Affordable Heating?

[hensylee]

We live in Central Illinois and have natural gas for heating, dryer, and stove. The rest is electric. We receive the gas from one source, Ameren, and pay $154.00 a month all year around. This fluctuates 3 or 4 times a year when they review your useage. Our electricity comes from the City of Peru which has their own generators. Average bill for electricity, water, sewer and landfill is about $80.00 a month. We have hot water heat downstairs and a small forced air furnace in family room over the garage. The highest bill we have had for electricity in the summer is about $70 so I am not complaining. Gas went up here to $3.09 a gallon. Something has got to give or I will never be able to retire. I can't believe the cost of groceries. What is with the prices of eggs and milk. Are the chickens constipated or what? Hope a new president will do some good.

I heard on TV that all over the world there is such a demand for milk that the supply is short. Ergo, higher priced milk! Eggs, I don't know but I just got home from the store with a dozen jumbo at $2.39! Milk in that store was $4something so I didn't buy any. Will let daughter pick some up at WalMart tomorrow. It's not up to $4 yet.

Don't think any new president can change the rising prices - nor Congress. Just ain't gonna happen.

 

[Faye]

Here in freezing cold, snowy, windy Utah my gas bill for the past month was $185 - we keep the heat at 60 during the night (we both sleep better when the air is cooler) and 68 during the day (when we are home.) We have a natural gas furnace, water heater, and stove. Our electric bill was $150 for the same time period. Our home was built this year and is supposed to be energy efficient...

Gas for the cars is $3.11 for premium. UGH!!

 

[tobagotwo]

I've been working on a way to create cheap heat. It involves eating large amounts of beans, soda, and popcorn. So far, the biggest problem is that the gas masks fog up and make it hard to watch TV...

Biologically active,

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Speaking of cold - how do you keep your feet warm? I know that some people have a problem with Coumadin doing something to the circulation in the extremities, and I guess that I am one of them, although it's only a problem when it's cold outside. Last night I had two pairs of socks under a bedspread, quilt and sheet, thermostat set on 70 and my feet were still freezing. They felt cold to the touch as well as internally and just causing me to have difficulty sleeping. Someone mentioned a dog thing, so maybe I'll find one of those! As it is, I try to stick them under the spot where the dog is lying!

 

[Susan BAV]

I've been wearing a lot of scarves this year--indoors and outdoors--and that sure helps keep me toasty .

(And Bob, you just cracked me up!)

 

[marie]

My input probably won't help you much since I am in Louisiana. We heat with natural gas, our cook top, oven, clothes dryer and water heater are all gas. My gas bill last month was about $45.00 and so was my electricity. We have a small home. We heat our home to about 68-70 at night and 72-74 during the day. We are both retired so both at home.
Like Praline said in an earlier post our high bills are in the summer when we have to run A/C. We had a couple of days this week in the 20s but that is unusual. It's about 50 this morning. We tanked up our Van yesterday at $2.95 a gallon. Stay warm
Earline

 

[Lynlw]

We have gas and pay a budget of 140 a month, this month our usage was 220. Usually it's a little lower, but we haven't gotten wood for the fireplace, that has the insert yet.I did start using little electric space heaters downstairs this month,we have a bilevel house and the downstairs gets cold so am anxious to see if they help.

 

[hensylee]

Speaking of cold - how do you keep your feet warm? I know that some people have a problem with Coumadin doing something to the circulation in the extremities, and I guess that I am one of them, although it's only a problem when it's cold outside. Last night I had two pairs of socks under a bedspread, quilt and sheet, thermostat set on 70 and my feet were still freezing. They felt cold to the touch as well as internally and just causing me to have difficulty sleeping. Someone mentioned a dog thing, so maybe I'll find one of those! As it is, I try to stick them under the spot where the dog is lying!

Do you take atenolol? That will make your feet so cold. Even in summer.

 

[aussigal]

For Lisa-in-Katy...why not get or make one of those rice/wheat bags and heat it for 2-3 minutes in the microwave...should keep those toes nice and warm for a couple of hours.

I have enjoyed reading and learning about everyones' experiences with heating their homes...Here in Aus we have 3 main choices Gas ,Electric or Wood. Gas & Electric are very popular and wood is losing favour due to its environmental effects. Most Oil heaters were replaced with natural gas long-time-ago due to the excessive cost of oil for them. Our gas bill for hot water and heating for 5 people is around $50 per month in the winter.

Petrol is our (Aussies biggest fuel expense)...
Petrol., (the stuff you guys call gas) for our cars has just gone up to $1.50 a litre (3.75 litres to the gallon) almost $6.00 a gallon ...$100 doesn't even fill my car