Which is only 41 days, assuming 6 hours a day you only need to have it on for 168 days
I few of my friends live in what I consider to be a non insulated house in the heights. Their last bill… $360 (gas) I have no idea how they did that. But they got pissed about it so they’ve turned their heat off… in the dead of winter… I went over to Innovative and thought it was quite warm in comparison.
63 /= warm
I’m freezing and its 72 at my place 
I thought I was a pussy at 70… Here, take my crown.
The problem with CF bulbs is that they often don’t last as long as they are supposed to, so the savings you think you are getting ends up going to replacing the (expensive) bulbs. I’ve had several that didn’t even last a year under “normal” use, and they were supposed to last 5…
That said, every bulb that is on for more than 15 minutes at a time is a CF bulb in my place, and I practice a strict “light only the room you are in” regimen. My electric bill is between $35 and $45 per month.
Gas usually peaks at $150 maximum during the coldest month, as I have around 1300 sq feet to heat, and an attic with no insulation at all. I use a programmable thermostat and it is set to 62 when I am at work, 68 all other times.
Phone bill is $35 a month.
Cable is $66.
ADT is $28.
You think that, but I’ve found that setting it back during the day saves me quite a bit on the gas bill…
at 68 I neither feel that my place is warm nor cold, in jeans and a hoodie. I’d be freezing at 63
70 is warm. when i have on a hoodie and a blanket.
Yeah maybe its the fact i wear a hoodie or fleece in my house, or the fact that last winter i kept my heat at about 67-70 and paid 275 a month. Ill talk to my landlord to about investing in those thermostasts that have variable settings might be something to look into.
Note: Or the fact im never really cold may have something to do with my blood being almost ketchup like.
haha
this month was 40 for gas, 40 for electric
i split the total with my bro
then i buy hookers
last gas bil was 158.00 and electric was 52.00. I have a gas stove and 1 water heater. Also an attic with no insulation. not to bad i guess. I keep it around 66-68 all the time
How big’s the house?
About 1,250sq feet. I have a full basement and full attic. Last month was also very busy due to the holiday’s and had my gf’s family over from flordia so we used alot of gas for cooking and stuff
I gotta figure out where the fawk all my energy’s going. I wonder if those home energy audits are worth a damn…
don’t know if the audits are worth the time. my and my gf are renting a house. could have brought it and still have that option, but my career im choosing will have a residency requirement so don’t want to get stuck there. Also don’t currently have time or want to deal with renting it out if i brought the house
anyways, i put plastic over all my windows on the 2nd floor and all the windows on the 1st are brand new, so i didn’t bother with those. the plastic made a big difference. it’s a old house in kaiser town, and the windows on the 2nd floor actually let some air in, so the plastic helps
Check your entry doors. A lot of older doors are very drafty at the bottom. Lowes/Home Depot sell lots of different add on gaskets and sweepers that make a big difference.
If your windows are old, the shrink wrap plastic makes a big difference and doesn’t look bad at all if you take your time with it. I have a few windows that I’m hoping to replace this summer but until then I always cover them.
Try running exhaust fans less (bathroom, kitchen). You’re just pumping heat right out of the house.
Got any old recessed lights? The older ones are terrible energy wasters. You basically have a metal duct that the light sit in where all the insulation has been pulled away, making a perfect heat vent through the ceiling. The newer ones are much better insulated.
Electrical outlets on exterior walls. Again, this is a spot where insulation gets pushed back. Those cheap foam things you put behind the outlet cover do help.
If forced air, make sure you aren’t blocking heat vents or return vents. Blocked heat vents will result in colder rooms, where blocked return vents result in overall system inefficiency. While you’re checking this, check your furnace filter.
On a cold windy night, walk around your basement try to find air leaks. That expanding foam stuff does an amazing job filling small cracks when you find them. Word of advice… a little bit expands A WHOLE LOT. If you overdue it, wait for it to harden and trim it with a sharp knife. Much easier than trying to clean up the sticky mess.
And sometimes there are big problems you won’t know about until you tear into a wall. When I replaced my very leaky french door I found a 1 foot high by 8 inch deep by 10 foot long empty space above the door. Some dumbass forgot to put insulation in there. I don’t even want to think about how much heat was leaking out of that void before I filled it with insulation when I put the new door in.
Thanks for the tips. I’ve done a couple of them, and ought to revisit some cracks in mortar between blocks in the basement.
I oughta plastic over a bunch of my windows. All my second floor windows are old and drafty.
I wonder how the heat transfer of a cinder block wall compares to that of an insulated wood framed house. My house it entirely block construction. Great if the big bad wolf ever gives me shit, but I’m thinking not so good for heat retention.
I think the R value of a block is aboot 3 or 4.
An insulated 2x4 wall is aboot 3 times that.
Installing 2" foam on the OUTSIDE of a block wall does wonders.
I didn’t want to start a new thread so I will throw it in here.
Ebay just sent an email to let me know they have all of my green needs.
The big promo item was flourescent bulbs which contain mercury and there was no mention at all of led light bulbs which use much less energy and contain no mercury.:picard:
Thanks ebay.
YA It was freaking cold when we visited you. And theres Howie walking around in shorts lol. It was nice sleeping with it being colder.
Good excuse for the ladies too, umm umm its just cuz its cold in here i swear!! I know your game howie.