Well, this is the first HOUSE that I have leased in my life. I am dreading the utility bills that should be showing up soon.

In my old apartments my Elec was usually about $100 as I had a large fishtank running, and there is always 2 computers on in my place. I never had to pay the gas bill in my apartments.

Now in this house I have Gas and Elec... Once again some moron who didnt read the instructions on his WiFi router is footing my downloading and internet bill! There is a large apartment across the street so I can choose who I want to steal internet from!

Who else has a 4 bdrm house, and what is your average winter time gas bill? I have been told mine might be up to $400 if we like it warm inside.... Ooooh boy, better take my trailer over to workand cut up a thousand pounds of pallets to run the fireplace with!

How about the elec? I have computers still, and a roomate upstairs that has electronic toys...

Just curious what other poeples heat and power bills add up to so I can prepare to open these envelopes next week. This way I can prepare by buying some rope to hang myself with LOL

 

My electric bill is much lower in the winter than in the summer. My wife runs the a/c so cold you can hang meat in the house. In the winter she has all the windows open.

 

alot of the cost will be reflected on how old/new the place is, and how well it was maintained.


if you're worried about high energy cost, try using CF's instead of the tradional incandescent bulbs. also, buy some shrink wrap for the windows & new weather stripping for the doors.

the window & door treatment will help ten-fold.




and don't be a *****, put on a sweater if you find it chilly. mind you, i'm usually wearing shorts 'til late November/early December, so i really don't mind the cool weather.

also, see if you can find out from the utilities supplier (for hydro inparticular) and see what the bills were like before. i'm only telling you this, 'cause we've got those new "smart meters" here now, but only the Toronto region is set-up for reading them. yet my hydro has gone up about 80%. seems a few people have found the new meters to be manfunctioning. just something to watch out for.



hey Bert, it sounds like i should be coming down to your place for the Summer. i wish i could get my place to the "meat locker" setting on the A/C.

 

House is ~2000ft², older double pain windows about 30 years old. My gas bill runs about $120-$140/month over the colder months, which is also hot water. During the summer I kill the pilot light and hot water runs less $20. It's just a free standing fireplace not a central furnace. I can't remember exactly what the hydro runs, but it's not outrageous. If you have a wood stove definitely use that if you can. Electric baseboard heat isn't cheap.

 

I guess I didnt specify. I think this house is about 1000 sq ft on each floor, up and down. I have a central furnace. When my plumber buddy came and lit the water and furnace up for me and set them, he said the units are fairly new (within 10 years) and that they are efficient models cause the exhaust gas pipes are PVC inseat of steel ducting... We also have a fireplace upstairs, and I got a trailer full of pallets to cut up so the chick upstairs can burn those if shes cold. Im no *****, Ill tough it out, I just have a tropical parrot that whines when its cold, so maybe Ill more her upstairs or get her a small electric heater.

Looks like havinf a house is about twice as much as havin an apartment, but its worth it cause I get a garage. (Garage I havent used much)

 

oh yeah, forgot about da bird.

besides you know i was just breakin' your................right?


i'm not sure what the insurance companies are like out there for home insurance, but if you have a wood stove out here, they pretty much nail you so hard for it, you'll want to get rid of it, and pay for the higher enegey cost.


and that's just not right.

 

Cold......whats that?

 

my bird doesn't like cold either... I'm glad I don't have to pay heating bills yet

 

Lol well for me, renting and having the apartment which is less than 750 sq feet.... I paid about 100 bucks a month this summer for gas/electric, of course we were running the central air at 69-70 all the time, Something I learned feels good to the skin and hurts the wallet.....

 

im cheap, our elec bill never goes over 50 bucks a month.