I think most people have no idea what they are facing this winter. I have enough wood for the next 3 years. I like to think I'm hedged. And as I type this with the A/C on, I have no electric bill due to the Solar Panels on my barn roof. I also get paid 5-7k a year for the electric I make and use. Doug

We have a 2300sq house and our worst bill last year was about $240 per month I thought this was pretty good I can only hope this winter will be the same. Should we pray for Global Warming:rolleyes:

We live in NE Wisc so get plenty of cold weather, last year we installed in-floor hydronic radiant heat. Highest utility bill was only $200 a month for both elect and nat. gas. Friends were paying >$400

Sure is nice to walk around in bare feet when it is -10 outside and 24" of ice on the lake.

I have heard horror stories from some of my neighbors who use oil (we use LP) about companies NOT delivering because they locked in at a rate that was sometimes up to $2.00 per gallon less than prevailing rates. Ex: Contract ends in July, they still have room for a few hundred gallon top-off in thier tanks, and the oil companies will not deliver or return calls until August to charge the prevailing rates.

Firewood prices I guess are through the roof.

Pellet and wood stove distributors can't keep items in stock, and most of these units start at like $3,000.00 -so not cheap items.

This Thanksgiving/Christmas season is going to very different I think for alot of people. High heating costs/increase gas prices and airline travel is only getting more expensive.

cool.. what does a system like that cost? will it work anywhere?

Thanks for answers everyone. Almost figured it out. Seems no one calculates use per hour or per day, so the figures for annual heating is pretty close. For you who keep your homes in the 60's, I gotta hand it to you, I wouldn't let my garage get that cold! Guess we're a bunch of sissies out here. Thanks again for the responses and good luck this winter...

Yup, technology has come a long way, we have two stage compresors and ECM fan motors now. That means even less electrical consumption when the outdoor temps are mild.

I doubt that...don't forget we run the AC in the summer...not only for the heat outside but more importantly the humidity.

I paid between $600-800 a month for heating oil this past winter....

AC has been on 24/7 for the last month and a half....... Not sure what the Electric bill has been but it's significantly lower than my oil bills......

Infants will do this to you......

I have baseboard hot water (Gas) and electric air handler for AC. I am working on a 2 fold plan to beat the use of "fossil" fuel. I am adding a Solor Panel to run through a two stage Hot water heater one for my household needs and one through a coil in the air handler that will provide me 130 degree water to heat the house with an auto switch that if the solar panel can't keep up my boiler and gas hot water heater will come on. My boiler is full of 50/50 pink antifreeze so i don't worry about freeze ups. I figure I should save 75% off my heating bill next winter and 25% off my gas bill now.

It's a grid tie system,no batteries. Cost 65K, but the state picked up 35K of the bill, plus I get the solar energy credits 5-7K a year and free electric. Also Fed tax credit of 2K. Each state has different programs. The company that did the install was (www.thesolarcenter.com) mostly ny,nj,ct. but still good info. Doug