We live in a very modern 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath townhome with tall family room ceilings and open spaces between our kitchen and living room. We have always looked for ways to lower our gas bill.
We are "empty nesters" and when my husband and I retired, we found great ways to save money.
Until 2008 we always had our gas turned off for the summer. Which saved us a minimal amount of money. But we still saved nevertheless. The benefit of this was that when we had it turned on in the fall, we received a free inspection of all of our gas lines, fireplace, furnace, etc., because the utility company is not allowed to turn gas back on without a full inspection at no cost to us.
Then at the end of the 2007 season into the 2008 season, we decided not to turn on our gas at all and bought three heaters. We use one at the top of our stairs to warm the space in between the downstairs and the tall ceilings and we face it toward our upstairs den (killing two birds with one stone). We have one in our family room downstairs and one in our bedroom. We keep all of the doors open to our bathrooms and laundry room and bedrooms to let the heat flow around.
If it is very cold, we turn on the oven to get the extra chill off (we have a Kenmore electric stove). We've learned where to strategically place our heaters to received the most benefit from them. I was a little hesitant about using the oven but my oven will cut off automatically if I fall asleep with it on. In addition, we learned something very interesting from a local handyman who picks up old Kenmore appliances off of the street and refurbishes them. He said never throw a "Kenmore" appliance away. Every part is replaceable, whether it be dryers, washers, stoves, etc. That made me feel more comfortable about my coil burning out in my oven.
I have had people over during the winter for breakfast, dinner, etc. and by the time they come, my house is almost too warm from cooking in the oven or boiling items on the stove.
We have never had a problem since we turned off our gas. In addition, I set up an equalized payment plan with the utility company. They base it on your previous years usage and adjust your monthly payments accordingly. You need to live in your residence at least one year for them to calculate the proper amount. You never owe any extra money at the end of the year and they automatically re-calculate every year. This year my monthly electric bill was reduced 1.00. I pay $84.00 per month. This includes the winter months and summer months when I use air-conditioning. Our house temperature ranges from 68 degrees to 70 all winter....never lower!!
When I was paying gas, my gas bill was at least 130.00 and during the colder months 160.00 per month and $35.00 per month during the summer just for having it connected.
Caution: put a sign at your front door or your garage door to remind you to unplug all heaters before you leave your home. Good luck. I hope this helps!
