The numbers are in

[safeinOhio]

2009 january gas bill $127.
2010 january gas bill $98.


Last year kept the house at 68 to 72 degrees
This year kept the house at 64 to 66 degrees

Shorter showers and fewer, larger wash loads


Sweat shirt or sweater, shoes and socks on from wake up till bed time.

3 month water bill, down $8.

Electric down $14.

North Central Ohio, in a 4 bedroom 3 bath 2000 sq/ft 90 year old house.

[Paper Roses]

1. Numbers here too. Trying to keep up. Might manage to do so

if our town would lay off the property tax increases. New tax bill, upped assessment by $30,000. Reason: Must fund the retirement pensions and the 100% health insurance for retirees.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. One part tells me that it is deserved, the other part screams that none of those benefits are available for the majority of us.

Of course, there are town expenses that are necessary but these two take up a huge part of the budget.

[Delphinus]

3. I find the health insurance

for retirees to be totally inappropriate. While they're working, yes - goodness knows *I'd* like to have health care! But when they retire, NO.

[we can do it]

5. Nice of You To Cut Us Out of What Is Due As Part of Our Retirement

You could have chosen those jobs just the same as those of us who did.

[Paper Roses]

2. What happened to my reply to you? I posted a number of figures

about my energy use for the year and noticed they are not on my post. That is a first.
Suffice it to say, I pay a lot more for heating and electricity than you do. I cry each time the fuel delivery truck comes or the electricity bill arrives in the mail.

I put all my paperwork away after my post in reply. Can't drag it out again.


No matter where we are, costs have gone through the roof. Glad to see you have been able to reduce your bills. Those of us on fixed incomes are suffering badly through this winter. House built in 1820. No such thing as insulation. Everything that could be sealed off or closed up has been done. I live in 2 rooms but cannot turn off the heat to the second floor because of pipes. Can't wait for March, things start to let up by the end. I keep the house at 64 degrees and wear slipper sox and sweatshirts. There have been a couple of days when I've thrown an old robe over my clothes.

The wind factor makes things worse. 8 degrees outside is worse when the wind is blowing here at the old homestead.

Keep up your energy saving vigil.

[safeinOhio]

4. You might try the incense test.

On a really windy day light up a stick and go around the inside walls, windows and doors. You'll be able to see where the air is leaking as the smoke drifts side ways. Caulk and plastic around the bad spots. Sweeps on the bottom of doors and some insulation around the foundation might be a big help. In your case a energy audit could pay for itself in a few months.
I was real lucky when I bought this house. About 10 years ago the owner remodeled and did a first class job on insulating this old gal. I have natural gas too.
You have to be careful shutting off rooms in the winter. Big temp changes are terrible on homes.
Come on spring.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

6. I had one of those energy audits last weekend

For $75 they checked my insulation and found where the air leaks were in my house and sealed them up. They installed what looks like a whole house fan in my front door and measured the amount of air that they sucked thru it. They were surprised that my old house (circa 1840) was not leaking more but after their work they did see an improvement.

They installed door sweeps, CFL light bulbs, shower and faucet aerators, sealed up all the pipe entry holesm weatherstripped a couple of doors and all of my upstairs windows (which need replacing).


We'll see what the utility bills look like next month.

[kestrel91316]

7. So?

Don't be offended. Anti-environmentalism is all hip trendy on DU these days.