With the winter in full swing, we are all lucky that the weather has been pretty moderate so far this year in some areas. This has translated into reasonable utility bills, though of course, the definition of "reasonable" may vary from person to person. Keeping your utility costs down depends on several things, from the insulation in your attic and walls, to the quality of your windows, to what type of energy heats your house, to what type of heaters you use. In this post, we'll discuss the types of energy that can be used to heat your home and a few ways to keep your costs down while using them.
There are really three main sources of energy that are used to heat homes: electricity, natural gas, and oil. You probably cannot change what your property uses, regardless if you rent or own, but you may be able to make some adjustments to save some money.
Natural gas heating. Natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel source that comes into your house via underground pipelines from a local utility. It is used in about 56% of U.S. homes for heating. It is not a liquid, like automobile gasoline, but rather a vapor/gas, like helium. It burns in your furnace or boiler to create heat that is either blown into the house by a fan, or simply radiates from a wall heater or heated water pipes. It is also used for gas cook tops and can give off a slight smell if not ignited. An interesting thing to note is that natural gas is actually odorless, but for safety purposes, the gas company puts a chemical in it so you can smell if there is a gas leak.
Gas is typically the least expensive source of heating fuel, thanks to massive new drilling/discoveries in the U.S., particularly in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Ohio. Prices have plummeted due to this and some analysts estimate we have a hundred years of natural gas supply in those new sources, so it should stay an inexpensive source of fuel for decades.
Electric heating. Electric heating is one of the more expensive heating types for residential use. Therefore, most housing that has access to natural gas piping from the local utility will use natural gas heating instead of electricity. However, many older residential communities, apartment buildings, or rural areas may only have electric heating service, or a resident may use a portable electric heater due to their belief that using the portable heater in a small area is more economical than heating the entire house with a gas furnace. Often, that is not the case because portable heaters, despite being small, are huge energy consumers. Either way, the use of electricity for heating can cause severe utility bills that can crimp any budget. Furthermore, in a strange twist, in many areas, the electricity you use at your house is actually generated by inexpensive natural gas, but by the time that energy arrives at your electric meter, it is much more expensive.
Electric heaters of most varieties draw a significant amount of Kilowatt hours, which run about $.08 to $.20 per hour. So a small, 1,500 watt wall or portable room heater might cost $.15, which multiplied by eight hours is $1.20 per night. This may not sound like much at first, but a few of those nights in the house will quickly add up to significant costs. A more economical option often suggested is using an electric blanket, which only costs about $.015 per hour, or $.12 per night (depending on the local utility server’s pricing).
Oil (or propane heat). In the northeast and many rural areas, heaters use oil or propane for heating. These are generally delivered by a truck and the fuel is pumped into a large container at the household. The furnace draws the fuel and burns it to give off heat, just like a natural gas furnace. However, pricing can be very volatile for these energy sources. In fact, costs have greatly increased in the past few years. Many analysts believe the days of cheap oil are gone for a variety of reasons, like scarcity of supply and political issues that disrupt the supply chain. However, there are also new drilling techniques that may increase supplies in the U.S. and dampen the rising price of oil.
Other ways to reduce your heating bills are to lower the thermostat temperature and use more blankets, or wear socks and more clothes when you sleep. You also want to make sure windows and doors are well caulked to stop drafts. An energy audit by the local utility could help you in this effort. And lastly, it is smart to open the drapes to capture the sunlight and its heat during the day so it is trapped in the house for the night. Thermal drapes help to keep that heat inside!
Overall, it may not be an economical option for you to completely change the source of your heating energy, nor the devices that create that heat. But next time you move, you might want to take a look at what powers your next potential home’s heat and ask to see the past utility bills too so you can make an educated financial decision for your next living arrangements. In the meantime, do what you can to increase the efficiency of your current heating source to keep your utility costs low.
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