Actual Cost Of Commercial Heat

[Larry Caldwell]

Yes, having a commercial heat source in your home may seem very convenient at first glance. You just set your thermostat and forget it. The actual costs mounts quickly if you figure the cost of equipment, which has to be serviced, maintained, and occasionally replaced, plus the frustration of being without heat when things break or utility service is interrupted. There is the expense of maintaining a generator just because a power outage leaves you without heat, even if you burn natural gas or fuel oil. There are continual utility bills to pay. There is the cost of commuting to a job to earn the money to pay for the heat, and the taxes you have to pay on the money you earn. There is the fear of being without heat just because you lose your job, and the fear of heart attack and death from occluded arteries just because you don't get enough exercise. There is the widespread destruction caused by fracking or pit mining tar sands. This is far from a comprehensive list of the cost associated with the convenience of just setting a thermostat, intended to start a conversation about how rural people can avoid the direct and indirect costs.

 

[fishheadbob]

I am in full agreement. As a concession to advancing age and beat up body parts I purchased a geothermal system after 43 years of wood heat. I live in a circa 1830 large drafty farmhouse whose primary heating source used to be oil. I estimate that it would take 800 to 1,000 gallons of oil at New York State prices, read very high, to keep this place livable; at one time I paid $4 per gallon for home heating oil. In a bad winter I would go through 20 face or maybe 7 full cords of hickory with a little hard maple mixed in. That's 6 figures worth of my net earnings I didn't send to Saudi Arabia. Wood cost nothing, in fact my woods benefited from the culling I did. I could honestly say that there was more salable timber each year because of the thinning and cull removal.
Did I have expenses? Of course but the 50 horse tractors and wagons were primarily engaged in farming operations anyway, I bought 3 point splitters smart then sold them as worn out 20 years later for what I paid, and so on. I have never seen the inside of a health club but must admit I hit the chiropractor once or twice a year due to the wood and the other beatings that living on a farm bring. Sold the generator, never used it, just fired it up once a year to keep the brushes OK. There's an electric substation 3 miles down the road so I've never been out long. If we ever do have a long outage I take good care of my neighbors who have portable generators so I could replenish the well water, freezers, etc. .
I still make a little wood for the fireplace, Christmas presents, charity auctions and so forth, but mostly to know it's there if I ever need it.

 

[bcjmmac]

I also have a geothermal unit (technically a ground source heat exchanger). Had it installed when house built - moved to the country after 30 years roaming the world with the military. did another 7 roaming the world as a contractor. Still burn a few cord of hardwood because we like a fire (dog especially so)
While at it, put in whole home generator (propane) because I remember being without power for weeks on end growing up (dairy farm too boot so lots to do when the power is out). Have had to use it on occasion,
Expensive to install - yes. Running costs - not much. Have electrostatic filter that I clean every few months - no annual inspections, etc. Super quiet, convenient & the temperature is rock steady at whatever you set it at.
Son put in 2 air sourcre heat pumps (split untis) at his place when it was built (roughy 2/3 size of ours). He's been tracking power usage and asked for our #s to compare how efficient the different heating systems are (houses are insulated to similar, very high level). We use less than 1/2 the power they do.
Payback for the system, in our area, due costs of electricity/oil is roughly 7 years.

 

[oosik]

Larry - does your own shadow frighten you also. Man, you are paranoid. I live very remote - been out here 36 years now. Had ONE power outage that was "long" - 28 hours. Normal is one or two outages per year - one or two hours in length. I burned wood the first ten years, then pellets for the next ten and now I use the electric heat we initially installed. Electric heat is considerably cheeper than wood or pellets.

And I guess I'm simply fortunate to be connected to an electric utility that takes customer service and system maintenance seriously.

 

[Sigarms]

I'm a dummy, exactly what is "commercial heat"?

The definition I've lived and worked by is either 3 phase power or equipment installed in a non-primary owner residence.

If refering to Geothermal units (I had no clue that was what the OP was refering to, but it seems to be what people here are talking about), there are single and three phase units. Single phase generally being installed in residential, 3 phase generally being installed in commercial.

 

[Old Red]

Larry - does your own shadow frighten you also. Man, you are paranoid. I live very remote - been out here 36 years now. Had ONE power outage that was "long" - 28 hours. Normal is one or two outages per year - one or two hours in length. I burned wood the first ten years, then pellets for the next ten and now I use the electric heat we initially installed. Electric heat is considerably cheeper than wood or pellets.

And I guess I'm simply fortunate to be connected to an electric utility that takes customer service and system maintenance seriously.

He's poking fun at how the "actual cost of firewood" thread.......it gets so darn silly and how silly people get on here sometimes about certain things....

 

[Einthewoods]

Wood heat for me with propane furnace only as a backup (never). The true cost of commercial heat is in how cold you will be (measured in shivering) once the zombie apocalypse happens and the electric goes off.

 

[oosik]

I kind of thought so - Old Red, but I had to get my "poke" in also.

Well - if we have a zombie apocalypse - just hook the Wallenstein BX60 up to the tractor and start chipping zombies. They should burn real nice in my wood stove.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Yes, having a commercial heat source in your home may seem very convenient at first glance. You just set your thermostat and forget it. The actual costs mounts quickly if you figure the cost of equipment, which has to be serviced, maintained, and occasionally replaced, plus the frustration of being without heat when things break or utility service is interrupted. There is the expense of maintaining a generator just because a power outage leaves you without heat, even if you burn natural gas or fuel oil. There are continual utility bills to pay. There is the cost of commuting to a job to earn the money to pay for the heat, and the taxes you have to pay on the money you earn. There is the fear of being without heat just because you lose your job, and the fear of heart attack and death from occluded arteries just because you don't get enough exercise. There is the widespread destruction caused by fracking or pit mining tar sands. This is far from a comprehensive list of the cost associated with the convenience of just setting a thermostat, intended to start a conversation about how rural people can avoid the direct and indirect costs.

I play devil's advocate... The republican's are helll bent on drilling, fracking, mining and stirring up natural gas anywhere they can, so.... why not just go ahead and use it. This way I stay warm, and they get a nice sense of accomplishment.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

He's poking fun at how the "actual cost of firewood" thread.......it gets so darn silly and how silly people get on here sometimes about certain things....

I even used the same arguments the OP used, except flipped over. The whole debate is still raging, which makes about as much sense as debating septic tanks vs. city sewer systems. Fortunately, I don't have to read it. I'm sure if someone comes up with a brand new insight on either firewood or furnaces, it would be all over the internet in 24 hours.