Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Heating season cost

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Oliver power

04-01-2006 05:20:22




Report to Moderator

Comparing seasonal heating costs. What kind of fuel , square feet of space , what state , cost? Example: Mine was 3400 square feet - Coal - New York - $1032.00




[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
rileyspop

04-04-2006 22:52:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
The last winter i heated with propane was tough. Mortgage $345 propane $400 monthly, 1000 sq ft. trailer with northern package(6 in walls/insulation and real windows) found poor energy furnace was culprit. 1 used outdoor wood furnace(got for 100 hay bales @ $1.00 each) $1200 of lines and componets, and wood from my logging business = free heat. Have to drive to work everyday, bring home waste chunks all summer. This is the second winter on this system. No propane use at all, 1st season payed for itself. I also sell firewood for $90/fullcord, average home takes 8 to 10 cords. Wood is still the cheapest in my area. Upper Penisula of Michigan near Escanaba. Hope this helps, now if I could get some advice with my air compressor would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Eric Rylander

04-04-2006 19:45:11




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
I just paid $4.05 a gallon for propane for my stove, the only thing I use it in. I am in Savannah, GA.

Does propane vary so wildly in price per geographic reigon?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
KIP in MX

04-03-2006 18:59:42




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
My heating cost is zero...house doesn�t even have a heater. Air conditioning is another matter!



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Rollie NE,PA

04-03-2006 17:17:43




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
I heat my old farm house,1600 sq ft and a 2 car detached garage and supply my domestic hot water with coal. I used 8 ton of rice coal @ 110.00 per ton delivered.
Rollie



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Matt in the Thumb

04-03-2006 10:22:04




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Thumb area of Michigan, 1400 sq. ft. house, vents shut off to upstairs, stairway door shut, no insulation in walls, 35 year old fuel oil furnace, thermostat set at 55-57 degrees, about 150-160 gallons of fuel oil @$2.71/gal. Total cost - $450.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
J.C.H.

04-02-2006 19:34:19




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Wickenburg Ariz. Dec-Jan-Feb,Natural Gas about $95.00,Electric about the same.Will start the AC unit usage real soon.Big time Elec.Bills then for up to 8 months or so.Our Electric is Budget Pay at $140.00 a Month year round.Water is a large Item also.Our Winter Precip stands at 1 1/4 In. No more expected until Aug. "Maybe".



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jhill

04-02-2006 15:58:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Thumb of MI. 1450 sq/ft log house. All electric with a Geo Thermal Heat Pump. Total utility bill about $500 this winter.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jdemaris

04-02-2006 19:42:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to jhill, 04-02-2006 15:58:10  
What is an average monthly electric bill in your area? Maybe a better question is, what do you wind up paying per KWh (including all the attached bullsh*t charges)? My inlaws in Alpena, MI pay a little over $100 per month and they're not big electricity users and do not have geothermal - they heat with LP. Geothermal heatpumps usually use somewhere around one kilowatt-hour per 14,000 BTUs produced. For them, in Alpena, their electric bill alone, for the winter is over $500 and seems it would be over a $1000 if they had geothermal. My neighbor put in geothermal and his electic bill went up around by $40 per month - here in central NY. And he still has to suplement it with other heat - using it alone won't get the house above 55F when it gets very cold out.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Stan in Oly, WA

04-02-2006 04:24:58




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
I've observed that a lot of people responding to the question of what they pay for heating consider their own time to be worth zero. A more reasonable way to state your heating cost might be to put the price at whatever you would charge a total stranger to do everything you have to do beyond turning up a thermostat in your living room. Add your out of pocket expenses and the fair value of your own cordwood. That's your total heating cost.

Stan

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
pjw

04-02-2006 05:47:40




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Stan in Oly, WA, 04-02-2006 04:24:58  
Stan, Disagree with your reasoning. For example I supplement my heat with fire wood cut from my residents. The fallen or dead trees still need to be cut regardless if used for a heat source or not. Furthermore I have been told of all the extra work from guys who pay to go to a gym. I live in Mi., 1600 sq. ft. house. With wood, I used 1 tank (400 gal.) of propane. Going rate for propane in Mi. this year was (without pre buy) $1.80 - 2.79 March 1st. Without wood a tank would last 6 weeks. My comparison of fuel cost would include monies I save not going to a gym and paying someone to remove dead Ash.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Stan in Oly, WA

04-02-2006 13:41:57




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to pjw, 04-02-2006 05:47:40  
Hi pjw,

I understand what you're saying, and I agree that it's perfectly valid, but I don't think it answers the question that Oliver power asked. He specifically asked what kind of fuel, how large an area being heated, what part of the country (to get a general idea of the outdoor temperature and severity of the weather during the heating season,) and the total cost of heating during the '05/'06 heating season. To me this suggests that Oliver power wanted information to help him determine the best and cheapest way to heat his house. There are lots of other questions he could have asked, or he could have asked for a lot more detail, but he didn't. And what would be the point of trying to get more specific information anyway, when so many of those who answered didn't provide the information he asked for?

Information about lifestyle choices (i.e. paying to go to a gym vs. chopping your own wood) or personal good fortune (i.e. having a source of free cordwood) is interesting, but it's beside the point. The person trying to figure out the best (cheapest and easiest) way to heat his house can't simply choose to have the same fortunate circumstances that you do. If I won a lifetime supply of propane by being the ninth caller on a radio contest, would it be reasonable for someone trying to get an idea of what it costs to heat with propane to include 2000 sq. ft. being heated for six months @ $0.00 into the average?

As far as lifestyle choices are concerned, everyone is free to make their own. If I choose to chop firewood or stoke a furnace when I could be bouncing my grandkids on my knee, or you choose to never heat your house above 55 degrees, those choices are available to others too---but they only make it more complicated when trying to compare normal heating costs.

Since this post is already way long, I'll take the opportunity to address one other issue. EVERYTHING costs something. I cut, and hauled, and split, and carried firewood for years. Now I'm sixty, I'm in great health, and I'm strong as an ox, but I'm in constant pain because my shoulder joints and hip joints are worn out. I've always loved being strong, but I wasn't wise about it; I used my muscles in situations where I should have used my head. I'd guess that I might have two more years of hard work in me than I do now if I had't done all that firewood related labor. I certainly had the ability to earn many times per hour in my trade what I saved in heating costs by cutting my own wood.

I'm not writing this because I took offense to anything you said, and I hope I haven't been offensive, either. It's my point of view, and I don't hold it up as better than anyone else's, but it's the way I see things.

All the best, Stan

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Midwest redneck

04-02-2006 09:30:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to pjw, 04-02-2006 05:47:40  
I hear ya there, why go to a gym if you can log up trees and do something productive at the same time. I like being out in the fall splitting wood and stacking logs. (great exercise)



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
4010guy

04-02-2006 00:09:03




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
hi i am just woundering how much do you pay for a ton for coal in new york and what kind of coal is it, like hard coal or just lignite coal like i buy out west hear.i get ours out of canada for $20:00 a ton U.S. burn maybe 12 ton for a 2000 square foot house---cheep heat but a little dirty.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Oliver Power

04-02-2006 07:08:32




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to 4010guy, 04-02-2006 00:09:03  
I paid $172.00 per ton early last fall for chestnut sized anthracite (Hard) coal. Shortly after I purchased the coal , the price jumped up to $203.00 per ton. And that is where it is to date. Hard coal burns very clean compared to soft coal. Also burns a lot slower. As you can see , it"s also very expensive in comparison. I"ve tried soft coal in the past , so I know what you mean by dirty. I"d pay the extra for the hard coal anytime. Less tending , smoke is almost non existent , no black soot all over everything , and more pleasant odor.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jdemaris

04-01-2006 20:19:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
I'm heating a 2500 square foot house and a three story barn and shop all from the same wood-furnace. I'm in central New York - usually the coldest we get is 25 F below. The barn and shop are only kept at 40 degrees when I'm not working in there. I put an "outside wood furnace" inside our house. I like the setup much better that way than if put outdoors. I built a room around the furnace and have a 12' chimney attached to it. Nice thing is, the room keeps the wood dry, and also clothes if we choose to hang them in there. There's room for four full cords of wood around the furnace. If I bring in wet wood, it drys out fast and adds needed moisture to the household aid. Works nicely. I can load the furance while in my T-shirt and barefoot. I also installed an 80 gallon hot-water storage tank hooked in series with a propane hot-water heater that, more-or-less, never comes on. I spent a total of $5000 for the furnace and hookup and probably another $2500 building the room around it that's attached to the house. The chimney was a little pricey because I wanted a stainless chimney that was burn-out proof, and they only sell them with that rating in Canada. This year we had a mild winter and we've used a little over four full cords of wood. Another poster mentioned having his own woods and ergo the wood is virtually free? Don't know where he lives, but not here. I've got a couple hundred acres of hardwoods, and use them for firewood, logs, and maple syrup. But, the way taxes are getting - it is ANYTHING but free. If I sat and did the math, I'm sure I'd find it's cheaper not to have the land, and just buy the d*mn firewood, lumber, and maple syrup. I will also add that cutting and dragging trees, splitting it, stacking it, moving it, sharpening chains, fixing or buying chainsaws, etc., is time consuming and does cost a little. I recently had another 30 acre woodlot full of hard maples. Raw forest land, no improvements. I was planning to run a sap-line there. Our first and last tax bill was $1100 just for that parcel. Some developer offered me five times what I paid for it less than a year ago, and I took the money and ran. Now I'm going to buy some solar-electric equipment to offset the short-term capital gains tax from the land sale.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Billy NY

04-04-2006 07:00:30




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to jdemaris, 04-01-2006 20:19:10  
The rent here is $600 per month for less than 100 acres, I can usually provide some firewood every year to supplement the heating cost of this 3500 sq. ft. home, that has a new oil furnace. We have a 1000 gal. storage tank, so pre-pay helps, I'd have do some math, but in the the winter I think I was using 75 gallons per month, for heat and hot water. That could be $2000 for the winter heat, I can supplement and reduce that cost by running 2 large fire places with the doors closed and the heat exchange blower on, but on top of the rent processing the wood and keeping to fire lit is a lot of work to say the least, I do sell some wood, but nothing is free the way I see it. When it is bitter cold it certainly helps to have a fire lit, some years I've burned a couple of cords. Being on top of a hill, we get the benefit of the sun providing a lot of heat through the glass, as well, at some point it will be wise to take advantage of some modern technology here.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
woodbutcher

04-03-2006 07:32:31




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to jdemaris, 04-01-2006 20:19:10  
That sounds like a good approach to the tax problem. I, too, am being surrounded by developers. I live in northeast Texas where good pastureland and farmland is being sold at extravagant prices to people for housing. We still have ag exemptions on land, but the land values are driving our residential property taxes through the roof. Between taxes and lack of adequate rainfall, farmers and ranchers are really hurting. By the way, my house is brick veneer, 2400 square feet. I heat with geothermal heat pump, no backup. My average bill in winter is $250.00, and about the same in summer. Kwh = .10, but they add so many other piddling charges that the bill is never small.
Butch

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jdemaris

04-03-2006 14:20:15




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to woodbutcher, 04-03-2006 07:32:31  
We're paying 13 cents per KWh here. At your rate of 10 cents per KWh, your winter's total cost of $250 buys 2500 KWhs of electricity. That's just about what I use here for the coldest five months at 500 KWh per month without geothermal, and I'm not an average electric user (we're low). The average residential household is usually 900 KWh per month. But, my bill is twice your's, and I don't have geothermal. We have NO heavy electric appliances and all our lights are CFLs. How do you maintain a household at 500 KWh a month - or are you doing the same thing as us? I assume that #1 your winters are a lot warmer then here, and #2 your underground temperature is warmer than here. Our temp below the frost line averages around 50 degrees F. Subsequently, any geothermal systems I know of in my area require supplemental heat. In regard to property taxes, we've got ag. exemptions, but not for forest-land. Recently, I was filling out paperwork to qualilfy for a "forestry" exemption until I read the small print. Then decicded, it's not worth it. To qualify for the forestry tax exemption, I have to allow state foresters to visit my woods whenever they want, and whenvever they say so, they mark trees, they get cut and sold, and a percentage of the proceeds from the logs go to the town. That's an exemption?? I think I'm better off paying the taxes.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Mike(inWisc)

04-01-2006 20:11:18




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Southwestern Wisconsin...heating about 1750 square feet in an hundred year old farmhouse that is not insulated as well as it should be.

Use both propane and wood stove. Used about 1000 gallons of propane at $1.349/gallon in a high effic. (93%) furnace.

Also burned just over a pickup load of wood a month for the last five months--wood was free but for the cost of the saws, gas, and wear and tear on a 16 year old 3/4 ton pickup.

Had it not been for the wood to supplement the propane, I estimate that I would have spent about $3K in propane for the winter. It is really starting to get out of hand. Most of the farmers around here have installed corn stoves. For about $3,400 in installation costs, they claim to be able to heat regular homes like mine on about two bushels of corn a day. I don't know of anything cheaper than that in the upper midwest. Seriously thinking about making the change.

Mike

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Dave in Tx

04-01-2006 17:27:42




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
2500 sq. ft. Double fireplace. One day cutting wood.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
in sticks

04-01-2006 16:56:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
live in vermont,heat with a combo boiler/wood/coal or oil depends on what is cheaper.grind chains for a forester,his grinder at my place,he leaves chains and picksup same.x many chains equal load of wood.i cut wood to suit and spilt and haul into bolier,keeps me out of trouble



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Leland

04-01-2006 16:22:00




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
We put in a new 98% NG furance and our heat bill really dropped , I would say we never spent over 65.00 for gas per month this year heating just under 1000 /sf .



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Joe in MN

04-01-2006 11:32:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Looks to me like I've got you all beat.... I have an Out Door Wood burning Boiler, I heat 3000 Sq. Feet, including heating Domestic Hot Water, (6 months of heat) October thru March. I fill the Boiler once every 24 hours, I burn Red and White Oak, I have my own woods, my only expense is a few cutting chains -- the gas and oil for my chain saw and tractor, which is no more then 100.00 bucks a year.... Happy Heating !

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Midwest redneck

04-01-2006 12:08:42




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Joe in MN, 04-01-2006 11:32:10  
What did that wood boiler cost, Purchase, setup and maintenance too. Total price.....? Please respond.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Joe in MN

04-01-2006 13:34:58




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Midwest redneck, 04-01-2006 12:08:42  
AAAAHHH, GOOD QUESTION WELL, TO START WITH, I'M A LICENSED BOILER ENGINEER, SO THAT'S A PLUS... I SIMPLY STARTED SELLING THE BOILERS ON THE SIDE, AND WHEN I MADE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY AND INSTALL MY OWN FROM THE MONEY I MADE, I GOT MINE FOR FREE SO TO SPEAK, (with money left over for Maintenance) GOT THE PICTURE ?????



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
wgm

04-02-2006 05:26:28




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Joe in MN, 04-01-2006 13:34:58  
I hate to sound stupid but what is a licensed boiler engineer?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Billy NY

04-04-2006 06:36:38




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to wgm, 04-02-2006 05:26:28  
Joe is right, in NYC, most of the building superintendents need to have their Boiler Licenses, especially some of the larger buildings with boilers, some buildings have city provided steam, co-generation plants, and lots of other variations to provide heat and cool buildings.

A lot of building owners have gotten away from city steam, in an attempt to lowering their operating costs, it is amazing how much oil is consumed for heating in Manhattan alone, besides the other boroughs. I've seen buildings with rows and rows of residential size oil fired boilers as well, must be a lot of fun to clean a room full of those every year.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Joe in MN

04-02-2006 10:12:14




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to wgm, 04-02-2006 05:26:28  
Most States require any one to operate a heating vessel --- called a Boiler, must have the qualifications to operate such a vessel, there are different classes and different Licenses, all must take a test after you finsih an apprenticeship, for me, I served Five years apprenticeship and took the test for Chief (high pressure) Boiler Engineer, Chief is Unlimited Horse Power. State Required.... If the State don't require a Licnese, some times a Large City will,, Like Denver Colorado has no state License, but only City License. If neither State or City don't require a license, then most large companies in those States will depend on another State Examination. Like Iowa depends on Minnesota... I hope this will help you, thanks for asking..

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Jack Cohoon

04-01-2006 07:58:33




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
We live in Northeast Tennessee, use Propane to heat 3000 square feet of house supplemented by a corn burning stove. Prebuy 700 gallons of propane for the year. Burned 3 ton of corn this year. Corn at $120.00 a ton Propane @ 1.87 a gallon.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Midwest redneck

04-02-2006 05:54:30




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Jack Cohoon, 04-01-2006 07:58:33  
On your corn stove do you have a chimmney going out the roof? I have read that (and dont know if its true) that you dont need a chimmney if you have a high eff. corn stove? Is this true?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Jack Cohoon

04-03-2006 05:58:21




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Midwest redneck, 04-02-2006 05:54:30  
We have a chimney through the roof. If your corn stove sits on an outside wall you can use a "direct vent" which is a short pipe through the wall. Ours is a fireplace insert and the fireplace is in the center of the house. Would have preferred a "direct vent" because it would be easier to clean.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
randy

04-01-2006 06:44:55




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
north east michigan 350.00 firewood and about 225.00 in propane---burn wood 99% of the time --2000 square foot home



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Midwest redneck

04-01-2006 06:20:02




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Oliver power, 04-01-2006 05:20:22  
Propane---OUCH!....Central michigan area. 2300 ft. sq. ranch house (new) $1,800 for the prebuy and I still have 250 gallons or so left which will last through spring and summer. I also burn firewood 15-20 hrs. perweek in winter. It was a very mild winter--lucky. I paid $1.59/gallon for the prebuy. I would love to get a corn or pellet stove. That propane is a killer.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Stickler

04-01-2006 07:00:23




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Midwest redneck, 04-01-2006 06:20:02  
Just filled the propane for the second time. Once in August and once 2 weeks ago. 400 bucks a fill. 500 gallon tank. But now I won't need filled in August, just topped off. The rest is all wood. 2 story 100 yr old farmhouse, newspaper insulation. around 1800 sq ft with 2 additions.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jpuleo

04-01-2006 12:29:33




Report to Moderator
 Re: Heating season cost in reply to Stickler, 04-01-2006 07:00:23  
4 1/2 months in N.GA mountains. Electric on 1800sf cost us about $1200



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy