gale

ugh. I can't even imagine. I know that there are some around here (not close to us) that have been a month without water. Usually their neighbors are in the same boat too.

auntpiggylpn

We recently moved to Michigan and our new to us house is heated by propane. 2 mos ago, we had a new tank placed and our very first fill. (500 gal) @ $2.19/gal. Since we have never had propane before, we had no idea what it would take to heat our home (3200 sqft). We have been so busy going back in forth between our old home (3 hrs away in Indiana) getting it ready to be put on the market, we never thought to check our tank. Last Saturday we checked it and we only had 5% left! We called the propane company, figuring we were going to have to pay an after hours fee. Nope, because we were told that do to the harsh winter we are having, the propane company isn't making calls after hours, holidays or weekends. I was told to call back on Monday morning and get a work order started and that it would be 5 days after until they could get to us. I called @7:55 am on Monday and they answered. I explained our situation and our ignorance about propane. I was told that it would be 3-5 days until we were filled. I explained that I had turned our heat down to 60* and wasn't using the stove or the dryer and limiting hot water and asked if we would be okay for 5 days. (I have 2 senior dogs as well). The lady told me it would be cutting it close. Lo and behold, Tuesday afternoon the propane truck backed into our driveway! I went out to the driver and told him he was my hero. He said that because we were brand new customers they had put us on the priority list. He told me what to do so we didn't get in the same situation again (and we won't !) When he filled our tank, it was at 1%! We never would have made it 5 days. We had natural gas at our old home and would choke on those bills; I think the old dogs are going to have to get jobs to help pay for our propane bills!!!

earthwalker

I have been wondering how everyone was coping with the extreme cold....my heart goes out to you. Don't know what's worse extreme cold or extreme heat/drought, which is what we are dealing with. We haven't had a drop of moisture for over 88 days....even the biggest trees on our block are suffering. Today, I am sitting here in a puddle of sweat, literally wearing nothing but a cotton sarong. We don't have aircon, just ceiling fans. Fortunately a few years ago we put in solar panels to help with massive rises in electricity. Water here is also very expensive. We have a solar hot water system, to save it overheating I am running my washing machine on hot for all our washing, the water going into the machine is at boiling point. The dogs are sprawled out on the tiles and I have covered the bird cage with a wet towel to stop our old budgies from falling off the perch. I am grateful for what we have....but am sick of the relentless heat and hot easterly winds. All the best to you coping with the cold.

quiltingcandy

When my sister moved from CA to WA - she about had a heart attack with her first heating bill - it was over $800.00 1n 2010, she had been at my mother's which was about one third of that. I told her Mother had her bill adjusted so it was an average every month and once a year she either had to pay some additional or had a credit. They were all electric. She said she contacted their company and have since been able to average too.

sandy l

We have our gas and electric bills on the averaged paying system too, but I know we're going to take a hit in May when they re-do them. Just hope we don't have to come up with lots of $$$.

oleganny

We heat with a wood pellet stove & buy 1 ton of pellets at a time - about $250 for the brand we normally buy - the dealer stores them for us so we only bring home about 500# at a time. With this latest storm predicted, we decided to pick up some more pellets (we had already picked up all our prepaid - surprise - the truck the dealer was expecting didn't come in - so none to be had from our regular source. We weren't out, but would be cutting it close if we got snowed in, which happens with blowing & drifting snow since we are 1/4 mile off the county road. We started calling around & all the places within 20 miles (we are 20 miles from everything) were out. Finally found a place 40 miles away that had pellets - prepaid over the phone, so the would still be there when we got there. Lesson learned - from now on when we pick up the last of our prepaid we will immediately prepay for more.

hopetoquilt

Our air conditioner died this summer. It was 30+ years old. While the repair guy was out there, he replaced the air, heater, added a return, etc and told us it would significantly lower our heating and cooling bills. What timing. So glad I did it. Our bills are actually about 1/3 lower. Adding the extra return really helped a lot too and was not very expensive to do. In all it was $6,000 to do everything but I think in a few years, we will break even and then make $$$.

Edie

$262.00 last month - $255.00 this month. Gas and electric for a four room house. Beat that one! Temp set at 65 at night, 70 during the day! Really looking forward to Spring. I usually turn the heat off around middle to end of April.

I do consider myself fortunate though because our son and family have propane heat and they are running out. Have been keeping their thermostat at 60.

I found out something though. My sister has propane and she saves $160 a month and pays for the whole year in advance at the price it is at that time and has it all paid for the following winter. Which she is doing right now - saving!!!! She says she's good until April or May and maybe the price will go down somewhat in that time.

Edie

SB13

We had our propane tank filled in Jan before the price hike. When we heard of that, we went to using 2 eden pure heaters, each will heat 1000 square feet, (the Jan propane bill for 197 gals was $491) Then the price doubled. We just got our first electric bill doing this, and it was $241. We have only used 10% of our propane fill, for cooking and hot water, so I know we will make it till the price drops. I figure a $241 electric bill is better then a $1000 propane bill any day, and the two heaters keep it plenty warm in here. Average between 69-72 degrees depending on how cold it is, they are also completely safe, no carbon monoxide to worry about or fire hazard and do not get hot to the touch.

cjaneky

We were fortunate enough to have a wood burning furnace installed out back, dh still has to cut and bring the wood to the house but once we have it all set up...this keeps our whole house warm and heats our hot water as well. Living on a farm makes getting the wood a little easier as well. We are total electric...the only problem is if the power goes out...the fans can't blow the warm air thru the house, but we also have a back up generator.. So far our highest bill has still been under $200... and we keep the heat on at 76 to 78....this is our 2nd year with the furnace and i love it...