First month's electric bill....

[Haywire Haywood]

Well we just got our first full month's electric bill since installing the wood stove. Keep in mind that we have propane forced air and the only thing electric about it is the 220v system blower. Feb '08..$104....Feb '09..$77. Can't think of anything different we've done other than not run the heat. Whatever the reason, it's $25 more dollars in my pocket.

Ian

 

[wkpoor]

Heck with the electric, what the propain savings????? Mine was 100% I didn't even have a tank this year.

 

[slipknot91]

Congrats. I did the same thing except I heat with fuel oil at almost 3 dollars a gallon. Didn't buy any oil this year though. I love the wood stove!!!

 

[046]

for lower electric bills... install compact florescence bulbs in all possible sockets.

wood insert reduced my gas bill to $30, which is the minimum monthly toll. got wise and started using gas furnace again to even out cold spots using wood. gas bill was still $30, electric went down too.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Heck with the electric, what the propane savings????? Mine was 100% I didn't even have a tank this year.

The tank gauge still reads 43%, same as it did the day they installed the stove. We're getting it topped off again one more time this summer and then I'm guessing that we'll probably not need to do it again for 3 or 4 years. We usually use about a 1.5 tanks a year.
The electric savings is just a bonus that we hadn't anticipated.

Ian

 

[jetskiman]

I have made it through the winter using no propane I used to use about 4 500 gallon tanks a year. Last year I used about 2 tanks (I got the new hotblast last year)

 

[flotek]

my electric bill went up around 9 bucks a month becuase of my indoor wood furnace running ,but my fuel oil bill went from $2,500 to a big fat ZERO:rockn:

 

[wkpoor]

The tank gauge still reads 43%, same as it did the day they installed the stove. We're getting it topped off again one more time this summer and then I'm guessing that we'll probably not need to do it again for 3 or 4 years. We usually use about a 1.5 tanks a year.

That was me for the last 8yrs. Get ready for a fight with the propain company. They don't like customers that don't order propain on a regular basis. Thats why I went into winter this year with no tank. After fighting with them for 6mos I finally said come and get it last fall. You had better just get it out front right now and find out where they stand. mine wanted to hit me with a 175.00 a year rental fee after not charging me a thing like that since I put it in ,in 1996. Then they wanted 100.00 to pump out the remaining amount plus another 100.00 to come and get the tank even though I had terminated service with them. I told them where to shove it literally. I figure with the loss of gas on the deal I lost a grand. Wish I had never put in that furnace in the first place.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

If (when) they start that, I'll look into buying my own tank. I want the propane for backup heat when I'm not home, or too sick/lazy to feed the stove. Starting yesterday for instance with it 40-45 at night and 65-70 during the day, I turned the furnace back on just to keep from having to constantly build a fire and then let it go out again cause it's too hot in the house.

I'll get to bury my own tank too, get most of the eyesore underground.

Ian

 

[John_M]

Haywire, If you purchase your own propane tank and intend to bury it, be certain you purchase a tank that is UL certified for direct burial and that it has that UL certification clearly displayed on the tank.

Then follow the burial instructions very closely. You should not just dig a hole in the ground, place the tank in the hole and back fill with the dirt and rocks you dug out of the hole. Rust and static electricity (sparks when filling the tank) can become real issues.

 

[jetskiman]

my electric bill went up around 9 bucks a month becuase of my indoor wood furnace running ,but my fuel oil bill went from $2,500 to a big fat ZERO:rockn:

That is the same thing i noticed the electric bill went up a bit because the fan runs almost non-stop.

 

[johnha]

$7,137.69

That is the amount I've saved on natural gas since I started heating with wood in 2003. Each month when the utility bill comes in the mail my spreadsheet is updated:
(Current $ rate/ccf x ccf pre-woodheat average usage) - current charge = this months $ savings

Important to note I bought one cord the first year and never again. Burn about 5 cords/year.

The wife says 'what about what you spent on saws, bars, chains, log splitter, gas, maintenance, etc. etc.

I always tell her that a gym membership would cost a lot too. I wasn't even thinking about the electric savings not running the forced air fan, thanks Haywire, for the new data point!

 

[splittah]

for lower electric bills... install compact florescence bulbs in all possible sockets.

wood insert reduced my gas bill to $30, which is the minimum monthly toll. got wise and started using gas furnace again to even out cold spots using wood. gas bill was still $30, electric went down too.

Even the manufacturers tout the savings from compact flourescent bulb.. However, In the real world I think the claims are inflated.

a couple years ago I went through the expense of purchasing ALL CF bulbs for my house, basement, shop, sheds.. everything. It is really an eye opener when you actually do an inventory of all the lights in your house and all.

all the bulbs totalled 58, yes... 58 bulbs total.

The cost to replace oll of them was rather considerable. We always monitor out electric bill month to month, year compared to year and we found that our actual cost savings was at BEST a maximum of $ 7 - 8.00 per month. or $90.00 per year. considering our average bill is $125.00 and

Using this calculator : http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=602

It says I should save $ 2,309.85... quite a stretch in my opinion as at the real world savings we experienced it would take us 25.7 years to realize that much.

Take it for what it is worth, there are savings, it is just that I think they are grossly overstated.

Not to mention the fact of the mercury those bulbs contain and the hazardous waste that creates... what is the cost of that?

 

[Wirenut2266]

Some good info here: I agree with split, those cfl bulbs suck. Not that much of a savings in the big picture. Plus light output is worse I believe.....I can see a savings of about $25 a month without running central furnace as stated, but then figure in adding $10 a month in pumps and fans running, the real savings for a wood burner is at best $10 $15 a month in power, but now do math on fuel......Sweet!!!!

 

[splittah]

While I do not have an OWB, my woodstove saves me big $ on fuel oil.

They just came to fill my tank, I am on automatic delivery based on DD. My 275 gallon tank only took 90 gallons. I'm loving it..

If you consider that they will schedule a delivery based on DD at somewhere around when they figure you should have used 200-240 gallons of fuel.. then based on that system I figure I should have saved about 120 to 140 gallons of oil in the last 2 months. At the cost of oil here that works out to about $293.00 I saved on that one delivery, or 146.50 a month during the winter.

If you figure my wood splitter, the investment in chainsaws, (although, if you get good equipment you can pass them on to your kids) the chains, gas for chainsaws, oil, etc... the savings comes down some, but based on the life expectancy of my equipment that cost is low.

And, when you figure back in the fact I get exercise, have tons of fun using my 361.. my splitter.. and breathing clean cool air in the spring and fall, now that is PRICELESS!

I am lucky to have enough wood lot and trees, that I do not pay for my wood, other than labor, and I have enough here to last the rest of my lifetime and then my sons lifetime.

And the cherry on top is every time I split a round I smile knowing I just took a couple bucks away from OPEC!

 

[Haywire Haywood]

pumps and fans

No pumps and fans on my stove well.. I do have the ceiling fan on low to move the air around.

About the CFLs... the manufacturers kinda look at the ceiling and whistle softly to themselves when you ask them about the mercury in them. You're not supposed to put them in the trash when they go bad. They are hazmat and are supposed to go to a collection site. Anyone know where their local collection site is? I don't.

I didn't know they had LEDs made into regular light bulbs, but the ones they have for flashlights are unimpressive. They work great if you're right on top of what you're looking at but shine it out there 50' and you can't see diddly. I put one in my D-cell Maglight and will end up buying another krypton bulb for it. The LED light just doesn't focus and carry like an incandescent bulb.

Ian

 

[wkpoor]

I didn't know they had LEDs made into regular light bulbs, but the ones they have for flashlights are unimpressive. They work great if you're right on top of what you're looking at but shine it out there 50' and you can't see diddly. I put one in my D-cell Maglight and will end up buying another krypton bulb for it. The LED light just doesn't focus and carry like an incandescent bulb.

Woo dude, you need to come out of the dark ages. heheheheHave you ever heard of the FenixP3D? It is an LED that will blow you away! Far brighter than any incandescent bulb flashlight and fits in the palm of your hand. I can light the other side of our hanger with it. And its pure light with no shadows which BTW is one real good benefit of LED. Apparently you've not seen a good quality LED yet. I'll never go back and in fact have gotten rid of most all my regular flashlights. All of the flashlights here at work are LED as is most of the interior lighting in the A/C and I here its coming for the outside too. My Fenix will outshine my 2million candle monster within 200 feet I bought last year that weighs at least 5lbs and only lasts 20mins. Really LED is the way to go.

 

[Dalmatian90]

They are hazmat and are supposed to go to a collection site. Anyone know where their local collection site is? I don't.

Most likely your closest Homo Cheapo store.

From what I've read recently the LED lights still suffer from "directionality" although they're working on the designs to disperse the light more like traditional bulbs.

The biggest thing is while they are a cheaper the CFLs and incandescents in the long term when you figure replacement costs and electricity used...the capital cost up front currently is bend over and grab your ankles -- about $100/bulb.

I was an early adopter AND REJECTOR of CFLs, back around 2000 I tried them, hated them. Light quality sucked -- very yellow. I'm probably gonna try a couple new ones soon, but in the "daylight" style which should take care of that yellow problem.

I wouldn't mind spending less on my electric bill, but I've become pretty fussy about the quality of light my bulbs put out. I used the GE Reveal incandescents exclusively currently. If you gave me a choice between saving a few bucks and having good quality light...I chose quality.

 

[flotek]

are you guys talking about those goofy looking light bulbs that are the curled up low wattage style? got news for you ,those dont save crap for energy on an electric bill and look like total crap i wont have any of those eyesores in my house .over inflated hype pushed by tree hugger hippy liberals

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Woo dude, you need to come out of the dark ages. heheheheHave you ever heard of the FenixP3D? It is an LED that will blow you away! Far brighter than any incandescent bulb flashlight and fits in the palm of your hand. I can light the other side of our hanger with it. And its pure light with no shadows which BTW is one real good benefit of LED. Apparently you've not seen a good quality LED yet. I'll never go back and in fact have gotten rid of most all my regular flashlights. All of the flashlights here at work are LED as is most of the interior lighting in the A/C and I here its coming for the outside too. My Fenix will outshine my 2million candle monster within 200 feet I bought last year that weighs at least 5lbs and only lasts 20mins. Really LED is the way to go.

Are those the $80 flashlights I see in the LEO supply catalogs? The LED replacement "bulb" I got at Lowes was $10 I think.

Ian