How do you heat your home?

[efco]

I use wood heat and have oil back up. I also have a couple of Edenpure heaters.

[TrixAre4Kids]

Gas forced air furnace. The next home I buy will have a wood or alternative heat source.

[Deleted]

gas fired modulating/condensing high efficiency boiler and cast iron radiator system.

[Bob Ross]

Gas emitting humanoids.

[tractor]

We have a geothermal system, with propane backup. Works great, although I wish I lived in a place that didn't need heat.

[dancinmama]

Gas, forced-air furnace. I just had it serviced to the tune of $186.00.

[queenofcorona]

Approx. 40 yo gas forced air furnace - that had the blower motor go out this morning. Thankfully my dad saved the one off his previous furnace & had it rebuilt jic. Hoping to keep the old girl going until summer when I plan to have a high eff. furnace put in along with central air. Freezing rain most of the day so I consider myself very lucky - would have had a tough time getting someone to my rural area to fix it. Dads with fix-it skills are awesome!
Strangely enough, I'll be kind of reluctant to let the monstrous Green Colonial go because it's worked like a champ - in the 10 years I've lived here, only had to have annual maint. performed (and change filters regularly). Things never seem as well made these days.

[suzwantstobefree]

I don't have to run the heat too much in Florida and I have a central heat and air system (all electric).

[Deleted]

We have gas heat. We replaced the whole system (heat/ac) a few years back. The heater is only medium efficient but it's not worth it to buy a HE heater in Central Texas (you will never make the extra money you spend back) because our winters don't last long enough. As a backup we have a gas fireplace if the electricity were to go out. We haven't had it on in 5 years.

I also have a couple of Eden pure heaters.
Honey Sweet: What do you think of them. Are they as advertised?

[yclept]

Whenever it's sunny I can pump enough hot air in from the sunspace to heat the house for 24 hours (lots of insulation). That's backed up with hydronic heating tubes in the floors that are supplied by a wood or gas fired boiler. Wood when I want to go to the effort; gas when I'm too lazy.
I can also cook a stew or something else long on the gas stove and get enough heat for a day. Or I can bake a couple of batches of cookies (electric oven) and that will also heat the house for a day or two. I'm in the SF bay area, so temperatures aren't extreme -- it only gets to freezing outside a few times a year.
I have photovoltaics on the roof that offset much of my electric use. My PG&E bill last month (gas and electric) was < $19 -- the highest I've had in a long while, in fact I think it might be the highest I've ever had since the house was built about 3 years ago. The last several months the bill was down below $10. But it was overcast and rainy much of last month and I used the gas back-up on the boiler rather than hassle with the wood, so I guess I just decided to dance to the piper's tune and thus had to pay him.

[TD2K]

Natural gas here. I have maybe 5 months of say $125 bills (average) and then maybe $40 for the rest of the year. Electricity runs $60 to $80 a month, more in the winter.

[angel007]

Gas forced air and a wood fireplace at our main home, and propane gas and a propane fireplace (fake logs) at our cottage.

[DebMD (banned)]

Gas furnace @~68-90/mo +electricity ~38-70/mo

[lovetobike]

A lot of you are posting much you spend per month on heating but it would be helpful to know the temps you are keeping your house and the amount of square footage that is getting heat.

My house runs on forced oil, hot water heat (whole house furnace) and a propane stove (in the basement)

So far I've spent $1200 in oil (I filled the tank 1/2 way after the BP oil spill, should have filled it full ) and $200 in propane. I just added another 1/4 of a tank to bring the oil to 1/2 tank and have used 1/4 of the propane. I will probably have to add more before the winter is over.

We heat 1400 sq ft upstairs keeping the temps at 64 degrees during the day and lower it to 62 degrees at night. The basement is at 58 degrees. We run the stove if we are doing anything in the basement. I live in central PA and the highs right now are in the lower 20s.

We need to add insulation and I've been discussing ground source heat with DH. He used to do ground source heat installations but he isn't sold on the idea.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Cats. We have them installed in every room, though they tend to move themselves around when we're not looking. I currently have a fuzzy orange on on my lap. Her name is Emily. Lately, it's been cold enough that I've ended up with 4-5 on the bed at night.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

LOL molly - We use body-heat in our home. A great cost-cutter.

[TD2K]

Lately, it's been cold enough that I've ended up with 4-5 on the bed at night.



I'm going to have nightmares now

[Deleted]

In the old place it was wood with electric back up, but I never used electric. Here I have a gas furnace. With a thermostat. I can leave the house for more than 10 hours in the winter! It's so exciting!

[suzwantstobefree]

Jan 17, 2011 23:08:31 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Cats. We have them installed in every room, though they tend to move themselves around when we're not looking. I currently have a fuzzy orange on on my lap. Her name is Emily. Lately, it's been cold enough that I've ended up with 4-5 on the bed at night.

Hehee. I have a calico that sleeps right against my side when it is colder outside. It sure helps, but how do I get her to warm my feet???

[Cookies Galore]

How do you heat your home?

By turning up the thermostat. Duh.

[The J]

I have all electric heat. I HATE electric heat. So I don't use it. I have a fireplace which can keep the living room warm. I have a nice thick fuzzy robe, sweaters and blankets as necessary.

[Cookies Galore]

We have oil heat, provided by the landlord. We also have an apartment next to us, above us, and below us, so our apartment is nice and toasty. I have yet to put the heat above 60 degrees. This winter is much more bearable than the last three in our old apartment. That place was radiator heat, so it was spotty to begin with, but the place also had to many air pockets in the walls that it was freezing most of the time.

[suzwantstobefree]

Jan 18, 2011 9:57:28 GMT -5 The J said:

I have all electric heat. I HATE electric heat. So I don't use it. I have a fireplace which can keep the living room warm. I have a nice thick fuzzy robe, sweaters and blankets as necessary.

Next year I may have to try not turning on the heat and just suffering through the mild - cold Florida weather. I don't really like the electric heat either because for some reason the first time I turn it on every year it sets off all the smoke alarms - usually around 2 or 3 in the morning. It is a fun wake me up... not.......

[The J]

Jan 18, 2011 21:03:34 GMT -5 @suzwantstobefree said:

Jan 18, 2011 9:57:28 GMT -5 The J said:

I have all electric heat. I HATE electric heat. So I don't use it. I have a fireplace which can keep the living room warm. I have a nice thick fuzzy robe, sweaters and blankets as necessary.

Next year I may have to try not turning on the heat and just suffering through the mild - cold Florida weather. I don't really like the electric heat either because for some reason the first time I turn it on every year it sets off all the smoke alarms - usually around 2 or 3 in the morning. It is a fun wake me up... not.......

Yeah....I live in NY so it's not "mild-cold" up here. I just don't like the way electric heat feels.

[Opti]

How does electric heat feel? I keep a humidifer going in my bedroom when the humidity drops and that makes it easier for me to keep the tempature steady.

[The J]

Jan 18, 2011 21:20:31 GMT -5 Opti said:

How does electric heat feel? I keep a humidifer going in my bedroom when the humidity drops and that makes it easier for me to keep the tempature steady.

It's kind of dry feeling and almost "sterile".

[Sammy]

We have forced hot water/oil furnace heating system in Boston. Here in Florida the heat is hot air. I much prefer forced hot water since the rooms cool down gradually. Hot air cools down quickly and is very drying.

[kinetickid]

Jan 17, 2011 23:08:31 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Cats. We have them installed in every room, though they tend to move themselves around when we're not looking. I currently have a fuzzy orange on on my lap. Her name is Emily. Lately, it's been cold enough that I've ended up with 4-5 on the bed at night.

[kimber45]

fuel oil forced air furnace in the house, propane in the gun shop. With the price of fuel oil lately we are looking at replacing our 40 year old house furnace with a propane one.

[TD2K]

How does electric heat feel?


Painful if you touch the wrong wires.