Should I switch to gas ?

bill nye_3

"My oil bills are too high , I'm switchin' to gas! " And I'm like, Dude, you have a 150 yr old house with no insulation and terrible windows and a crumbling 150 yr old chimney and a gap under the door you could throw a cat through. Why don't you fix something! Answer, we don't have money for that. Three new cars in the driveway and just back from a trip to Alaska!



If you inherit a house and are mortgage free and have lived in it for close to 50yrs do you think you could set a little money aside for home improvement? I think if you replaced the 1950's heating system and weatherized 30yrs ago it would have paid for it self 3X or more.



I have been in my house 25 yrs and have insulated every room and replaced all but two small windows , at least they have storm windows and no prevailing wind. I have almost doubled the size of the house and use less than half of what the previous owner used for oil.

Two weeks ago I had the Utility company do an energy audit on my house. They did a blower door test, sealed and caulked everything. Replaced light bulbs, adjusted door strikers etc. Two men, four hours, $99.  How can you beat that ? Plus I qualified for about $750 worth of rebates on energy star equipment.



Sorry, just venting. I have worked for oil companies for the last 25yrs and have met all kinds of customers with all kinds of stories. Most ask for advice, most don't like what I tell them. The heating system is the last thing people want to spend money on. I realize Kid's have to have the latest electronic device. 



Just venting. September is the silly season for us, everything is neglected all summer, and now it has to be fixed right away.

Robert O'Brien

Not disparaging weatherization

But regardless of the envelope of the house,gas is 35% cheaper than oil. Most oil boilers are antiquated and going to a mod/con or even an 85% gas boiler with ODR will yield huge savings,in the 60-80% range. Unless the house is a sieve,no amount of weatherization will produce savings in that range. Of course the prudent thing would be to both weatherize and update heating equipment,whether gas or oil.

Roland_18

Hey Bill................

Two men,  four hours, blower door test for $99.00? Where can get that kind of a deal? Around here (Long Island) I can hardly get someone to return a phone call from an insulation company. Hook me up!

bill nye_3

Roland

CL&P is my power supplier and it is their program.



http://www.energizect.com/



I probably got a $100 worth of light bulbs.

Robert O'Brien

Roland

You're not looking very hard,free audits for almost all NYS residents through GJGNY.

Zman

ROI

Bill,

It sounds like you have one of those customers that is also obsessed with ROI. The ROI on the boiler conversion is much better with no insulation and cat sized holes.More fuel used = more savings, well sort of. If he did the other improvements first, the number on the boiler would not look as good.

I am starting to learn to give people what they ask for. I mean why not. Who are we to say..

Carl

By the way, I agree with you completely

You were just estimating the cat thing right? I don't love cats, but don't think we should be measuring holes by throwing them around.