Is this Propane Usage normal? How much do you use?

Question

I filled up two tanks totalling 180 gallons of propane 6 weeks ago for around 400 bucks and now its empty. I have a 1500 square foot house and heat it with propane, also heat the water with it. Its only me, and it hasn't been that hot at all. I ran the temp at about 65. How fast do you run out of propane? I'm renting this place in Vermont and feel like I was a little scammed when not told of the large charges for heat...and its not even real winter yet!

Answer 1

I use propane also, for heat only, in Northeast Ohio through the winter months. My house is about twice the size of the one you describe and I only use about 1,100 gallons for the 5-6 month heating season. Propane usage depends a great deal on the efficiency of your furnace, the degree of insulation in the home, and the type of thermostat control you use. The greater the efficiency of the furnace (usually in the 92%+/- range) the more heat you can extract from a unit of propane.

Pricing is affected by the amount you buy, the timing of the purchase and the quantity in which you commit to buying it.

The price you pay per gallon can also be quite variable in the winter. The time to investigate pricing is in June/July/August in the US. Traditionally, this is when you can obtain the lowest cost per unit. Bulk plans can also lower the cost significantly, if you commit to purchasing a certain amount of propane in a year's time.

It is probably too late for you to sign onto a bulk rate plan, but if you are in the same or similar house next year, plan ahead and ask your propane supplier about bulk pricing and advance payment plans. The unit cost I pay seems significantly less than you. This may be due to regional market differences or taxes on energy in your state.

At this point, the cheapest and most effective way for you to lower your energy bill would probably be to install a programmable thermostat that you can adjust around your day's schedule. That way it will be warmer when you need it to be and cooler when you aren't there or are asleep.

This year I expect my propane usage to drop by about 30%, due to the warmer than normal weather and the new wood-burning fireplace insert that provides more than adequate heat for about half of the home. I usually build a fire in the morning before I leave for work so that the house temperature will stabilize and anyone in the house won't be tempted to notch the thermostat up to make the place warmer. It's worked very well so far.

If you don't have a fireplace insert or a woodburning stove, avoid using your normal draft fireplace. Standard fireplaces act like an open window and suck a lot of warm air out of the house during combustion.

Hope that is helpful.

Answer 2

I live in NH and a few years back we rented an apartment with electric heat and when we started getting $280 electric bills we went to the landlord and complained because we couldn't afford the rent and the huge electric bill. He cut our rent by $150 a month through the winter months or we were moving out. To answer your question, it does seem a little high but if the house is older and not insulated real well you know the heat is going up and out. I'd ask the landlord or the propane company if it has always been the same one to show you how much other renters were using and tell the landlord you can't afford it and if he can cut your rent. My old landlord new the electric was high but told us it wasn't that much.

Answer 3

It all depends......... how large is the furnace? how many btu's input? Is the manifold pressure at 10" of water column? Have you done a heat loss calculation on the house. There are plenty of sources on the web that will allow you to do fairly accurate heat loss estimations. It makes a pretty huge difference whether or not you live in a (Billy Joel) house ........glass house, or a hobbit house........... insulated by 6 feet of ground. I'm guessing that if you mean by not that cold outside yet, temps in the low 30's to mid 40's.........? If so get ready for some $600.00 plus bills when it gets down into the teens and 0 digits.

Answer 4

I have a 300 gallon tank and live in Milton. I use the propane for heating, hot water, the clothes dryer, and the oven/stove. Our house is 1100 square feet (saltbox/cape) and I keep it at 62 in here just because of the cost of propane. We need a fill up every two or three months. What you have used sounds pretty typical to me.

Answer 5

propane in vermont? well for heavens sakes :) yore grannys a living with you aint she? tell the truth!!! yes this time of year in vermont you will tend to use quite a bit of propane I suggest you keep the temp set at 68 on the tstat and the old folks send them to florida.

Answer 6

I would consider using a smaller wall mounted unit to heat the room that you are in since its only you and you can keep the furnace off more

Answer 7

I would ask your propane supplier. It does sound like you are using a bit more than I would expect.

Answer 8

yes