Heating?
Sep 14th 2010, 12:42 pm
#62
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto. ON
Posts: 919
Re: Heating?
Bloody hell, you must be leaving every light on 24/7. our house in Fall river was 3600 sq ft over three levels. Highest electricity bill weve seen in the past 4 years was $160 bi monthly.
Here in Fall River, our electricity bill just landed; $260 for the month, that's for cooking, washing, drying and tv etc
Having said that, our oil burning furnace used to heat the water rads was turned off in June so we've had the luxury of no oil bill this quarter...that will soon change.
We are on well water, but even that's not free...we just replaced our UV water treatment bulb @ $180
Yeah, it's not cheap
Having said that, our oil burning furnace used to heat the water rads was turned off in June so we've had the luxury of no oil bill this quarter...that will soon change.
We are on well water, but even that's not free...we just replaced our UV water treatment bulb @ $180
Yeah, it's not cheap
Sep 14th 2010, 2:46 pm
#63
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: Heating?
I can't vouch for Calgary, but we've been at -40 and below for more than 'a few times' over the last couple of winters. If I remember correctly there was a period of several weeks when we rarely got above that temperature.
Or maybe I'm thinking wind-chill rather than still air temperatures? I can't find a reliable source of daily historical weather data here.
Or maybe I'm thinking wind-chill rather than still air temperatures? I can't find a reliable source of daily historical weather data here.
Sep 14th 2010, 2:49 pm
#64
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: Heating?
Sep 14th 2010, 10:09 pm
#66
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 140
Re: Heating?
We purchased a 1905 brick farmhouse in the Ottawa Valley. I had all new windows and cavity wall insulation. We spent initially $300/mth on heating oil( before installing a wood burner) and $160/mth on electric.
The house was 2200 sqft (including an attic conversion).
Its costs us considerably more in heating/electricity(nearly 2.5 times) in Canada compared to running a similar sized Edwardian house in Suffolk.
You need to consider the type of house you buy in Canada due to the extreme weather condition and what it will cost to run. In Canada my monthly oil/electric bill was 10% of my pay, where as in the UK it is now 2.6%.
It is wise to look at the type of house i.e construction material, build quality and running cost before you buy any homes especially in Canada.
Hudd
Sep 15th 2010, 12:37 pm
#67
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Heating?
Unless you have your own woodlot, I wouldnt say that putting in a wood burner will lower your costs that much, but at least wood is carbon neutral.
Nice to have a wood fire, but unless you have a woodburning boiler and radiators or some similar system, the heat seems very localised to me.
Nice to have a wood fire, but unless you have a woodburning boiler and radiators or some similar system, the heat seems very localised to me.
Sep 15th 2010, 2:06 pm
#68
Displaced Disgrace
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: HRM N.S.
Posts: 745
Re: Heating?
It all depends on the type/layout of the house, our wood stove heats the top two floors of our 2500sqft house...
We buy wood in but we also supplement from our own woodland..
We buy wood in but we also supplement from our own woodland..
Sep 15th 2010, 7:09 pm
#69
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 140
Re: Heating?
Unless you have your own woodlot, I wouldnt say that putting in a wood burner will lower your costs that much, but at least wood is carbon neutral.
Nice to have a wood fire, but unless you have a woodburning boiler and radiators or some similar system, the heat seems very localised to me.
Nice to have a wood fire, but unless you have a woodburning boiler and radiators or some similar system, the heat seems very localised to me.
I got my wood from the forestry commission as "free" off cuts, Then it was a 25 mile road trip, 10 weekends a year. Therefore you right it cost you money to burn wood. Hard cash it may have cost $100 in fuel, but the the couple of hundred hours spent collecting, cutting, splitting and transferring to my house has some value in time.
We burnt wood for security, due to loss of power in winter which we did have living in rural Canada. I can remember we lost power one very cold winter and the house was 5C when I awoke.
hudd
Sep 15th 2010, 7:19 pm
#70
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Heating?
iank
I got my wood from the forestry commission as "free" off cuts, Then it was a 25 mile road trip, 10 weekends a year. Therefore you right it cost you money to burn wood. Hard cash it may have cost $100 in fuel, but the the couple of hundred hours spent collecting, cutting, splitting and transferring to my house has some value in time.
We burnt wood for security, due to loss of power in winter which we did have living in rural Canada. I can remember we lost power one very cold winter and the house was 5C when I awoke.
hudd
I got my wood from the forestry commission as "free" off cuts, Then it was a 25 mile road trip, 10 weekends a year. Therefore you right it cost you money to burn wood. Hard cash it may have cost $100 in fuel, but the the couple of hundred hours spent collecting, cutting, splitting and transferring to my house has some value in time.
We burnt wood for security, due to loss of power in winter which we did have living in rural Canada. I can remember we lost power one very cold winter and the house was 5C when I awoke.
hudd
I dont disagree though, in rural bits of Canada where power outages in bad weather are a part of life, a plan B is essential. Forced air oil or gas heat wont do you much good in a power outage any more than electric heating, so you really would be well advised to have a wood stove or fireplace, or a generator to run the fans and pumps, or both!
Sep 15th 2010, 7:20 pm
#71
Displaced Disgrace
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: HRM N.S.
Posts: 745
Re: Heating?
5oC!! ..... Luxury..
