a little Off Topic..Household Propane Consumption - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

SYRacing · #1 01-07-2005, 01:00 AM

Just got my propane bill for this month, keep in mind the only appliance that I have that runs on propane is the boiler, which is brand new. I'm in a rental unit 3 bedroom 1 bath around 1150 sq feet..older house but it has been remodeled. I'm on a keep fill program and they just filled the tank to the tune of $220. Last month I paid $144. This cycle (34 days) They put 177.2 gallons of propane in the tank. This over 34 days equals 5.211 gallons of propane a day!
Is this normal consumption? Thermostat is set at 70 and appears to be working properly. Keep in mind this is Michigan winter and temps were around 10-30F during those days. I'm just curious because I have never dealt with propane before and dont know what to expect. I'm going to the landlord with my bill tomorrow to see what he thinks, was just wondering if anybody had some good ammo for me to use as I am sure he will not want to even check anything. Unsure of BTUs or anything, I've only been down in the crawlspace once and its a relatively small sized unit...maybe half hte size of a normal washing machine.

crash9 · #2 01-07-2005, 01:49 AM

Wow – I guess I’m glad I’m here, but that still seems high. Your PPG is a lot less though – I just paid $1.90ga. Not as cold here, but 25 at night and 55-65 days. Still we cook and have forced air heat for about 2200sf - I used 140ga. in ten months at 68deg. Heaters on from Nov – middle of March. I’m gone most of the summer also, but that still seems wild.

mzsmbs · #3 01-07-2005, 02:28 AM

if that boiler is hot water and your heat then that's about right for your area and size of house. a friend of mine had a $400 bill one month a few years ago (the whole darn tank) if you have the old radiators as heating units then i'd run an oscilating fan to help move that air... also, right now electric heat is cheaper... pick up a little electric space heater and you'll be amazed how much differnce that'll make...

make sure you have no drafts from windows, doors, baseboard... to check just run your hand by these areas... caulking and weather stripping and plastic on windows may be of use... my house doesn't have the best insulation in the ceiling and that makes a huge differnce too..

hope that helps... i am about 6h south of you...

SYRacing · #4 01-07-2005, 09:09 AM

yeah its a hot water boiler..I'll pickup an electric space heater and give it a shot...landlord kind of has is rigged up right now, only using 1 thermostat and then hes throttling down the other 2 zones with adjustable valves (like the ones you use for turning on/off your garden hose) It would be nice if he could just fix it the right way, as the heating is very unequal. It can be 70 in the living room (where the thermostat is located) and it will be 63 in the kitchen and 75 upstairs...who knows...
Thanks for your help!!

#5 01-07-2005, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYRacing

Just got my propane bill for this month, keep in mind the only appliance that I have that runs on propane is the boiler, which is brand new. I'm in a rental unit 3 bedroom 1 bath around 1150 sq feet..older house but it has been remodeled. I'm on a keep fill program and they just filled the tank to the tune of $220. Last month I paid $144. This cycle (34 days) They put 177.2 gallons of propane in the tank. This over 34 days equals 5.211 gallons of propane a day!
Is this normal consumption? Thermostat is set at 70 and appears to be working properly. Keep in mind this is Michigan winter and temps were around 10-30F during those days. I'm just curious because I have never dealt with propane before and dont know what to expect. I'm going to the landlord with my bill tomorrow to see what he thinks, was just wondering if anybody had some good ammo for me to use as I am sure he will not want to even check anything. Unsure of BTUs or anything, I've only been down in the crawlspace once and its a relatively small sized unit...maybe half hte size of a normal washing machine.

That's a little high, but no too far off. How much are you paying for propane?

Our bill last month was $180 but that covered 3800 sq/F.

Do you have a programmable thermostat?

#6 01-07-2005, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYRacing

yeah its a hot water boiler..I'll pickup an electric space heater and give it a shot...landlord kind of has is rigged up right now, only using 1 thermostat and then hes throttling down the other 2 zones with adjustable valves (like the ones you use for turning on/off your garden hose) It would be nice if he could just fix it the right way, as the heating is very unequal. It can be 70 in the living room (where the thermostat is located) and it will be 63 in the kitchen and 75 upstairs...who knows...
Thanks for your help!!

An electric heater should run about $2.00 a day to run. (24 hrs)

boneheaddoctor · #7 01-07-2005, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedMech

That's a little high, but no too far off. How much are you paying for propane?

Our bill last month was $180 but that covered 3800 sq/F.

Do you have a programmable thermostat?

Damn.......I should count my blessings me heating bill for my 2,200 square foot house is about $100 a month for natural gas. but about $150 in jan and Feb when its coldest.

#8 01-07-2005, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

Damn.......I should count my blessings me heating bill for my 2,200 square foot house is about $100 a month for natural gas. but about $150 in jan and Feb when its coldest.

Yip, energy deregulation is a total flop hre in Michigan, here in Michigan most of the time you can choose between 1 company, power companies are demons up here. A $400 gas/ electric bill is not uncommon.

boneheaddoctor · #9 01-07-2005, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedMech

Yip, energy deregulation is a total flop hre in Michigan, here in Michigan most of the time you can choose between 1 company, power companies are demons up here. A $400 gas/ electric bill is not uncommon.

Ouch........................My electric bill averages $79 in summer.........with airconditioning. My electric in winter is usually about $58 give or take a couple dollars. Lots of trees helps shade the house and the fact my house in down in a hollow keeps the cold winds away in winter. Neighbor friend 400 feet away on top of the hill pays more than double what I pay to heat their house and its only a tiny bit larger than mine.

crash9 · #10 01-07-2005, 10:11 AM

I suppose the efficiency of the systems has a lot to do with it, and I would suppose that is getting better. I lived in Ireland for awhile and there approach is great – more sweaters and blankets. They build solid stone walls and create freezers for themselves. The “this is how we do it” mentality is big. I had a real lesson on the meaning of chauvinist while I was there.

#11 01-07-2005, 10:39 AM

The comsumption sounds a little high for a house that size. Check the usuals, including windows ducts etc, and make sure you are not heating your attic or something that you don't want warm. Also, have the gas guys check your regulator. We lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota for a few years, used propane heat and quieted down our bill by setting the 'stat lower. Usually, we kept the heat at about 55-58 and kept plenty warm. Of course you have to dress the bed a bit heavier. A side effect seemed to be that we never had a cold those years.

boneheaddoctor · #12 01-07-2005, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

The comsumption sounds a little high for a house that size. Check the usuals, including windows ducts etc, and make sure you are not heating your attic or something that you don't want warm. Also, have the gas guys check your regulator. We lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota for a few years, used propane heat and quieted down our bill by setting the 'stat lower. Usually, we kept the heat at about 55-58 and kept plenty warm. Of course you have to dress the bed a bit heavier. A side effect seemed to be that we never had a cold those years.

damn.....55-58 I would be freezing to death.....I keep my thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer. Any colder and I freeze any hotter and I sweat.

SYRacing · #13 01-07-2005, 11:13 AM

thermostat is your generic adjustable one....I wouldnt call it programmable, no LCD display or anything, just cut and dry. lol...im locked in with all of these companies up here. Propane is $1.19 an gallon which isnt bad, however last months electric bill was $120..no other company to goto..same with cable..charter is my only choice and I cannot live without high speed internet and you cannot just buy the internet, you have to have a basic cable package. Either way, it's split 3 ways. I guess I'll just turn the thermostat down to 50 when i leave in the morning, and turn it up to 70 when i get home.
I'm also going to start shutting all the doors, as there are considerable leaks in the bathroom. Cold air from the "michigan basement" is coming up and on the main floor where the radiators are mounted you can feel cold air coming up thru the floor. I'm going to tell my landlord whats going on, seems like its a bit high but maybe with some good conservation on me/roommates' part it we can drop the bill down to a lesser amount.

#14 01-07-2005, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

damn.....55-58 I would be freezing to death.....I keep my thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer. Any colder and I freeze any hotter and I sweat.

58 is pretty warm when it is -15 outside. You have to look at the temprature differential. When I was stationed in Germany, I would often come home to the "Hotel Apartment" to find the windows open a cold winter day. The inn keeper did this to insure that we got "good air". I never got sick there either.

boneheaddoctor · #15 01-07-2005, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

58 is pretty warm when it is -15 outside. You have to look at the temprature differential. When I was stationed in Germany, I would often come home to the "Hotel Apartment" to find the windows open a cold winter day. The inn keeper did this to insure that we got "good air". I never got sick there either.

That good air thing is a European thing..... Took me a few years to get wife to stop doing that in the winter.

IF you work outside it may seem warm.......I work inside, 58 and I shiver....and my wife is worse than me

I have not had the Flu since I was in high school......and that was almost 27 years ago. Colds I may get once or twice a year but in my job I see a lot of people...