Hey New Englanders. How much does it cost to heat your house per year...

[Carson Dyle]

I'm thinking about buying a 2400 square foot house built in 2009. I'm trying to figure out roughly how much I should expect to spend for heating and cooling costs. I figure newer houses are probably better insulated so I'm hoping heating and cooling won't be very much.

Is this house owned by people who live in the home? Can't you just ask them if they'd be willing to provide you with a utility bill history?

 

[rh71]

The thing about sqft is if it's 2 floors, you're not necessarily heating both floors at once. Our 2700sf may as well be calculated as 1300sf (although heat loss to upstairs if heating floor 1). We are never upstairs except to sleep at night and that's when it is timed to switch that on and the 1st floor off. Also consider that we never go above 67F and that temp feels different if there's drafts. Lastly, it only goes on when the kids get home at 4pm (and the early morning wakeup hour).

We're in NY and our numbers:
2700sf renovated within last 5 years, natural gas, $100/mo. avg'd over 12 months. Note that this gas bill includes cooking. It's relatively cheap, especially compared to the ~$225/mo. we avg'd with oil in an older, smaller house.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

This subject depresses me.

My parents' small home in MA was built in 1968, has shitty 3" of fiberglass insulation, mostly single pane windows, and baseboard oil based heat. They burn through about 150 gallons of oil/month during the winter. When oil prices were a bit higher, it was over $500/month, just crazy.

If you are looking for the cheapest oil prices try:
http://www.newenglandoil.com/index.asp

I miss when oil was 68¢/gallon not too many years ago.

Immediately have your parents call Mass Saves link in my first post in this thread. Insulation from them is very affordable. If they decide to do it I can forward you the guy who did our work. I can honestly say I was completely satisfied by him & his guys.

 

[Reasonable Doubt]

Is this house owned by people who live in the home? Can't you just ask them if they'd be willing to provide you with a utility bill history?

People do that?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Built in 50's, insulation is only about 2 1/2 to 3" in the attic. 1300sq ft? Roughly $750-$1000 per winter. After I finish some upcoming remodeling projects, that amount should be cut by more than half.

You should probably mention that you heat with coal.

 

[DrPizza]

NY isn't NE Doc

I know... but our temperatures here are very similar to the rest of NE.

You should probably mention that you heat with coal.

You're right. Amazing that a ton of coal is now cheaper than a ton of wood pellets (and provide much more heat.)

 

[Sho'Nuff]

You're right. Amazing that a ton of coal is now cheaper than a ton of wood pellets (and provide much more heat.)

Yeah. For the first time in 3 years I will be using my oil boiler. Too many people jumped on the pellet bandwagon. The pellets I burned 3 years ago for $190 a ton are now $315 a ton!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not in England but in Canada, but it cost's about 170/mo to heat my 1100 sqft house with natural gas forced air. Used to be 95 but natural gas prices got jacked up a few years ago. Got a new patio door and window installed not too long ago so I should save a bit this year.

I have a fully custom hvac automation system though. I let the house go down to like 12c, the system keeps it at a safe temperature in an efficient matter to avoid short cycling when I'm not home and it only gets brought to low 20's when I'm home and not sleeping.

I'm toying with the idea of a wood stove though if gas prices keep going up. Wood is more sustainable and cheaper.

 

[zinfamous]

$0

I generate all the heat I need by fapping to Tom Brady pics, like any good New Englander does. It's in our charter.

 

[NetWareHead]

Yeah. For the first time in 3 years I will be using my oil boiler. Too many people jumped on the pellet bandwagon. The pellets I burned 3 years ago for $190 a ton are now $315 a ton!

If pellets stay at that price, you might as well burn coal. 1 ton of coal is anywhere from $285 to $350 a ton. But you get almost twice as many BTUs/ton and much longer burn time. And other benefits such as eliminating creosote the chimney.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

It matters where you live. Northern NH is much different than the Connecticut shore.

What city and state are we talking about here?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

People do that?

It's common to ask to see utility bills. I don't think that this is a new England thing. You can ask to see 12 months of oil bills. It is common.

Your realtor could probably give you an off the cuff estimate also.

 

[CurseTheSky]

About 3-4 cords of split, seasoned wood (primarily red oak, with others mixed in) at $200 per cord, plus 3/4 to one full tank of oil (275 gallons), so call it $400 to $550 in oil to make it easy.

So, from October to April (sometimes September and May too), we spend about $1000 to $1350 on heating. The house is old, parts built in the early 1900s, some added on in the 1940s or so, more added on in the 1980s, and a second floor added on in the 2000s. The biggest disadvantage to this house's heating system is that there's literally one central shaft for the furnace blower, so the heat only goes to a central location in the house. The wood stove radiates heat much more reliably. so you still end up with cold rooms in some areas, but overall the house is quite comfortable. Hence we spend more on wood than on oil.