"How much do you think it will cost us to heat this house?" This is a question we are asked often by First Time Home Buyers. And not a question we can answer since every house is different and every household is different in its consumption of heat. But now we have something to pass on to those people who want to have some idea what their fuel bills may be in the winter.
According to a report put out by the U.S. Energy Information Administration Agency, the cost to heat an average home this coming winter with oil will cost $2,146 and $739 with natural gas. That is a big difference between gas and oil prices and often buyers may not have a choice between oil and gas in the house they purchase.
This report, as a guideline, is a helpful start, but homeowners need to pay close attention to their bills and monitor how they are using fuel over the course of the winter to find out what is their cost to heat their house.
To save money, homeowners can install programmable thermostats to lower the temperature when everyone is away at work or school and increase the temperature during the hours when everyone is home and awake. Upgrade windows and storm doors to save money. If upgrades are not in the budget now, place drapes over drafty windows. Be creative and find ways to save on heating bills. Make it a household effort.
Even though we cannot give a client an answer to their question of "how much will it cost to heat this house?" we can at least give them guidance on how to become aware of their usage of fuel and hopefully they will find a level of consumption that fits their budget and comfort of living.
(Written by Gloria)
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Doug Durren and Gloria Todor, Realtors®, SRES®
CENTURY 21 Absolute Realty
512 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA 19064
Serving Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Surrounding Areas
Doug 610-909-0687 Gloria 484-431-3686
610-328-4300 x131 Office
Visit our Blog
GloriaTodor@Century21.com
Monthly Area Stats for Sold Houses Posted By the 15th of Each Month
Doug and Gloria - back in Chicago, it was customary to ask for copies of the last year's heating bills. Of course, it always depends on how cold and how much snow you all get. But, it's a good place to start.
Oh, and I forgot to add, the utility companies had no troubles sending out the reports, since they're publicly run. I'm assuming they're much easier to access on line these days.
Doug and Gloria, this is one of the first questions I always get when I open a transaction, it is great that you researched it for the average home. I usually do what Judi does, above, I call the utility company, and I also give a few websites to show how a buyer can reduce the bill if they improve and upgrade the exisiting system. There are incentives available to save money when you replace an old system for a more fuel efficient one. Great post.
Yes, we always get that question here too, not so much about heat but cooling which drives up our bills in the summer. Past bills would only tell part of the story, so much depends on personal habits and consumption. All the best!
Juli, Good to hear you are able to get this information for your clients. Thanks.
Barbara, Thanks! Replacement of heater is a great saver.
Silvia, Yes your area would get asked the reverse question for a/c.
Thanks for stopping by everyone!
Gloria
We don’t have any oil-burning heaters down here. It’s either gas or electric, and gas is much, much less expensive.