Heating costs - I just need to vent!

[ooCHAOSoo]

I just need to vent b/c today seemed like the worst day ever and this just topped the cake. We have been renting a home since the end of September. We just got another propane delivery (which the company said they wouldn't come until I paid my December bill in full).

I called my landlord b/c I told her that I was concerned about the cost of heating on this house. The house is super cold and drafty and I feel like we are burning through fuel. We keep the house at 66 degrees, only take 2 showers per day and cook 1 meal per day so there is no reason to go through what we have gone through so far.

When I had the heat set at 66 at my old house, it was comfortable. At this house, I need to wear 3-4 layers, slippers, and gloves. Since she filled it when we moved in, we gave her $700 for the propane we had a $578 fill up in the beginning of December and now had another propane fill up today of $438. That's alittle over $1700 since September! I told her that I only spent $1800/year at my other house in oil for the year. She told me she only spent $2000/year last year to heat her house.

I told her at this rate, we cannot afford to heat this house. She told me not to worry about it and just pay the company $50/month, which apparently won't cover it - I don't want the propane company coming after us too! She is going to have someone come out to check the efficiency of the house b/c it doesn't seem right.

Thanks for listening!

[frogger]

Older houses that are cold and drafty are almost impossible to keep warm. Been there, done that......

Does the house have insulation in the attic? Are the exterior walls insulated? Old, single pane windows?

You may be in a house that is impossible to keep warm.

[ooCHAOSoo]

It's a newer home, built in 2001. It has Anderson windows. It is not cold upstairs, it's the first floor. I'm assuming the exterior walls are insulated but I know the closets are not - they are ice boxes! It's just frustrating b/c I feel like I am throwing money that I don't have out the window!

[ValleYum]

Wow, ooCHAOSoo - that seems insanely expensive!!

My suggestions (fwiw):

Check light switch plates, and electrical outlets with a candle to see if & where the flame flickers which would indicate air entering - you can use the spray foam insulation in around the electrical box behind the plate (ask your landlord first!)

You can use the candle in the closets too to try and see where the cold is coming from.

If you have an unused fireplace - close the flue!

Check the doors (again with the candle if you see no obvious places where weatherstripping is missing). You can make those draft catchers out of old socks to lay along the door jamb or buy and try out some new door sweeps ( http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Bot.../dp/B002AR2V9Y )

I wish you good luck!! Stay warm!

[frogger]

Wood floor or concrete slab?

[BobMango]

Is there a local utility company that will come and do an energy survey for you? Some offer this for free. Might be good to have if your landlord comes back with a "there's nothing wrong".

[keepsmiling]

In NJ if you are lower-income, the utilities will do an energy audit and a seal-up for free. We also got some new windows free thru this program. Give them a call.

[Peeps]

Might not hurt to check the propane tank/valves/joints/pipes.

Use a spray bottle with water and liquid dishwashing soap mixed in. Don't use a light mist - get the areas good & wet. If bubbles form, that's where the leak is. Take pics if you can. If there's a leak, the owner should take some responsibility for the extra fuel costs as well as getting the problem fixed.

[discouraged]

Shoot - sounds like the house I bought! Mine had this ugly paneling on the walls and when I removed that, found holes in the walls and behind that, only tarpaper for insulation, which is what they did when this house was built. Since it was mine, I tore all that out and replaced it with R-19 and new wallboard - changed my utilities from $300 month to $70 month.

BUT - since it is a rental that does not help you. Also, the suggestion about the energy audit. I had that done and it showed a lot of the leaks, which I corrected.

But again, it is a rental. Can you talk to the owner and maybe offer to do some of the work to make the place more energy efficient? I know if I were renting this place, instead of living in it and someone offered to help with that, I would have jumped at it. It was a LOT of work. But, I now have the thermostat set at 66 and it is fine in here. Well, I did raise it to 68 with the 30 below windchill, but that was mainly to make sure the pipes remained okay.

I think, although I'm not positive, that the owner has to apply for the benefits to help seal the house. Call and find out
as you cannot afford to keep paying for the utilities like that.

Shame on your owner! There is no way she/they could not have known this was a problem. This should have been looked at before you even moved in. Not by you, but by the owner.

[ooCHAOSoo]

Thank you all for your advice! I'll try your suggestions and keep you updated.

Frogger - it's a wood floor

[AJA]

Home energy assistance program. HEAP. In new york you can get up to $700.00 if you qualify. Number should be in your phone book or you can google it.

[Ifonly]

check the hot water heater. In our last rental, we went through oil way too quickly as well (same type of scenario). The problem was that the hot water heater ran constantly pulling oil usage at an obscene rate. They were advised to have it replaced before we even moved in and still refused to replace it...the water softener system was shot as well.

[helpme2010]

I just need to vent b/c today seemed like the worst day ever and this just topped the cake. We have been renting a home since the end of September. We just got another propane delivery (which the company said they wouldn't come until I paid my December bill in full).

I called my landlord b/c I told her that I was concerned about the cost of heating on this house. The house is super cold and drafty and I feel like we are burning through fuel. We keep the house at 66 degrees, only take 2 showers per day and cook 1 meal per day so there is no reason to go through what we have gone through so far.

When I had the heat set at 66 at my old house, it was comfortable. At this house, I need to wear 3-4 layers, slippers, and gloves. Since she filled it when we moved in, we gave her $700 for the propane we had a $578 fill up in the beginning of December and now had another propane fill up today of $438. That's alittle over $1700 since September! I told her that I only spent $1800/year at my other house in oil for the year. She told me she only spent $2000/year last year to heat her house.

I told her at this rate, we cannot afford to heat this house. She told me not to worry about it and just pay the company $50/month, which apparently won't cover it - I don't want the propane company coming after us too! She is going to have someone come out to check the efficiency of the house b/c it doesn't seem right.

Thanks for listening!

Have you ever thought about getting a couple small portable heaters instead? I bought one for my girlfriend from Costco that has an electronic thermostat, remote control, etc. for $39. It will heat up a room really good (perhaps one for the bedroom/bathroom and one for the living room). This way you don't have to heat the entire house, but just the areas you need.

[Pandora]

A few things you can do:

1. Run a few vapor or cool mist humidifiers (not warm mist and not the cool mist ones that actually spit water out) - it will bring the temperature up at least 3-4% by doing so. You need humidity, which is taken out of the house by the heat as well as the cold outside. We run 4 (house is 2200 sq ft - 2 upstairs, 2 down) and all of our thermostats are set at 68 degrees (year round); the humidifiers bring the temp up to about 72 and feels much warmer. Our neighbors come over and ask us what we set our heat at because its so warm in the house compared to theirs (they set their therms at 73 degrees and their elec. bill is twice what ours is).

2. As for the electrical outlets and light switches - do NOT use expanding foam - that's a no-no. You should be able to find electrical and switch plate insulation foam (pre cut and measured) for about $3 or therebouts, comes in a pack of 4 each (lowes has them). These are what you use to insulate behind the plates.

3. Put shrink wrap over your windows - its clear and will pull tight when you put the blow dryer to it - cost is about $7 for a 2 window pack. You will be amazed how much difference it makes.

4. If your closets are that cold - then you do not have enough insulation (or any at all). While you cant fix this since its not your house, you can put draft stoppers under the closet doors to prevent the cold air from coming into the rooms. Grab an old pair of tights and/or long socks and fill them with rice / beans / dried peas (your choice). Put it in front of the door.

5. Wrap all pipes / vent pipes / hot water heater with appropriate insulation (especially water heater). A water heater insulated blanket is about $20 and will pay for itself within the first month. If you have access to where your duct work is from the furnace, look it over carefully for any leaks where air is escaping. If it is, wrap all seams with appropriate duct tape to seal.

6. Get a portable heater that is infrared based technology (like a ceramic plate type). We have 2 of them that are open on the top and both sides (stands about 3 feet tall) and use these to supplement when a room is colder due to weather vs. turning up the electric baseboards (its cheaper). Good thing to look for is one that has an auto shut-off feature if tipped over, is safe to touch even while on high, and that has a programmable thermostat; ours have all 3 features.

7. If you have access to the crawlspace - go underneath and see if you have insulation. If not, you can put insulation in easily enough using hangers; just be sure to leave an air gap Ask your landlord to pay for it as its her house.

8. Change your filter regularly to ensure your furnace / blower isnt working overtime.

9. If there is a closet located by the intake, blower or thermostat that controls your furnace - seal the bottom as noted above with a draft sock. Any type of cold air near the thermostat will make the heat come on more often because it thinks its cold in the house. You can also opt to change out the thermostat to a programmable more efficient model for about $20 - sometimes the thermostat is actually bad.

Hope this helps!

[HRx]

Heating costs is a major problem and will only get worse. Here in New England our heating bill can exceed $2,000 per year depending on size of one's home. Most folks also keep there homes reality cool during the winter just to control costs each month. My heating (gas) bill can easily exceed $300 per month for very minimal use. :-/ Good thing there's a no cut off law intact during the winter months, but they will get you come spring. lol