Gas bill???$$$$$$$$$$$ OUCH!!!!!

[tinkerrn]

A coworker just informed us that his bill, which typically runs around $120.00 a month just shot up to.....$374.00!!!!!!!!! I thought I was going to pass out!!!! Now, all I feel is like I am going to have a panic attack!! Has anyone elses bill sky rocket like that???? We haven't gotten ours yet. That is unbelieveable. I just can't believe it. Ours typically runs around $220.00 to $300.00 in the winter. Looks like we will have to cut alot out from out budget.

 

[powellrj]

we are on the budget plan and 5 years ago our budget was around $75 a month. Last year it went up to $136 and this year its $171. I won't complain too much, but we do have a small house!

 

[Carl]

Yes, ours is typically around 50 to 60 dollars and it went up to 170, and we keep the temperature at 65 - 70.

 

[chrissyk]

I think that everyone is going to be in the same boat this winter regarding really high natural gas bills. I thought that ours went way up 2 years ago. I don't even want to know what it would cost to heat that house now.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I just looked online at mine (have not received it yet) and current one, billed through the 19th, is $237. Not as bad as I was expecting, as we have had several weeks of rather chilly weather here, not above freezing for several weeks now, many single digit or zero. Looking back online one year, roughly same amount of gas used, it was $160.

 

[Stitchfans]

We have a very small house and our bill was $264.00. A whole lot more than last years. It is awful!!!!

 

[tinkerrn]

I am still in shock!!! Our house is a 3 bedroom ranch. It is small. No basement.
I have been keeping it in 68 to 70. UGH!!!!!!!!!

 

[taramarie]

I guess we can thank Katrina and Rita for this! I already have so much to thank RITA for! NOT!!!! We just got our house repaired yesterday from the hurricane. Things are slow going in Lake Charles now. Merry Chirstmas! LOL

Tara

 

[tinaluis]

Ours was $264 and we were gone for 2 full weeks with our thermostat turned down to 50 (the lowest possible setting). I can't imagine what it will be for next month. We keep it at 60 when we're sleeping and try not to raise it above 68 when we're not. DH suggested that maybe we should spend some time at the mall to keep warm. The old reasoning was that we'd always end up spending $$ so where's the savings. The *new* reasoning is that we'd rather spend $$ on something *fun* than the gas bill

 

[tinkerrn]

I guess there is just no way getting around it. I think it is a shame. My family can afford it, but there are so many who simply can not. So many have a hard time paying for food and medicine~now heat. Very sad.

 

[thelionqueen]

It is a nightmare! We got a new furnace which is saving us quite a bit..thank goodness. But, for comparison, when we bought our house in 2000 our heating bill was around $120.00 per month.

Last year, our bill was around $190.00, this year our bill is nearly $300! We need to find alternative fuel means. I've read a lot about corn stoves, and we are considering one.

 

[momof2inPA]

Mine was less than last year, but my house is co-o-o-ld.

 

[momof2inPA]

I guess we can thank Katrina and Rita for this!

Do you really believe this?

 

[Chicago526]

I haven't gotten a winter bill yet, I'm expecting it any day now...

 

[tinkerrn]

OK..so what is everybody doing about their bill??? Any ways to save on heating?

 

[jel0511]

I haven't gotten my first winter bill yet, but I'm scared. Our usual winter bill is about $750 a month, with most of it being gas. With gas prices up about 25%, I'm hoping to stay under $1000. We have lowered our heat to 70 from 74, hopefully that will help.

 

[momof2inPA]

OK..so what is everybody doing about their bill??? Any ways to save on heating?

I turned down the heat, put blankets around the bottom of my doors, and sealed up the dryer vent a little better. My last bill was $75, and my house is not small and has vaulted ceilings. We also have competitive pricing in PA, which might make a little difference.

 

[malibuconlee]

Our first bill was for 34 or 36 days, longer than most. IT's electric and gas and was $266. We had one last year close to $300. I assume this month's will be big as well since it's been snowy and cold this month.

 

[SeeDisney]

I was going to post this topic too when I got my heating bill a couple of days ago.

We keep our heat way way down. My kids are typically hot blooded and my silly DS9 wears no shirt. At night time, we have no heat on at all. DH has sinus issues. Our themeostat, believe it or not, is usually set at 63-66 degrees during the day.

We live in Delaware and I heard many a time about the high spike in natural gas charges from Katrina and Rita.

Our gas bill is usually around $100 during the winter. My bill was $170.00.
We live in a 4,400 square foot house.

Yes, I thought about looking into the corn stove method.

Last year we put on the saran plastic over the windows.

 

[Chattyaholic]

The liquid propane truck is in our driveway at this very minute, and the man is filling our 500 gallon tank. My DH is primarily a farmer, and we have our own corn drying system so use a lot of propane in the fall for that, and we are able to fill our house tank at "corn drying price" then. I think we paid $1.15 a gallon. I'm scared to see what it is this time!! We have a BIG farm house and the furnace runs a LOT. DH likes it warm! I think we should turn it down at night, but he doesn't. I try to keep it at 68-70 during the day, and if we sit down to watch TV just put on a sweater and throw on a blanket.
OK, he just left...let me go check the bill...well, it went up to $1.60 a gallon and the bill is $394 for 237 gallons. Guess it could have been worse.

We will be gone almost 3 weeks next month so we'll turn it back to 50, so hope that will help a little. We'll probably have to have it filled once more before spring.