Wow.

[valis2]

Okay, so I've been waiting for our first gas bill here at the house. At the apartment we had a bill of about $120 per month during winter, so we've been pretty spoiled.

Husband's grandma, who, as you know, lived here before us, had a bill for November that was $285. And the house was pretty much empty for most of that month. So I was expecting a huge bill for December. Especially because I take a bath every day, and we ran 2496853 loads of dishes when we moved in (and laundry, though I do most of my laundry in cold water), and we had the doors open for nearly two days while moving in furniture, etc.

I'm a bit crazy about furnaces and vents. Please do not be offended if you believe the opposite, but I do not think that closing off a room and turning off the vent inside it really works. You are still heating the air that travels in the vent; it's just not getting into the room. (I have a theory that returning colder-than-normal air through the cold-air return doesn't help either, but I could easily be wrong.)

Anyway, I did a tour of the house vents when we moved in, and Grandma had seven vents open, and six vents closed. Two of the vents were in open rooms (living room and kitchen), which makes even less sense than walling off rooms in your house. So. I opened all of the vents. And kept the heat at 70, and programmed the thermostat to go down to 60 while we're not here during the day--however, I was home almost every day for that month.

We also took out this birdfeeder thing that you can mount in an open window in your home. You put slats of wood on either side of it. It was huge, and cold air came in from the top of the window nonstop. I also noticed that she had left a window open (just a crack) in the living room. And she always left all of the curtains and shades wide open. And she left the garage door open nearly the whole time she was awake each day.

Still, I really was expecting the worst. Like I said, laundry and baths and two people instead of one. Though the first week was just the painter, so we left it at 60 the whole time. And the furnace is top-of-the-line energy efficient and brand new as of last winter. So then I thought maybe these things would balance out. I thought...$300. Maybe even more. In fact, today I nearly freaked when I thought it might be something like $500.

Okay, so the bill?

$104.

*screams in joy*

Comments

[greenpear.livejournal.com]

I've had bills twice that in apartments I lived in. This is great news.

** sighs **

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It's absolutely amazing. It might be a fluke--we'll have to wait and see. But it was the most lovely thing I've ever seen when I opened it, I tell you!

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

You had me really worried, you alarmist, you! That's great news. Yay for efficiency (yours and the heater's).

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm not holding my breath for the next bill--this could be a fluke, you never know. Still, it was an "actual" reading, as opposed to an estimated reading, so I'm feeling much better about the whole thing. Grandma has already cheerfully told us that we were going to pay huge gas bills for the winter, so this is a really great happy relief!!

*hugs*

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

jeez, I need you to come work your magic at my house - ours runs around $120 a month. Which isn't bad for four people, but I wish it was less.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I am really astonished. I mean, the proof will really be next week's bill, but still--I was so certain that we'd be totally paying $2000 for this winter's heat. whew!!

[cordelia_v]

Wow. You think that closing the garage door and the curtains and shades made that much difference? I hope your low bills continue!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm certain that the birdfeeder of much failage made a huge difference--we have those big vertically sliding windows, so while the window was open and the birdfeeder was stuck in it, there was a gap between the panes of glass that's about 1/4", and you could feel the cold air coming in 24/7. Plus that other open window! And half the vents closed! And a brand new, high-efficiency furnace!

And I hope this is not a fluke. *crosses fingers* :)

[artystone.livejournal.com]

LOL! But those window feeders are so CUTE! Birdies on the windowsill. But yeah, after I heard what your temps are right now up there the birds can go fend for themselves!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

More like birds in the house. Which makes me think of...bird flu in the house. Yep. It totally squicked me out. And it was filthy.

And I am totally laughing about your icon because I forgot about it, ha!!

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

*lol* You sound like my bf. He starts fretting over possible cost, and the longer he frets the higher the estimate gets. And then it turns out it's only moderate or even low.

It's amazing, in our old flat we had half the heating and water bill that the previous couple had, even though I was at home all the time and kept pushing the heating up so I wouldn't get cold feet.

In the house now, we use about as much oil as the previous owners. I need to get one more window isolated though. It's drafty.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

*lol* You sound like my bf. He starts fretting over possible cost, and the longer he frets the higher the estimate gets. And then it turns out it's only moderate or even low.

I'm completely obsessed! ha! And I tell you, by the time I actually got to the bill I really did think it would be $500.

It's amazing, in our old flat we had half the heating and water bill that the previous couple had, even though I was at home all the time and kept pushing the heating up so I wouldn't get cold feet.

Our old apartment had bills of $120 in the winter. So this is a pleasant surprise, seriously! I think it might be because the insulation got damaged during a mini flood.

[artystone.livejournal.com]

Check the "billing period". Last time I had a happy dance over a bill like that it turned out it was for only half the month.
Ouch.

But still, that's OMG AWSUM!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

hee! First thing I did was double check: is this a full month's bill? is this the right address? And then I did the OMG AWSUM dance, lol!!

I'm still walking on clouds. Seriously. I'm that much of a geek.

[thedoingofit.livejournal.com]

That's crazy that such little things - closing the windows and the curtains - make such a hug difference! Well done! :o)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It's really bizarre--I would never have thought that having a window cracked would make such a huge difference, but there you go!

[lampblack.livejournal.com]

I never understood the closing off rooms approach... how nice to have a bill so much lower than you expected!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, that closing off the room thing--it works if you have a wood-burning stove, but not so much for a forced-air system. Especially one that's already so energy-efficient.

Now, shutting off vents at the furnace itself--cutting off the airflow into the ducts--that I can understand a lot better.

And I am still jumping about like a jumping bean about this!!

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

HOW exciting!!! I'm thrilled for you! Especially in your climate, yowza!!!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I know, I'm completely astonished!!! *hugs*

[drusillas-rain.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's awesome!

Our bill for Dec/Jan was just the opposite - it actually doubled because I now work at home (came in at just over 300).

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Our second bill was $160, so the $100 was probably a fluke. Still, I am so happy that it wasn't $285, definitely. ;)