Home heating with Propane...OMG!!

ByronBob · Aug 12, 2005

Just called for my propane pricing for this coming winter. I get on a secured plan which averages out my cost over 10 monthly payments.

$1.849 for 601-1000 gallons. And if I have the money laying around to buy in advance then it's $1.799.

Just last year it was $1.55 and the year before that I was mad that it was $1.299.

I'm burning the heck out of the pellet stove this winter. I can see people having $400 heating bills this winter.

gsxr1100 · Aug 12, 2005

oil heat in CT was quoted $2.35 per gal on Wednesday.

beenthere · Aug 12, 2005

We booked gas for $1.29 this year which is up from $1.18 last year. Even then, I expect to pay more than a $400 heating bill for this winter, and will burn about 6 cord of oak wood for most of my heat.

SnowRidge · Aug 12, 2005

Gee, I wish I could get your prices.

I just got a quote from our supplier for a cash pre-buy:

Less than 800 gallons $2.11
More than 800 gallons $1.96

Our 500 gallon tank is full at the moment with $1.73 propane, which seemed real high at the time. I wonder if this time next year folks will be wishing for $2.11 propane? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I definitely see a heat pump in our future.

PJR · Aug 12, 2005

Hi all,

I just called for a fill and it is 1.64 per gal. I will go through 450 gal in the winter. Its one of the nice things about living in the northwest. I will heat my shop with wood just to take the chill off.

PJR

SnowRidge · Aug 12, 2005

Just did some quick calculations. Electricity is slightly less than $0.07/KWH here, which is what I used for the calculation. Propane is $2.11 in the quantity range we use.

These give $20.51 per million BTU for electricity and $23.03 per million BTU for propane.

Since propane furnaces are inherently less than 100% efficient (our current unit is not much over 80%), and heat pumps are better than 100% unless the temperatures are really low, and are roughly 100% under worst case conditions, converting to a heat pump looks like a no brainer.

Dargo · Aug 12, 2005

( I'm burning the heck out of the pellet stove this winter. I can see people having $400 heating bills this winter. )

I'd love to see $400 heating bills this winter. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I burn a lot of wood in a huge insert and I still haven't seen a heating bill that low in several years. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Believe me, it's starting to hurt!

TonyV · Aug 12, 2005

Last year I used about $1800 worth of propane over the heating season here in Michigan, for a 2600 sq.ft. farm house thats 120 years old. I only spend a few days a week there and the rest of the time the thermostats turned down to 55 degrees...and thats also with burning a few cords of wood in the wood burner thats also attatched to the duct work!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif This year, I locked in the price at $1.69 (last year was $1.49), so I expect my winter heating bill to be over 2 grand this year....just ridiculous. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I'm going to be breaking ground on a new house next summer...I'm planning a geo-thermal unit for this one. I don't care what the initial expense is on that system, it'll pay back dividends in time, and I won't be slave to outrageous home fueling bills.

SNOWRIDGE..... I think your right on the mark with electricity becoming more competitive and worth looking at, and coupled with geo-thermal heating/cooling it really is a no brainer.
Could you tell me what the conversion factors are for propane to BTU, and also for KW to BTU? I'd like to toss those around a little myself and share it with others, thanks.

...Tony

ByronBob · Aug 12, 2005

With your electricity figures are you including taxes and the like which add more to the bill? I would think it's almost a wash.

bczoom · Aug 12, 2005

( With your electricity figures are you including taxes and the like which add more to the bill? I would think it's almost a wash. )

Bob,

It's a regional thing but our electric rates actually go down in the winter. I think with taxes and such, ours goes well under the .07 cents.

Brian