I have a vacant home in Utah, built in yr 2001, and the only thing running is the furnace which is electric. The house is 3,800 sq ft and the only thing on is the furnace set at 55 degrees. There are no appliances in the home with the exception of a refrigerator and a gas stove.
Why would the gas bill for an empty home be $160 when the only thing that is running is the furnace but it's electric?
Thanks in advance.
2007-01-30 09:36:30 · 8 answers · asked by mrsrafamarquez 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I'm not sure if the water heater is on and if it's gas or electric. However I shut off my water service so I don't have water. My electric bill is $95 for 1,109 kwh for this month and gas $160.
If my electric furnace is forced air why would it use so much in gas though?
Thanks all for your replies and helpful suggestions.
2007-01-30 10:27:21 · update #1
1 Someone is stealing your gas. 2 What is the average temperature. 3 If the furnace is electric, why is the gas on at all. 4 Faulty gas meter 5 Bill is averaged fom previous owner. 6 Too many questions.
2007-01-30 12:39:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have gas on the property, then the furnace is most likely a gas furnace. It still needs electricity for the fan. You would go broke heating that big a house with electricity. That's a pretty cheap gas bill all considered.
Here's what you do, set the thermostat down to 45 or 50 degrees (enough to keep pipes from freezing) and turn the temperature on the water heater as far down as it will go, or just turn it off.
2007-01-30 23:49:20 · answer #2 · answered by H_A_V_0_C 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure the electric blower on the furnace is not blowing air that is heated by a gas burner?
If the furnace has only an electric heating element which provides the heat then it wouldn't hurt to turn off the gas stove in case the pilot light is using some. If you shut off the main gas valve at the meter, you would not be using any gas at all and I would ask the utility company "How Come"?
How is your water heated?
What kind of heat is it? Hot air, hot water or steam (radiators).
I'm a former East Coast electrician and don't recall seeing an all electric furnace. That would be one heck of a resistance heating element. We had an oil burning furnace with an electric blower which was converted to a gas burner using the same electric fan system to blow the hot air throughout the heat ducts as well as the cool air in the summer from the air conditioning.
Good Luck ! ! I hope this helps you ! ! !
2007-01-30 10:47:39 · answer #3 · answered by norman8012003 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, the pilot lights at any outlets such as the water heater, or a gas fireplace, or maybe even a gas cooker might contribute. I am not suggesting they explain that total, but they could be good place to go and find a leak.
Back to the water heater, is that Gas? if so is it constantly running?
I would call the gas company and get them to check it out. It's possibly cheaper to have to pay them $100 to find it and get the payments down to $20 than to leave it the way it is. There is definitely something weird about that though.
I have a small house, and it has a gas water heater, gas cooker, gas dryer, and a gas fireplace connection, as well as a gas furnace. Last month, being the busiest on the Gas useage for a while still only generated $50 for the month.....
I hope this convinces you to get them to check it rather can continuing to sound confused and observe the bills come in and eat your money.
You sound the same way I feel about my electricity bill! I'm planning on changing the fridge to see if that can help aleviate the high base electricity cost that I can never explain.
I hope this helps!
2007-01-30 09:49:48 · answer #4 · answered by thefilmcomposer 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The blower and controls operate on electric. I would dare guess with the size of your house and the age....being new, that you have a forced air furnace. The heating part comes from gas burners inside of the furnace.
2007-01-30 09:51:02 · answer #5 · answered by BUBBA~THE~POOCH 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The gas bill should be 0.Call the gas or utilities company to get this resolved.You may have a leak or may get money back due to the lack of meter readings
2007-02-02 13:42:10 · answer #6 · answered by Billy T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like they read the meter wrong. Or where is your meter? If it is inside, and they can't see it, you've got an estimated bill.
Or somebody's crashing there and using the heck out of that stove! Can a neighbor check for you?
2007-01-30 09:43:37 · answer #7 · answered by KirksWorld 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe your on even billing, I am and my bill is 202 per month all year long whether we use gas or not.
2007-01-30 10:44:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋