$271.12 natural gas bill today from NICOR in northern Illinois

[NNN0LHI]

That is a lot of money but I figure it could be a lot worse. Its been damn cold here this month. Keep a small 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 7 room house at 72 degrees most the time with a +90% efficient furnace. Have an attached 2 car garage with a ventless gas heater (99% efficient) that I keep set at about 70.

The house was built about 20 years ago with 6 inch walls and I had the attic and garage walls insulated with blown in insulation 2 years ago. New windows and doors too. Garage door is insulated.

Biggest gas bill last year was around a hundred dollars but it was warmer and the gas prices have shot way up.

Before I did the work to this place and put a heater in the garage gas bills like this one were normal during winter even with the cheaper gas prices so this is not so bad. When the windows all went to hell it was hard to keep a match lit in this place. Replacing them made a huge difference.

We don't keep the bathroom or kitchen exhausts on for extended periods after I read how much operating them can cost. One of them rascals can supposedly remove all the heat from your home in an hour so I would advise using them sparingly when it is cold.

Don

[Village Idiot]

1. Why in the world would you want or need your garage set to 70???

Eco-Terrorist!!!


thhhhhhhp!

[NNN0LHI]

4. Because I do stuff out there

And in the long run it probably costs me less than warming cars up before we go somewhere. Gasoline is a lot more expensive these days too. Plus in a well insulated garage you would be shocked at the amount of heat you can capture and "recycle" from the engine blocks of two cars. Even if it is zero outside if I pull two cars into the garage the temperature shoots up past 90 degrees and the heater doesn't come on for hours.

Don

[MadHound]

2. Have you thought about alternative sources of heating?

Rather than rely on gas, purchase and install an exterior wood furnace. Or if you have the spare quarter acre, set up a wind turbine and swith to electric heat. If you don't have the room for a wind turbine, throw 2-3 Kw worth of thin film photovolteic solar panels.

If you own your house, you have other options that simply sticking with the traditional methods of heating, and hoping that the bills don't drive you under. I would suggest that you investigate them.

[corporate_mike]

11. We need to build LNG terminals in the US

Natural gas is cheap overseas

[MadHound]

15. Better yet, let us convert over to renewables, such as wind

A 1991 DOE survey of the US energy resources found that there is enough harvestable wind energy in three states, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas, to power the entire US electric grid, with allowances for projected growth, through the year 2030. There are many savvy energy people out there who say that the US could become to wind energy what the Middle East is to oil if we would just start doing it. Wind is becoming increasingly cheap, it is non-polluting and renewable.

LNG on the other hand is dangerous as all get out. If the LNG terminal in Boston ever goes up, you can kiss half of MA goodbye, same for any other LNG terminal. I certainly don't want one of those in my neck of the woods. And while it is cleaner that gas or coal, natural gas still pollutes the atmosphere.

We have much better options than LNG, petroleum or coal, we simply need to get corporate America weaned off of those three.

[newyawker99]

16. Hi corporate_mike!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NNN0LHI]

20. I have considered some alternative energy sources

Wood is out of the question. Getting too old for lugging cords of oak around.

I think it was over $20 grand for solar panels, batteries, wiring, etc. and they don't last forever. Then I would need a new furnace and this one is fairly new. $20 grand will buy a lot of natural gas and electricity. If the price comes down I would consider it.

Never considered a wind turbine but again I am getting old and I am sure there has to be some maintenance involved. I am looking to reduce my maintenance as I get older. I could drop dead of a heart attack any time and then my wife has to keep things up. Probably best to keep it simple for her. She will probably sell the place and move to something smaller if it was just her self.

I am running this place at the maximum comfort level right now so I can see how much money I could shave off my energy bill in a hurry if I needed to. And thanks for the suggestions too.

Don

[Suziq]

3. Well, Aren't You Lucky . . . .

You are able to keep your home at 72 degrees. I am only able to keep my thermostat at 64 degrees because I will not be able to afford to pay my gas bill if I put it any higher. I am freezing my butt off! :mad:

My first big gas bill last month was $179 and it is only going to go up. I have a two bedroom apartment in an older home with extremely drafty windows and doors. We have put plastic on all the windows and doors, where possible. The really cold weather did not kick in yet at the time of my last billing. I dread my next bill . . . . :-(

I SO envy you . . .

BTW - I live in New Jersey.

On edit: Wow - my 600th post! :-)

[Jayhawk Lib]

7. Global warming

Maybe some global warming would not be a bad thing especially for those that are having a hard time paying their gas bills in the winter.

[zalinda]

8. Besides the plastic there are some other things you

can do. Air can come in between the window frame and the wall, if there are visible cracks cold air is probably getting in, the same with doors. There is a product called, (I think), Sealtite, it is in the weatherproofing dept of your hardware store. The box is blue and white and has what looks like ropes of clay in it. These ropes can be separated and put in the cracks between the window frame and wall. What's nice about them is that they can be removed, if necessary, or they can be painted.

There is also a v shaped vinyl (well, it's actually flat when you buy it) that you can get to put in your door way frame. You'll have to wait until it warms up a bit to install it, check package directions. Next is the bottom of the door, there are products for that, but if you are home a lot, just an old sweatshirt laid across the width of the door, stopping the cold air does wonders.

These few things help a lot and don't have to be permanent or expensive.

zalinda

[durablend]

5. Such a PESSIMIST!

NICOR is making all that money and you're COMPLAINING?!?

Go back to whatever socialist country you came from!

:sarcasm:

[LeftHander]

6. 72!!! No wonder...

65 in the winter, 60 at night.

[Nickster]

9. That's why I keep the house at 68 degrees at most. Last month's NICOR bill

for me was 126. Get a few space heaters and turn the thermostat down a little, it makes all the difference.

[CornField]

10. About $20 more than that here in Iowa

Older home, older windows (which I've weatherized as much as possible) and thermo set to 66. Ugh!

I wonder if they said we'd be seeing such a big increase so we wouldn't balk when we opened the bills. Based on estimates, I was expecting $350-$400 on this bill. The $300 was much more than usual, but I actually felt more relief than panic. ???

[BiggJawn]

12. You think you got reamed?

I live in a small 2BR apartment (maybe 500 sq. feet), no garage, temp is set at 60 when I'm at work, 65 when I'm there and 62 when I go to bed (blankets are paid for already). Windows are plastic'd over except for the bedroom I sleep in which has foamboard shutters that stay in place unless it's a sunny day.

Last month's bill was $99. And that was with no days colder than zero. Oh, Boy, here comes February...

Thank You Northern Indiana Public Service company! Can I have it again up the poop-chute?

[NNN0LHI]

13. No I ain't complaining at all. Could have been worse

I thought it was going to be a lot worse to be honest.

Don

[BiggJawn]

17. So did I, really.

But like I said, there's always February! (crosses fingers, hopes for "unusually mild winter")
My ESSO was expecting a $400 bill on that big old drafty Queen Anne she lives in, but we caulked and glazed and weather-stripped this fall and she hasn't seen $300 yet. Almost, but not quite.

Has your price per Therm gone DOWN this past month? Ours has.

[NNN0LHI]

19. Yes my per Therm cost did go down from last month. I'm surprised

Last month:

Natural Gas Cost
$197.29
166.81 Therms x 1.1827

This month:

Natural Gas Cost
$230.18
204.42 Therms x 1.1260

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Yikes! That's 20 Cents Per Square Foot!

Sheesh, that's steep! We're down under 10 Cents a square foot in our house. (We don't have a big house. Seemed stupid for two people.) Boy Jawn, you did get reamed.
The Professor

[BiggJawn]

18. Yeah, we don't call NIPSCO the "Robber Barons" for fun..

I'm just REALLY glad I don't have that 1800-foot Victorian any more...