val50

We've been on a fuel budget plan with our provider since we arrived in NS. For the last 2 years it's been C$250 a month for oil. This though was increased quite considerably to C$400 when we received out latest statement. I know fuel has increased in price but this seemed excessive, especially as I'm not here most of winter, and 2 of our children are moving out of the house. We were also in credit from the previous year.
Anyway, it's been bugging me so this morning I phoned them, spoke to the credit manager and without any opposition, got the rate reduced to C$275 a month for the coming year. When I asked why they had increased the amount so much, he more or less said if they could get away with it they would try it
So, if you have had a big increase on your fuel budget plan, it might be worth phoning them and asking for it to be re-assessed.

SAW 04

Ours jumped from $280 to $450, although last year we ended up owing an additional $650 in June. With a 40% increase in fuel costs they may well be accurate in their $450 assessment!

BristolUK

Oil is beginning to sound incredibly expensive.

In Moncton I tire of reading of the 'average electricity bill for all costs of $200 a month when ours is $250. That's $3000 a year for heat, light and air con.

I thought that was a lot but for Oil I'm reading of far higher figures, just for heating?

l i s a

Thanks for the tip Val. We've just been paying as we go for oil since we arrived in Oct07 for heat and hot water. Averaging it out over the past 9 months it's roughly $350 per month. We arrived too late for fixing the price and when I inquired about a plan they quoted us $630 per month (based on number of people and square footage) - which I declined. We've just installed a wood burning fire so that should cut the oil cost a bit from now on.

AmyDavid

I am just trying to sort mine out ready for our new house - they are going to call me back with a quote for a plan so I shall wait and see what they come up with - up until now we have also just paid as we have gone along. I shall have to take up knitting THICK jumpers for us all to wear and see if that helps cut down the cost

Homegrown

The trouble with forced air systems whether they are gas or oil is that they
are not zoned. That is they heat the whole house even if you only require heat in one or two rooms at a given time. For the first time in about 30 years electric heat is cheaper than oil and the beauty of electric heat is that it is zoned. Every room has it's own control so consider a plug in type baseboard heater for the principal rooms. (available at Kent for $69.95) Keep the oil furnace turned down to 15 degrees (or lower at night) and use the electric heaters for the rooms you are using. If you do not use your basement very often close off the registers completely to that area of the house.

We live in a 1060 sq. ft. single story detached house (bungalow) with a full basement which is partially finished and spent $1800 on oil last year (July to July) for heat and hot water. That's cheap because the house is empty from
7:30 am -5:30 pm Mon. to Fri. and we set the thermostat at 12 degrees when we are not home. Of course that's not an option for anyone with young children or elderly people at home all day.

The trick is to not heat the rooms you are not using. Better yet get a wood stove installed. The initial cost is high but wood is still the cheapest source of heat in NS.

BTW Stanfield's makes excellent long johns available at the factory outlet in beautifull downtown Truro. The cheap energy party is over.

Sutherlands

When we moved into our new house in Jan, I was quoted $240 per month, So I didn`t go with the payment plan as it sort of frecked me out as we had been paying only $90 per month in the town house we had rented and thought omg its going to cost a lot in our detached house. 3 months later I had a bill and so phoned them and told them how much I wanted to pay.

Sutherland

BristolUK

Can't individual vents be closed - or at least partly closed? Ours have slats than be closed, although not airtight.
Might it now be cheaper to heat the whole house by electric heaters rather than both?

I have no idea how big X sq ft is house wise, but others here have been somewhat disparaging of 1000 sq ft saying it's small. Would that $1800 double in a house twice the size? Or go to $2700 for 1500 sq ft?

For the period you mention when it was $1800, how much would electricity have been?

justkidding

Just for comparison, we live in Calgary and have forced air gas heating (never heard of oil heating..is that an eastern thing?)

We pay $98 per month year round to heat 3100 sq ft (2 floors and walk out basement).

Sounds like heating your home is incredibly expensive in other parts of Canada.

Steve_P

Also a Vancouver Island thing although natural gas is now available.

Vast numbers of homes either heat with oil or electricity.

Air to air heat pumps work well on the island as a heat and cooling source but not many have adopted the technology.