$300 gas bill this month. What am I doing wrong?

Submitted by dobsco t3_ztqe06 in pittsburgh

I own a small ~ 1600 sq ft home. Two beds, one bath. Solid brick, built in 1936. Boiler/radiator heat. I keep the house on 66/67 during the day and 60 at night. My bill for November was $103, and the December one I just received is $300. It hasn't even been cold in December; average temp was 38 degrees.

This seems insanely high for the size of my home and the temperature settings I keep it on. Is it possible my boiler is not working as it should?

I understand gas is expensive right now, but according to my bill this was mostly usage. This is my first winter in this house and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

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Beginning-Half-7890 t1_j1erulj wrote

Same here. Similar sized house, built in 1938 and has radiant heat as well. The bill was $327 this month. I feel like all of the utilities have gone up this year. Not sure what the answer is.

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fryerandice t1_j1espw0 wrote

Feels like the rates increase every other month since mid last year.

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timesuck t1_j1erun9 wrote

Brick and built in 1936, there’s a chance you have little to no insulation in your walls and/or attic. It can take a lot of energy to keep a leaky home in the mid-60s.

It could also be your boiler depending on the age, but I’m guessing it’s more the lack of insulation (and possibly the windows).

Also, 1600 square feet but only 2 bedrooms? Do you have a sun room or an addition? That could be a potential draft source as well.

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Edison151 t1_j1exkno wrote

Mine was built in 50 and they still weren't insulating then. Having insulation blown in was one of the first things we did after moving in. Made a dramatic difference

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steelerschica86 t1_j1f5gll wrote

Mind me asking who you used? We’re thinking about doing the same and I’m shopping prices

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Edison151 t1_j1finua wrote

It's been a good 12 years or so. I just looked the company up. Looks like they went out of business. They were called Option Insulation I believe. Not sure if it matters now but I think I paid around 3k back then

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Fittz t1_j1g13q4 wrote

Casey insulation, I would highly recommend them.

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coyotefarmer t1_j1i1inh wrote

Blowing insulation in your attic is pretty easy. I rented the machine at Lowe's (free with insulation purchase) and finished the job in just a couple hours. Returned the machine the same day. It is a two person job - someone to load the insulation while the other is in the attic directing the blown insulation. It has made a huge difference.

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steelerschica86 t1_j1i3tnt wrote

Our attic has TONS of insulation, it’s the damn brick walls absorbing all the cold air and bringing it inside.

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Caseywalt39 t1_j1if4eo wrote

Just want to add to this. I didn't buy enough for my house to qualify for the free blow in machine when I did my attic. I wasnt going to pay to rent one either. If you are doing an attic you can actually use a rake to fluff it. Takes longer but it does work.

I did this in September as well as air sealing, reacaulking, spray foaming holes, and re weather stripping anything I could find leaking air around my 1942 house. Even though the walls are uninsulated my house held 70° last night and the furnace actually was turning off for a few minutes in between cycles.

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dobsco OP t1_j1fglwj wrote

The room sizes are weird. My living room is extra large; house also has a large entryway. But it's a cape so it's technically 1.5 stories and the bedrooms are small upstairs.

Based on everyone's feedback, it's probably safe to assume the house doesn't have insulation. Like I said, it's my first winter here so I didn't know what to expect.

I didn't know that blasting foam insulation into plaster walls was something you could even do, but now I'm thinking I'll probably have to do it next year.

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Rx_EtOH t1_j1fru5l wrote

I used to live in a 1932 brick cape cod. I rented an insulation blower and purchased many bales of cellulose insulation (basically shredded newspaper treated with boric acid to make it fire/pest resistant). I blew 2 feet into the attic and then drilled hole through the lathe board plaster in every single stud bay and dense packed every wall cavity (interior and exterior facing). It pretty much sound-proofed my house and cut gas bills by almost half.

You have to be careful with how your exterior walls are constructed. If any insulation touches exterior brick it can wick moisture and create a mold problem.

Only do this after you've sealed any gaps. Air leaks are the lowest hanging fruit because of the chimney effect: air leaks on upper floors suck cold air in on the lower floors.

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619shepard t1_j1g1g8m wrote

Before you go ham with that make sure you know what sort of wiring you have.

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mmphoto412 t1_j1fqn3b wrote

If you have attic access, which you likely do. You can put in new insulation yourself.

Buy R-30 or better and get the “unfaced” stuff, that will let you place it right over top of whatever is already there

Buy some good masks too, you don’t want to breathe in all that dirt

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GoodKingMomo t1_j1hpmz5 wrote

Yep. My house was built in the 60s and no insulation in the walls or in the floor space between the garage and bedrooms over top. Next to no insulation in the attic.

I recently had the garage area and attic insulated to the proper R rating for my area and have been astonished at how much warmer the house is and how much longer it maintains those temps.

Well worth the price and I should have had it done years ago.

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ollieoxblood t1_j1ev4xt wrote

Spend $50ish bucks to get weatherproofing for your windows (I just use the plastic that you tape up and shrink with a hair dryer) and doors. Feel around your electric outlets to see if a lot of cool air is coming in through them. Those can also be weatherproofed. You can also put towels or blankets at the base of your doors to help keep drafts out.

It's pretty easy to do, and while it's no substitute for quality windows or doors, it has significantly reduced my heating bills over the years.

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PirinTablets13 t1_j1f2jso wrote

Or get a husky who lays against the front door and serves as a draft blocker.

That’s what I did, but the food and vet bills offset the savings on the gas bill.

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CultureBubbly6094 t1_j1fcaq7 wrote

Yeah, the financials are a wash but your method nets a husky. That makes your method the only way to go.

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ollieoxblood t1_j1f64gb wrote

Plus you can knit yourself a sweater from the pounds of shed fur!

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cdelaney1982 t1_j1gwatd wrote

Did this with a GSD. Can confirm to be effective. Can also be used as a mobile foot warmer. 10/10 would recommend 😚🤌

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Accomplished-Pen4934 t1_j1f1zbu wrote

The plastic window film really does make a big difference. Especially if you have older windows

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pghgreatest t1_j1fw2wj wrote

Wait till you get the next month bill after this freeze

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Confident_End_3848 t1_j1erfk1 wrote

Since it’s an 80 year old house, what insulation has been added, if any?

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Confident_End_3848 t1_j1et9ui wrote

I heat around 1700 sq ft (keep at 74 degrees) and my December gas bill was $80. So $300 bill tells me insulation problems.

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Beyond_Interesting t1_j1f14ry wrote

Yowza! When was your house built or last insulated? I love that price.

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Confident_End_3848 t1_j1f27ov wrote

It was built in 1991, so insulation standards were definitely better. I had new windows installed five years ago.

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covertchipmunk t1_j1g20ld wrote

Yinz running a sauna over there?

(I have lived in drafty, uninsulated houses long enough to have adapted to an indoor temp around 60. 74 would feel like summer, I think.)

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GottaWanna t1_j1ewjy2 wrote

I have around 1500 sq ft in a 115 year old house with no insulation. If not on the budget billing, my highest dollar bill was January 2018 at $246. I’ve kept a winter temp in the lower to mid 60s with a space heater in the room I’m occupying. It blows. Needs insulation and air sealing.

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GottaWanna t1_j1g269v wrote

I’ve been charting my utilities for years. What’s interesting is that if you oversimplify and assume a simple dollars per MCF rate (which is not how your billing actually works), the Winter rates from 2017-2021 remained largely unchanged at my current address. I saw my first real increase during the 2021-2022 winter.

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ChinaLouise t1_j1epjfx wrote

That's on par with what I would pay for a two bedroom duplex a few years ago. It also had poor insulation tho and probably needed better windows

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rialucia t1_j1fjwqf wrote

Same. I rented a 2 br/1ba radiator-heated duplex in Sewickley that was built in 1924 and my worst gas bill was just under $400. The windows were modernized, but insulation was nil.

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hypotenoos t1_j1f5jjr wrote

Older gas boilers are not particularly efficient. If it’s 20 years or older and has a flue it might be south of 85% to start and much lower with age.

The age of the house might mean little to no insulation depending on the wall construction.

Are there original windows?

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ask_the_fisherman t1_j1fhzup wrote

The rates went up 30-50 percent. I never had a bill over 100. December changed that, it was 179.

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aello11 t1_j1fjpu7 wrote

Yup this, sticker shock as mine went from 60-70 dollars to 150 for December.

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JAK3CAL t1_j1fjtgn wrote

Nah man all this fracking is dropping the prices… any day now… almost there…. 🤡

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premium_inquiries t1_j1fr57h wrote

Surprised that no one here has mentioned inflation and that the gas markets have been screwed with since covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is a lot of factors at play that make natural gas that heats homes much more expensive.

Anyway, a lot of great tips in the comments here on what YOU can do to have a more energy efficient house.

Personally, I put plastic up on the windows, makes a huge difference. If this was my forever home I would definitely add insulation into these old AF walls.

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PeepingOtterYT t1_j1es620 wrote

I have the same problem but even more expensive. Around the same size. Insulation in these old houses suck

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landmanpgh t1_j1fc99k wrote

Lack of insulation.

Now let's do the thread about how terrible new builds are, even though they're actually insulated and have heat/air.

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pAul2437 t1_j1g03zu wrote

Pretty sure that climate impact chart didn’t take that into account

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WhenRobLoweRobsLowes t1_j1flkkd wrote

Mine went up about triple this month. Older home, brick, not great insulation. Unfortunately, it's on par with February of this year, which was the coldest month of last winter.

Absolutely sucks, though. Christmas bonus is going right to the gas company.

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stadulevich t1_j1fgziz wrote

Ya, I was having similar issues. Got a minsplit system with a heat pump. I pay a third in electric of what I was having to pay in gas bill for the furnace.

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ForgottenZodiac t1_j1fnagd wrote

I signed up for budget billing with equitable gas. Pay $77 all year round and you build up credit that’s used in the summer.

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mmphoto412 t1_j1fq357 wrote

Your house has no insulation in the walls. So it’s reasonable considering that.

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your_mail_man t1_j1fx5tm wrote

With a boiler and radiator system, how clean the water is and how well it circulates are also factors in how much heat you actually distribute to the house compared to how much the boiler is heating. Sediment from minerals in the water, iron from the pipes all contribute to make heat transfer less efficient. Have your boiler serviced by a company that regularly deals with hot water systems along with the previously mentioned weatherizing tips and you can have some measure of peace of mind knowing you did everything reasonable to save money while keeping warm.

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bc_pgh t1_j1g3fg5 wrote

Any local company recs to do this work? TIA

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EveryLivingLine t1_j1f12kx wrote

2400 sq ft 2 furnaces. Last bill was $350. That was an all time record for December since I’ve owned a house in 2015. Next month going to be bad but I guess the 50s forecast next week will soften the blow.

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ekpheartsbooks t1_j1fhxpn wrote

I’m having this same problem! 1100 sq/ft and 100 year old triplex(?). Several of the windows are “new” but definite drafts; I’m buying some of the window plastic stuff and looking into better insulation for the attic. Joys of owning a home? Lol

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WRWhizard t1_j1fp0uz wrote

Some thoughts. If your boiler is really old, there is a chance that a lot of heat goes up the chimney before that boiler jacket is heated up and the circulator starts moving water. Come to think of it, a lot would be going up the chimney afterwards too. Any boiler manufactured in the last 30 or 40 years should be in the vicinity of 75 to 80% efficiency.

Another thing is insulation. My house is a 100 years old, balloon construction, tongue and groove siding, horse hair plaster over lath, and it had ZERO insulation. I hired a company to come and foam insulate and the savings were incredible. Cost me a bit less than $6000 Cut my heating and cooling in half, no exaggeration. A brick house they'd have to come inside and drill through the plaster to inject

One other thing might be how the gas company bills. Sometimes they estimate and then update after a real reading.

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The001Keymaster t1_j1g0105 wrote

Put the 3m film on windows and lay more fiberglass insulation I'm the attic. Easiest things to do to lower bill.

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Lyonors t1_j1g30dr wrote

I highly suggest some plastic on the windows for a short term assist.

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Pierogipuppy t1_j1g8s91 wrote

I keep my brick house, built in 1929, at 69. My gas bill was $305. You may as well stay warm for those prices. Geesh. But my pipes froze today, so fuck me I guess. :(

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beckerszzz t1_j1hjeta wrote

Call and get it budgeted for the year. My natural gas bill when I first moved in was 300 or 400 but it's now budgeted for the year at like 120.

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Fever017 t1_j1hmcf4 wrote

Policies matter. Going "green" is robbing you of your green.

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Wild_Dave_Is_Wild t1_j1hvcdp wrote

Nice! Tell us you didn’t read anything and don’t know shit about fuck without telling us you didn’t read anything and don’t know shit about fuck.

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mainelinerzzzzz t1_j1g8d02 wrote

Use less gas. Long underwear all winter and heavy comforter for the beds. Good luck.

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thunderGunXprezz t1_j1ge1ol wrote

I've always done the budget billing thing with my gas and electric. Tbf I do auto pay so at the moment I have no idea what my last bill was, but I don't think it was more than $100.

Edit:

I paid peoples gas $77 for last month.

Edit 2:

I have a 1200 sq foot home for scale.

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Alternative-Flan2869 t1_j1gndld wrote

That’s living in pittsburgh in the winter - at least get the bill averaged over the year so you don’t get smashed with the high winter bills.

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RebeccaEliRose t1_j1gqxr1 wrote

I own a big 4 bedroom home and only pay about $144 a month in gas. It was built in the 1920’s as well and is really drafty. We normally keep the thermostat between 68-70. I’m nervous about our next bill since we’ve had it around 72-74 all day today.

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Technomom20 t1_j1i54k5 wrote

Does anyone else with radiator heat have a problem with the upstairs being too hot and downstairs too cold? Today there is a seven degree difference between upstairs and downstairs. Would a ceiling fan at the top of the stairs help?

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EarlyWytch t1_j1idfjr wrote

I leave my boiler set at 66. I think the gas you save by turning down the boiler to 60 …is used up getting the house back to 66.

My boiler is also from the early 90s and I’d be surprised if it is 85% efficient.

Budget billing is the only way to go. I now pay $190 a month to cover my yearly usage. Before covid it was $120.

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PittGreek1969 t1_j1isr3l wrote

I had $500 bills last year with my antique single-stage furnace. I got a new one in the spring, still hitting $250. Same old brick house.

It really saves you no money to make that think crank for 2 hours every morning to get back UP to 67. ESPECIALLY if you have a single-stage box. You're better off maintaining.

I also put plastic on the window this year, and bought draft-blockers for the doors, and did some other stuff recommended in this thread.

Gas prices are insane, so you're not going to have a "low" bill, but do everything you can to minimize heat loss.

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