the garage, the unit is shielded from the afternoon summer sun, and gets the sun in the winter mornings.  May not make much of a difference, but may be a little help.  Also in the winter storms, it is protected from the snow a little better.  I had them put the unit on a snow stand, something that is rarely used in this area.  I see all outdoor units sitting a few inches above the ground; idiotic as far as I am concerned, for many reasons.

I dress quite warm at home during the winter.  I keep the house at 67, the lowest I found that was comfortable.  I wear long johns, undershirt, long sleeve shirt, and sweater.  That’s my “winter uniform” here.  64 at night, used to do 61 overnite.  Looks like as I get older, the winter temp. may creep up.  I do 78 - 79  in the daytime summer air conditioning - 77 or maybe 76 just as I go to bed; also may creep down as I get older.

[John Holotko]

Ikeep the heat turned way down low. Not so much to savemoney (although that's an excellent reason) but because I prefer it coolthan warm.  For  me a perfectly comfortable indoor winter temperature is between 60 - 65 degrees. At night I prefer it even cooler 55- 60 deg.  I don't like to heat the house over 65 in winter, I find the dry heat  uncomfortable..

Odd part is that during the summer I  like very hot humid weather. Go figure...

[AJ1G]

Mild winter, schmild winter - just got up to hear we have a BLIZZARD WARNING in effect here in SE CT.  Like Mark Twain said about our weather here, if you don't like it, just wait a minute!

[AJ1G]

Correction - BLIZZARD WATCH....we'll see...but time to fill the gas cans and check the emergency genny just in case....

[W1RKW]

.... I don't like to heat the house over 65 in winter, I find the dry heat  uncomfortable.....

But it's a dry heat.... 

[KB2WIG]

"
Correction - BLIZZARD WATCH....we'll see...but time to fill the gas cans and check the emergency genny just in case....
                                                       "

We keep a case of Labatt Blue for emergency.....  klc

[W2VW]

See what happens when we complain?

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

NWS reports that it was only the 10th warmest January on record in nearby Richmond.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

ended up with about an even foot here.  I had to drive down from Berlin NH... (up in the Great North Woods)  about 2 hrs normally was 3 p;us today... 
I saw a lot of cars off the road, mostly SUV types who think that 4wheel drive is impervious to snow and Ice...
I do rather enjoy cruising by them in my 2 wheel drive Ranger.  Granted I have about 300 lbs of sand ballast up against the tailgate

[WA1GFZ]

18 inches here in mild winter ville
3 driveways and 100 feet of sidewalk, I'm pooped.