As a baseline what is the electric bill in the fall with limited AC?
Electric boiler seems expensive to run
- Thread starter ram_man
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I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
She also keeps it at 75 degrees her and my stepdad are always cold
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
She also keeps it at 75 degrees her and my stepdad are always cold
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Figured. So, you didn't answer my previous query, or if you did, I missed it. Is gas available in your area?
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Figured. So, you didn't answer my previous query, or if you did, I missed it. Is gas available in your area?
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Figured. So, you didn't answer my previous query, or if you did, I missed it. Is gas available in your area?
I think I did answer that but in case I didn't yes we can get natural gas propane and oil. I believe there is a natural gas hook up outside so it wouldn't be to big a deal to get it converted obviously still thousands of dollars but very doable.
Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
I can't speak for what the bill is in the fall I just moved here. My mom's house as an example is a little smaller they average 44kw a day. I'm using about 120kw there home isn't a new home but does have new windows and a newer furnace. I expect mine to be more than there's but not that much more. There house is around 1100 square feet mine is 1460. They have an unfinished basement I have a well closed up dry crawl space which is about 3ft from ground to floor.
I assume your mom is also electric heat? She's using about double what I'm using for electricity here.
Yep and all electric house as well.
Figured. So, you didn't answer my previous query, or if you did, I missed it. Is gas available in your area?
I think I did answer that but in case I didn't yes we can get natural gas propane and oil. I believe there is a natural gas hook up outside so it wouldn't be to big a deal to get it converted obviously still thousands of dollars but very doable.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by ram_man
I think I did answer that but in case I didn't yes we can get natural gas propane and oil. I believe there is a natural gas hook up outside so it wouldn't be to big a deal to get it converted obviously still thousands of dollars but very doable.
Then that's the route I'd go on the furnace (natural gas) as its by far the cheapest option. If you are using ~4,000kWh a month and your bill is only $300, then you are paying less than $0.10/kWh, which is quite cheap. If it goes up just to $0.10/kWh, that becomes $400.00, plus delivery and all the other fun charges. Up here that would be $520 in electricity alone, perhaps even more, and then delivery, regulatory and tax, you'd be close to a grand. Even at what you are paying presently, it really wouldn't take that long with bills at that level for you to recoup the cost of a gas furnace. Is your regular water heater also electric? might make sense to convert that at the same time if you can strike up a deal with the HVAC folks that saves you money on both.
I think I did answer that but in case I didn't yes we can get natural gas propane and oil. I believe there is a natural gas hook up outside so it wouldn't be to big a deal to get it converted obviously still thousands of dollars but very doable.
Then that's the route I'd go on the furnace (natural gas) as its by far the cheapest option. If you are using ~4,000kWh a month and your bill is only $300, then you are paying less than $0.10/kWh, which is quite cheap. If it goes up just to $0.10/kWh, that becomes $400.00, plus delivery and all the other fun charges. Up here that would be $520 in electricity alone, perhaps even more, and then delivery, regulatory and tax, you'd be close to a grand. Even at what you are paying presently, it really wouldn't take that long with bills at that level for you to recoup the cost of a gas furnace. Is your regular water heater also electric? might make sense to convert that at the same time if you can strike up a deal with the HVAC folks that saves you money on both.
My last house had a natural gas fired boiler and baseboard type heating pipes. Very straight forward. You could keep your heating pipes and the cost would involve taking out the electric boiler and installing a natural gas fired one.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
My last house had a natural gas fired boiler and baseboard type heating pipes. Very straight forward. You could keep your heating pipes and the cost would involve taking out the electric boiler and installing a natural gas fired one.
Exactly
Should be reasonably inexpensive.
My last house had a natural gas fired boiler and baseboard type heating pipes. Very straight forward. You could keep your heating pipes and the cost would involve taking out the electric boiler and installing a natural gas fired one.
Exactly
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
My last house had a natural gas fired boiler and baseboard type heating pipes. Very straight forward. You could keep your heating pipes and the cost would involve taking out the electric boiler and installing a natural gas fired one.
Exactly
Should be reasonably inexpensive.
Just got my underground propane tank filled yesterday. What we use in this area. $750 for 6 less than months. Yay..
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
My last house had a natural gas fired boiler and baseboard type heating pipes. Very straight forward. You could keep your heating pipes and the cost would involve taking out the electric boiler and installing a natural gas fired one.
Exactly
Just got my underground propane tank filled yesterday. What we use in this area. $750 for 6 less than months. Yay..
I am still shocked that it uses so much. I pulled up my previous home I owned a few years ago same electric company. I used between 750-1250 kw every month. Average was probably about 850kw so I'm amazed that anyone would tolerate this sort of bill in such a modest house. According to the meter I'm using 4 times that currently. What's the chances the meter is wrong/ reading incorrectly? Or do we actually all suspect that this boiler uses that much?
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
It is certainly possible for it to use that much power if it is running frequently.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by ram_man
Could the thermostat be a potential issue? I don't believe it's very accurate and it's definitely old.
Possible, but is it making the house too hot? If it were running the boiler excessively, it would make the house much hotter than the programmed temperature.
Regarding the bleeders that somebody mentioned earlier. On our rads there were little valves on the side that you could open to purge air from the system. I believe if you had the system open for any reason, you had to go around and get the air out using these.
Could the thermostat be a potential issue? I don't believe it's very accurate and it's definitely old.
Possible, but is it making the house too hot? If it were running the boiler excessively, it would make the house much hotter than the programmed temperature.
Regarding the bleeders that somebody mentioned earlier. On our rads there were little valves on the side that you could open to purge air from the system. I believe if you had the system open for any reason, you had to go around and get the air out using these.
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
Could the thermostat be a potential issue? I don't believe it's very accurate and it's definitely old.
Possible, but is it making the house too hot? If it were running the boiler excessively, it would make the house much hotter than the programmed temperature.
Regarding the bleeders that somebody mentioned earlier. On our rads there were little valves on the side that you could open to purge air from the system. I believe if you had the system open for any reason, you had to go around and get the air out using these.
No but it seems to be about 5 degree off setting it at 75 seems to actually make the house about 70.
The type I have that look like space heaters do not have a bleeder that I'm aware of. There is a cover I could try taking that off and having a look see I suppose.
Originally Posted by ram_man
Could the thermostat be a potential issue? I don't believe it's very accurate and it's definitely old.
Possible, but is it making the house too hot? If it were running the boiler excessively, it would make the house much hotter than the programmed temperature.
Regarding the bleeders that somebody mentioned earlier. On our rads there were little valves on the side that you could open to purge air from the system. I believe if you had the system open for any reason, you had to go around and get the air out using these.
No but it seems to be about 5 degree off setting it at 75 seems to actually make the house about 70.
The type I have that look like space heaters do not have a bleeder that I'm aware of. There is a cover I could try taking that off and having a look see I suppose.
Originally Posted by ram_man
I am still shocked that it uses so much. I pulled up my previous home I owned a few years ago same electric company. I used between 750-1250 kw every month. Average was probably about 850kw so I'm amazed that anyone would tolerate this sort of bill in such a modest house. According to the meter I'm using 4 times that currently. What's the chances the meter is wrong/ reading incorrectly? Or do we actually all suspect that this boiler uses that much?
I believe you mean kwhrs, not kw. Did your other home have an electric boiler? This home has a 20 kw boiler.1250 kwhrs would be only 2 hrs per day of run time.
So, I'm thinking your other home was heated by something other than electricity, such as oil, natural gas or propane. You have to add those costs to make any kind of comparison.
I am still shocked that it uses so much. I pulled up my previous home I owned a few years ago same electric company. I used between 750-1250 kw every month. Average was probably about 850kw so I'm amazed that anyone would tolerate this sort of bill in such a modest house. According to the meter I'm using 4 times that currently. What's the chances the meter is wrong/ reading incorrectly? Or do we actually all suspect that this boiler uses that much?
I believe you mean kwhrs, not kw. Did your other home have an electric boiler? This home has a 20 kw boiler.1250 kwhrs would be only 2 hrs per day of run time.
So, I'm thinking your other home was heated by something other than electricity, such as oil, natural gas or propane. You have to add those costs to make any kind of comparison.
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Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Originally Posted by ram_man
I am still shocked that it uses so much. I pulled up my previous home I owned a few years ago same electric company. I used between 750-1250 kw every month. Average was probably about 850kw so I'm amazed that anyone would tolerate this sort of bill in such a modest house. According to the meter I'm using 4 times that currently. What's the chances the meter is wrong/ reading incorrectly? Or do we actually all suspect that this boiler uses that much?
I believe you mean kwhrs, not kw. Did your other home have an electric boiler? This home has a 20 kw boiler.1250 kwhrs would be only 2 hrs per day of run time.
So, I'm thinking your other home was heated by something other than electricity, such as oil, natural gas or propane. You have to add those costs to make any kind of comparison.
No it had forced air electric heat . My very last house I just moved from had radiant ceiling heat and my bill was around 1200 kwhrs. I am also pretty sure your correct about the kwhrs part. ...‚
This house is a little bigger but was built around the same time frame as the other 2 the other two had better windows but I did out plastic on all of these.
Originally Posted by ram_man
I am still shocked that it uses so much. I pulled up my previous home I owned a few years ago same electric company. I used between 750-1250 kw every month. Average was probably about 850kw so I'm amazed that anyone would tolerate this sort of bill in such a modest house. According to the meter I'm using 4 times that currently. What's the chances the meter is wrong/ reading incorrectly? Or do we actually all suspect that this boiler uses that much?
I believe you mean kwhrs, not kw. Did your other home have an electric boiler? This home has a 20 kw boiler.1250 kwhrs would be only 2 hrs per day of run time.
So, I'm thinking your other home was heated by something other than electricity, such as oil, natural gas or propane. You have to add those costs to make any kind of comparison.
No it had forced air electric heat . My very last house I just moved from had radiant ceiling heat and my bill was around 1200 kwhrs. I am also pretty sure your correct about the kwhrs part. ...‚
This house is a little bigger but was built around the same time frame as the other 2 the other two had better windows but I did out plastic on all of these.
I bled all the heaters as well as the system tonight a couple of them definitely had a lot of air in them the system itself also had some air . However and I don't know how big a deal this is but I'm hopeful it'll make a difference. I found out that the previous tenant. Was a rental house had left the water pipe valve going to the wood stove on. This house has the electric boiler and has a back up wood stove to heat the water as well. So the wood stove was getting the hot water circulated through it and it was enough to make the stove very hot to the touch. The stove is out in the garage with the boiler so in essence it was heating a very uninsulated and very cold part of the house. Granted the thermostat is in the house and says when to kick on and off, I would still imagine taking water away from heating the inside to run it through something that isn't needed and can be bypassed would be somewhat of a waste.
Interesting system. Yes, you are right that some of that heat is getting radiated into your garage. How about making a fire in the wood stove on days that you are home and it's cold outside. Also, it would't hurt to insulate your garage. It would increase the value of your home, and you could change your oil in comfort.
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