We got our natural gas bill today

[catmandu57]

So far we're dodging the bullet, our level pay has stayed at the same ammount and actually decreased a few months back. We've done just about everything we could to keep the heat in and the bill low, but this is an old house that needs the exterior walls insulated.
We had some work done recently and discovered the bare walls, so thats high up on the to do list.
There used to be a program that helped low income and elderly people to weatherize their homes, I suppose that is just a dim memory in a distant far away America though.

[aquart]

1. Check out your state's website.

Call the offices of your state and local representatives to ask about any programs to help. It will at least alert them to the need.

[lilymidnite]

2. That's great ...

I got my bill the other day and it went up 20%.

We've already done the low-e windows and insulation as much as we can. Plus, the highest our thermostat goes is 64 deg. F. -- for about 3 hours each night.

E.

[catmandu57]

4. I keep the heat low

and just put on more clothes, my wife though, she's another story. She keeps at me turn the heat up, turn the heat up it's cold in here. It's the old battle between the low and high thermostat spouses.

[obxhead]

3. Hunt around. I heard on NPR

yesterday that NC has budgeted money to help pay bills and to help insulate older homes to help keep costs lower.

As far as qualifying for the program NPR didn't really say. I'm sure you would have to be below poverty level.

[OhioChick]

5. I dread when I get my bill.......

it should be any day now, too. It's been in the teens with the wind chill and the furnace has been blowing all the time. I cringe when I hear it fire up and see dollar signs in my head......

[catmandu57]

16. We had the same cold air mass

A week ago I had a window open, then came this little dose of reality and on came the furnace, it's the next couple of months that's going to get us I'm afraid.

[FredStembottom]

6. I know what you mean........

We added a second story to our 1917 home and found that the 1st floor walls are insulated with........NEWSPAPERS........wadded up newspapers from the 1920's.

I am told that this is not unusual in these really old Minnesota homes.

Now the new 2nd story is nice and warm while the 1st floor is always about 3 degrees cooler - and breezy.

edit; speeling - the sppel chekcer is not wurcking!

[catmother]

7. well fortunatley i live in phoenix and it doesn't get too cold -- we

have heat pumps. the house is totally electric, but i pay extra every month on my electric bill to help those who can't afford it. don't know whether other utility companies in other states have this program.

[catmother]

13. there's a lot of people here in phoenix who have natural gas.

when i first moved here 16 years ago everything was electric but apparently people who came here from other parts of the country wanted gas. so all the new homes that are built now have gas. if we were to buy a new tract home we would have to have gas. we built a custom home 3 years ago -- all electric even down to the pump for the well and our septic system.

i feel for people in other parts of the country. i lived in new york most of my life so i know what it's like. we also lived in an apartment building where they didn't like to turn the heat on. so we froze our asses off.

[JHB]

8. Just wait until January...

[catmandu57]

12. I know the feeling

I was cringing and gingerly slicing open the envelope this morning waiting for something to jump out and piss in my ear.

[SeattleRob]

9. Price Gouging!

Cheney's buddies in the Oil Industry are starting to ease up on Gasoline prices so they (and their buddies) can ramp up the prices of home heating oil and natural gas.

Keep an eye on these energy company profits for the next several months.

[Horus45]

10. Where I am

Where I live, Arizona's west coast, my bills are the opposite.
Low bills in the winter and sky high in the summer.
My highest bill was $315 for the month of July, my bill for October was $120.
No gas here, everything is electric.

[catmother]

17. oh yeah. where you live i think is probably the hottest in the

state except for yuma. here in phoenix, my summer bills are around $300 and in the winter $140, but that includes the pump for the well and the septic. so it's really not that bad. i keep my thermostat at 77 in the summer and 73 in the winter. so i'm quite comfortable for the amount of money it costs.

ON EDIT: we have an equalizer plan so we pay the same every month. they just average out our yearly amount and come up with a monthly figure. so it doesn't hurt that much.

[Horus45]

18. Yes, we hold the State Record here.

LHC holds the Arizona record for highest temp at 128 degrees F.

[catmother]

20. the highest we've been was 122 -- the first summer i was here 1990

does it ever get you crazy? every few years i say "that's it -- i'm getting out of here" but then along comes october and it's beautiful.

[Horus45]

24. Nope, I just think about snow

The heat is vicious, but the memories of snow are still fresh in my mind, I've only been here 2 years so far.
Shoveling snow and raking leaves are the main reasons why I left New York and came to Arizona. I don't miss that bitter cold either.
But, after only being here 2 years, 60 degrees in the morning is chilly. In New York I would be in shorts in 60 degree weather.

[Frustratedlady]

11. Talk to your utility company and

see if they have an energy program. They added 14" of insulation to what I already had in the attic and paid 1/2 of the cost. They will also wrap pipes, caulk windows, give you new light bulbs, attachments to the faucets, etc.

There used to be a Weatherization Program, but I don't know if it is still active. They paid 100%, even if it was a rental, but you had to get the owner's permission. Of course they never turned that gift down. I think that may have been through ADC or one of the food stamp programs.

Good luck! Insulating will not only safe you a bundle, but it will make your home quieter.

[Horus45]

19. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

I replaced every light in my house with the new Compact Fluorescent bulbs at a cost of about $40 from Home Depot.
Just doing that dropped my electric bill by $40 per month, they paid for themselves after the first month.

[Frustratedlady]

22. Thank you for the name of the bulbs

Those are the ones my utility company put in my lamps and ceiling spots for nothing, but I couldn't remember what they were called. They take a while to totally light up, but they work great.

[hippywife]

27. Yeah but

buy them somewhere else. HD is a Rep. contributor.

[satya]

14. Check out this thread for info on an efficient space heater

Econo-heat

[Mutley]

15. I haven't turned my heat on yet.

It hasn't been too cold here until the last couple of days. It was 25 degrees last night. Burr. The windows in my apartment leak air very badly -- so badly that my complex is replacing every window in every apartment. Of course, my building is last, and won't get done until January. I'm hoping it won't be too cold in the meantime, and I'm thinking of getting a little electric space heater. I'm used to it, though. The last place I lived in would never get warmer than 60 degrees in the winter and I got used to wearing multiple layers, gloves, and a knitted hat to bed to keep warm.

[Frustratedlady]

21. Some quick fixes

For your windows, you can take foam padding and cut strips the length of the cracks where the air is coming in, then take a common table knife and push the foam down into the cracks. It's amazing how easily it will slide in. If the crack is too narrow for foam, even a piece of paper towel will work. You can also buy kits at the hardware store to seal the windows.

I keep a radiator in my workroom in the garage. It is filled with mineral oil and once you have heated it up, it maintains the heat pretty well. In fact, I run it on low, as the room is heavily insulated. If you have a small room, they are great. My room is 12' x 28' long and it gets so warm I can't wear a jacket. They only cost $30-40 and don't cost much to run because the oil maintains the heat.

If you have rooms that arent' heated or used much, seal the cracks under the doors with a rug or folded towel. Go around your apartment and feel for drafts. You'll be amazed at how many you can cut down or eliminate. An electric blanket can take care of your misery while sleeping.

[wovenpaint]

23. I just got mine today in MA

With a new efficient (state of the art) heating system, and lots of new insulation as we're renovating an old house, I figured I could heat up to a whopping 68 degrees in the evening.....wrong!
My bill is $50.00 higher than last year when I had a circa 1950 boiler!!! WTF?!
So, I guess I still have to keep my thermostat low. I'm going to get an electric heater and replace all my bulbs with the energy efficent ones to TRY to save money.
I sure feel badly for anyone still with an ancient system.

[tjdee]

25. I have electric heat, I think--natural gas affects that, right?

I mean, I know natural gas affects all of these things...but when people talk about getting their gas bill, I always scratch my head. I guess I think everyone has electric heat.

We do have propane for hot water. I don't know WTF the stove is, or how I'd find out.

Reason 378782739729 to hate winter. :grr:

[catmandu57]

26. It depends on how they generate electricity

Most electric companies have gone from coal fired plants to natural gas, so the rates will rise and fall together. We have a public service commission here that keeps our electric company (aquilla) on a tight leash.
They bought this company and i'm positive they were going to do an enron on us, but enron got caught so they couldn't pull that shit. Since then they've tried to increase the rate several times and keep getting slapped down, now they're desperate to sell the company.
Your stove is more than likely propane as well, if you don't have a seperate meter it's propane.