# My 2010 Utility costs



## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

Just working on my taxes and adding up cost from last year. We spent a little more on utilites than the last couple of years...

Hydro $2068.12
Natural Gas $853.41
Water and waste $694.89
Water heater rental $214.94 

Total $3831.36 or $319.28/month

We do have a pool that uses a lot of hydro to run the pump and a gas pool heater so our summer bills are similar to the winter. A sprinkler system that kicks up the water usage in the summer even though I use it sparingly. 

2500 sf house with 4 people including a baby so the washer, dryer and dishwasher are being used every day.

I guess $10/day isn't too bad.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Here are mine.

Hydro: $1170
Gas: $1150 (includes cooking, dryer, hot water rental as well)
Water: $265

2600sq/ft home.


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## whitby (Nov 17, 2010)

My costs for 2010 were:

Hydro: $1,094
Gas: $1,070
Water: $ 544

Total: $2,708 ($2,911 in 2009)

2500 Square Feet.


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## Kim (Jan 10, 2011)

How come you rent your water heater? 
At first I was like what's hydro? They pay for water twice? Then I realized it is your source of power! We just call ours power. I am pretty sure ours comes from a less enviromentally friendly source such as coal.

My utilities include: power ( Epcor ), gas ( Altagas ), phone and TV. Our water comes from our well. Fuel is also a major cost for us as we live so far from town ( 40 miles ).


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## Rico (Jan 27, 2011)

1942 Sq. Ft 5-year old house (including basement, space heater in garage) in Northern Alberta

Month. . . . Water. . . . . . . . . . Electricity. . . . . . . . . . Gas
Jan . . . . 101.08 . . . . . . . . . . 175.76 . . . . . . . . . . 79.32
Feb . . . . 81.13 . . . . . . . . . .124.50 . . . . . . . . . . 257.00
Mar . . . . 97.69 . . . . . . . . . . 113.24 . . . . . . . . . . 140.30
Apr . . . . 100.44 . . . . . . . . . . 136.38 . . . . . . . . . . 125.60

TEENAGER MOVED OUT

May . . . . 83.90 . . . . . . . . . . 77.81 . . . . . . . . . . 59.09
Jun . . . . 75.62 . . . . . . . . . . 85.92 . . . . . . . . . . 52.02
Jul . . . . 75.00 . . . . . . . . . . 83.16 . . . . . . . . . . 60.40

MOVED - RENTING 1800 Sq. Ft. condo (all floors) in central Alberta

Aug . . . . 83.15 . . . . . . . . . . 112.75 . . . . . . . . . . 17.59
Sep. . . . 81.75 . . . . . . . . . . 50.35 . . . . . . . . . . 43.67
Oct . . . .  78.99 . . . . . . . . . . 49.40 . . . . . . . . . . 80.09
Nov . . . . 73.50 . . . . . . . . . . 53.20 . . . . . . . . . . 42.24
Dec . . . . 67.99 . . . . . . . . . . 59.74 . . . . . . . . . . 76.00

Total. . . . 1000.24 . . . . . . . . . . 1122.21 . . . . . . .. 1033.32
Per month 83.35 . . . . . . . . . . 93.52 . . . . . . . . . . 86.11

All: 3155.77
/mo: 262.98


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Rico said:


> TEENAGER MOVED OUT


I love that! Our electricity bill (we have electric heat) dropped by almost 50% when our teenager moved out; no more 25-minute showers, no more television running 24 hours/day, no more jacking the thermostat in her bedroom up to 30 degrees in winter while leaving the window open for fresh air.


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

The only good reasons to rent a water heater are to avoid the capital outlay to buy and install one plus any repairs or replacement costs are covered by the rental company. I did have a repair this year and two major parts were replaced and the technician told me the call would have been around $400 if I was paying for it.

If I was living in a house that I felt was a long term home I would probably install an on demand water heater.


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## Rico (Jan 27, 2011)

brad said:


> I love that! Our electricity bill (we have electric heat) dropped by almost 50% when our teenager moved out; no more 25-minute showers, no more television running 24 hours/day, no more jacking the thermostat in her bedroom up to 30 degrees in winter while leaving the window open for fresh air.


Heh heh - yeah, I hear that. Average monthly costs for W/E/G went from 95/137/151 down to about 78/70/55 - the very cold and dark Jan/Feb is in there so it's not ALL teenager-related for gas/elec. in those months.


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## FrugalTrader (Oct 13, 2008)

brad said:


> I love that! Our electricity bill (we have electric heat) dropped by almost 50% when our teenager moved out; no more 25-minute showers, no more television running 24 hours/day, *no more jacking the thermostat in her bedroom up to 30 degrees in winter while leaving the window open for fresh air*.


Ya, I wouldn't be too happy with that. 

We pay an annual water tax (~$300) + electricity which includes heat + light. Electricty comes to $234 per month equal payment plan or $2808 per year for 1800 sq ft developed.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Ihatetaxes said:


> The only good reasons to rent a water heater are to avoid the capital outlay to buy and install one plus any repairs or replacement costs are covered by the rental company. I did have a repair this year and two major parts were replaced and the technician told me the call would have been around $400 if I was paying for it.
> 
> If I was living in a house that I felt was a long term home I would probably install an on demand water heater.


Agreed, home came with rental HW tank, it's a direct vent they are not inexpensive $800+ and well we are moving after only 3 years so good thing I didn't swap it!

New home is propane I am contemplating get an on-demand system. There are 2 of us in the home, on demand should be plenty fine for us and save us from heating up that huge tank all the time.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Kim said:


> At first I was like what's hydro? They pay for water twice? Then I realized it is your source of power! We just call ours power. I am pretty sure ours comes from a less enviromentally friendly source such as coal.


Haha I always notice this too

Hydro (actual hydro) $800 in 2010. This includes electric baseboard heaters and pool pump
Water $99 + pool water $50
Gas $0

I leave my receiver and home theater plugged in 24/7. My computer runs 24/7 on an efficient PSU. All appliances are HE. I've experimented and I can barely change my bill from usage even if I unplug everything for a month. I normally program the heat to drop to 15 for the day, and even that is peanuts. My usage portion of the bill is ~$400 so "phantom power" is probably $10/year


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Wow your place must be small? My tenants are paying $600 a month for hydro (electricity) because of baseboard heat!


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Yea I live in a 2500 Sq foot closet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

It's a lot colder here than Ottawa too (Last year I snowmobiled from mid Oct to Easter weekend) I did replace the thermostats with the new ones that turn on/off faster/more often but I'm pretty sure they cost a lot more than they saved. Pretty sure all these $$ light bulbs cost more than they saved as well


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

jamesbe said:


> Wow your place must be small? My tenants are paying $600 a month for hydro (electricity) because of baseboard heat!


Remember that in Québec electricity prices are very low, so baseboard heat is economical here. We pay about $1,400/year for electricity, which includes heat and hot water and I work at home so that includes my home office as well. We have a three-bedroom house with two bathrooms; it's small (around 1,000 square feet) but not well insulated and a bit drafty. Once we tighten things up I expect we could get our electricity costs to under $1,000 per year.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

My utility costs for 2010:

Hydro (includes electricity + water usage + sewage/disposal) : $1,512.15
Monthly average: $126.01

Gas (used for heating and water heating) : $604.48
Monthly average: $50.37

Hydro substantially higher than previous years.
Gas marginally lower than previous years.

Home size : approx. 1500 sq. ft. with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

jamesbe said:


> Agreed, home came with rental HW tank, it's a direct vent they are not inexpensive $800+ and well we are moving after only 3 years so good thing I didn't swap it!
> 
> New home is propane I am contemplating get an on-demand system. There are 2 of us in the home, on demand should be plenty fine for us and save us from heating up that huge tank all the time.


I installed my own hot water tank many years ago..September 2000 when
Enbridge allowed us to do that without paying any penalties. Not sure
what the scheme is now. Since the Enbridge rental tank and the tank
I bought from Home Depot were the same size, the gas pipe fittings 
fit exactly and I installed it myself including the copper plumbing.

Used the approved pipe thread compound on the gas pipe fitting and then called Enbridge to inspect it. 
They said, well if you've tested the joints with soap and water and you are sure there are no gas leak or water leaks, 
go ahead and light it and we will come around for a casual inspection. 
They did several days later and approved my self installation.

The tank is now almost 13 years old.. I paid around $450-$480 for
it from Home Depot back in 2000, so it has saved me about $2184 in rental fees ($14 per month)
over the years since I installed it, so now I am ahead of the rental game, by about $1500 over 12 years. 

No problems with it. The GE Smart tank warranty is prorated over 9 years, so
now there is no warranty on it now, but if it should rusts out and leak, I am on
my own...however a new one is around $700, so I would just get H-D to
deliver it and install the same kind myself. Simple direct flue and no
venting motors to break down.

As far as the "on demand" heaters, yes they are more energy efficient,
using as much as 30% less gas or propane, but they cost a lot more,
although they are now coming down in price to around a $1000 or so.
Then there is the installation costs, as the gas pipe and hot water have
to be 3/4" right from the meter for the tank to work properly as most need
a minimum flow rate to even work..in other words, open the hot water tap
and expect a few seconds of cold water (in the lines) before the hot water
is available.

I don't know...if I do the math, the old reliable tank hot water heaters are
cheaper and don't require any service for many years. The power vented
type are more expensive and need direct venting which costs more to
install, similar to the tankless models, so the installation can run $400 or
more for these.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

I replaced a 12 year old water tank when I bought my place for about $500. The hot water pressure was getting very weak due to all the deposits in the tank and because no maint had ever been done to it (you can easily drain the sediment out once every few years) There is also a sacrificial anode that no one ever replaces, but most tank last so long without maint anyways. Renting is a big cash cow


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Guys you should also be posting how many people live in your home. 
For us, 2 people in 500 sq/ft condo.

Natural gas or heat = $0 (we cut it off, condo heat/hallway keeps unit warm)
Electricity $476.18 or $39.68 month
Water= $0 (paid in maintenance fee)
Maintenance fee $4002.00 or $333.50/month

Total costs per month $373.18


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

mode3sour said:


> Renting is a big cash cow


I've had this problem before, except it was a rental hot water tank. They came out and installed a new tank, no extra charge.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=17f52755-7ede-45a5-8b2f-6a8b7d004957 
One of Quebec's reason for low electric costs ,Every Newfoundlander hope to live to see the day Joey's contract expires .The contract should have expired in 2016 as the story tells.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

2800 Square feet home, Built in 1905, Boiler built 10 years later (1915) converted to Gas in the 60's, Two adults, two toddlers.

Gas:$1200
Power: $800 
Water $265

Hell of a lot of gas, considering the house is often 16 or 61 at night and 19 or 66 during the day, the other two are pretty good.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

My hydro and gas for 2010 was $3100 ,we have brand new 3200 sq ft Bungalow , not sure how it affects things but basement is not finished yet although it is all insulated , Spray foamed and vapor barrier. Water Bill about $500 for the year.Family of 4 but we have had visitors here for 3 months of 2010


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jungle said:


> I've had this problem before, except it was a rental hot water tank. They came out and installed a new tank, no extra charge.


It's cheaper to rent if it's a short term residence, but replacing it yourself once in 12 yrs is far cheaper



marina628 said:


> http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=17f52755-7ede-45a5-8b2f-6a8b7d004957
> One of Quebec's reason for low electric costs ,Every Newfoundlander hope to live to see the day Joey's contract expires .The contract should have expired in 2016 as the story tells.


I thank Frugal for the cheap hydro

Labrador is land locked though, what else can they do? I've seen land sold for less because it was locked in

Doesn't NFLD also sell their oil to buy oil from Texas?


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Jungle said:


> Maintenance fee $4002.00 or $333.50/month.
> Total costs per month $373.18


I thought $373.18 was too high for such a small place, but it's pretty much the same as mine when space is taken into account. 

$838.41 total per month for 1350 sf/condo.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

mode3sour said:


> I replaced a 12 year old water tank when I bought my place for about $500. The hot water pressure was getting very weak due to all the deposits in the tank and because no maint had ever been done to it (you can easily drain the sediment out once every few years) There is also a sacrificial anode that no one ever replaces, but most tank last so long without maint anyways. Renting is a big cash cow


Everyone is in a different situation. I been trying to understand the
economics and any possible savings in gas consumption = money in
my pocket by changing my "ole reliable" OWNED standard hot water tank to
the newer technologies..ie; the demand heaters, on a ownership basis for lets say 15 years?..do they last that long? 

I live alone in a 1450 sq ft house. No dishwasher and I only do my laundry
once a week (lukewarm wash-cold rince), water saver shower head,
so looking at my Sept 2010 gas bill, here's what my hot water tank used..34 cuf ft (at .30c a cuft ($10.20)

but that isn't the total cost of the gas that heats my water tank..
$10.20 is gas usage
$ 2.31 transportation (pipeline) charge
$ 2.52 delivery to my house (infrastructure/distribution) charge

So it cost me about $15.30 + HST to heat water in my old tank

OK..so lets say I have to finally replace my old almost 13 year tank with
a new demand water heater.

The cheapest I have been able to find one is for $999 at Home Depot.
But this does not include installation, which will require a reconfiguration of
the gas pipes and the water pipes and from what I've read a 3/4" pipe from
the meter to the gas heater..something to do with flow rate.

Now lets say the complete installation for the demand heater is $550(includes
removal/disposal of old tank) and HST.

The cost is now around $1960 installed vs say $600 for a conventional tank.
Ok, the new style demand heater is supposed to be 30% more efficient,
so the monthly gas bill would drop around $4.50 from what it is now..
But what is the payback period for going with the demand heater?
If you use simple math, it would take 435 months (about 36 years)
for the savings in gas to pay for the demand water heater..but we can't
go by that because if you need a new water heater, it will still cost around
$700 to buy and install.

But if I look at the gas consumption or savings of both the conventional
or demand water heater, there isn't what you would call a saving.

Convential (owned) water heater tank
about $21.80 a month
gas charges + $650 tank + $150 installation

Demand water heater
about $24.85 a month
gas charges (30% reduction) + cost of tank + higher installation cost

So what is the fuss all about these new demand heaters?


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

I think the fuss is that if you are renting some companies will come in and replace your HW tank with one at no charge to you. But you will now rent it instead of the tank.


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## canuck1 (Apr 29, 2010)

Excellent thread!

2400 sq feet house in Lower Mainland, BC. Family of 3.

Electricity (Hydro): $483.10
Heating (Gas): $943.55
Water and Sewage: $400 Approx.


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## Pigzfly (Dec 2, 2010)

carverman said:


> So what is the fuss all about these new demand heaters?


It all goes back to the first quote re: teenagers and showers. You don't run out of hot water.

Growing up, this mostly depended on our schedules, sometimes we would run out of hot water simply because the people and the clothes all wanted to be washed at the same time.


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## Pigzfly (Dec 2, 2010)

1002 sq ft condo, 2 people

$5304
or
$442/month

All utilities + cable tv + internet + building insurance
(our only bills are phone, contents insurance and property tax)

that also covers the cost of the "amenities:" 
elevators (surprisingly expensive)
pool
steam room
gym
hot tub

We also all have NG bbqs which are included in that.
And A/C.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> I thought $373.18 was too high for such a small place, but it's pretty much the same as mine when space is taken into account.
> 
> $838.41 total per month for 1350 sf/condo.


Yea our condo fees went up even more this Jan


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Pigzfly said:


> It all goes back to the first quote re: teenagers and showers. You don't run out of hot water.
> 
> Growing up, this mostly depended on our schedules, sometimes we would run out of hot water simply because the people and the clothes all wanted to be washed at the same time.


Yes, that is true. If you have 4 or 5 people in the house and they all take
long showers one after the other then you would probably run out of hot
water temporarily as the tank recovers...but again...while these demand type
hot water heaters are better at providing hot water and eliminate the recovery
time of reheating the cold water in the tank, they will use MORE gas and
cost more..so it's the economies of scale that applies to individual households.

The main reason that the demand type is termed to be 30% more efficient
on gas consumption, is that you are not heating the water in the tank when
not in use. Most tanks come insulated, but heat loss will escape through
the hot water pipe (if not insulated with pipe wrap) or through the tank
insulation into a cooler basement. There are insulated blankets that
do provide about 10% better heat retention that can be added on on
to the tank.


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## Dana (Nov 17, 2009)

Our utility costs for 2010:

Natural Gas (heat): $718.13
Hydro: $1092.87
Water: $772.51
Total: $2583.51

This works out to $7.08/day. There are 4 of us (2 adults, 2 young kids) in a 2300 sq foot house. 

The hydro figure is disappointing. We have replaced our appliances, hang dry our laundry, avoid peak times and are conscious of our consumption, but 60% of the bill is comprised of items we can't control (delivery fees, debt retirement, customer charge, etc.)


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## K-133 (Apr 30, 2010)

1200 sq-ft condo

Hydro: $600/year
Condo Fees: $4800/year

Condo fees include heat, A/C, water, insurance, and NG for the balcony BBQ. The trick for the extremely frugal is to find a way to connect the balcony's NG line to the kitchen.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

K-133 said:


> The trick for the extremely frugal is to find a way to connect the balcony's NG line to the kitchen.


Not necessarily frugal if you get caught. An acquaintance of mine in the US did something like this a long time ago and got brought to small claims court by the gas utility when they discovered it; they won and I think he ended up having to pay over $1,000 plus legal fees.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Sounds like something you'd do in a Brazilian favela, where they commonly tap into electricty and attack anyone who tries to unhook it


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

jamesbe said:


> I think the fuss is that if you are renting some companies will come in and replace your HW tank with one at no charge to you. But you will now rent it instead of the tank.


Even so, the replacement cost is not free. Mind you they charge for coming
in and repairing your owned water heater..$672 for a venter motor (if so
equipped), $697 for a gas valve or temperature sensor. So there is a 
profit margin built into those service calls, unless the tank is under warranty.
Personally, I would not replace any expensive parts on a 10yr+ conventional
water tank, as the cost of buying one at H-D pretty much covers the service
call to replace the part(s) and you have a brand new tank with at least a 
9 year prorated warranty.

Now as far as the rental tank..ok you don't have to pay for parts or the service
call, but you do have to rent it at at least $14 per month + HST..so thats
around $16 x 12 x 10yrs=1600 in rental charges paid to the gas company.

I don't know how reliable these demand type water heaters are, but assuming
that they are as reliable as the convential tank water heaters, it is probably
better to own it outright..if you are planning on staying in your home for
10 years or more. 

I would think that from a home resale POV, the rented tank is "peace of
mind" to the new prospective owner over a 6 to 9 year or more conventional
tank. Most HWT do have a finite lifetime which can be 10-16 yrs, depending
on how hard the water is in your area.


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

Hi:

This is actually hard to answer. Cash basis:

Electricity $1100
Chainsaw costs aka heat $50
water and sewage nil

However, the moment the septic system fails, I'll be forced into a new well too, so in reality my annual water and sewage is probably on the order of $2000, in order to set aside $20,000 to $30,000 to replace these systems some day.

hboy43


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Hah I grew up in the country with our own well and wood heat as well. There should be some kind of value on the extensive time it takes to use that chainsaw, but then again most people pay for a gym membership


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Dana said:


> Our utility costs for 2010:
> 
> Natural Gas (heat): $718.13
> Hydro: $1092.87
> ...


Why is your water bill so high? Is this a typo?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

mode3sour said:


> Hah I grew up in the country with our own well and wood heat as well. *There should be some kind of value on the extensive time it takes to use that chainsaw*, but then again most people pay for a gym membership


Henry Ford once said " Cut yer own wood..it'll warm you twice!"


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## iherald (Apr 18, 2009)

carverman said:


> E
> 
> Now as far as the rental tank..ok you don't have to pay for parts or the service
> call, but you do have to rent it at at least $14 per month + HST..so thats
> around $16 x 12 x 10yrs=1600 in rental charges paid to the gas company.


When I bought my place I was paying $22 a month in rental fees for my power vented 14 year old hot water heater. I bought it out for $25 over a year ago. When it goes, I'll have to get a new one, but I figured that over those 14 years someone had paid over $3000 for it.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

iherald said:


> When I bought my place I was paying $22 a month in rental fees for my power vented 14 year old hot water heater. I bought it out for $25 over a year ago. When it goes, I'll have to get a new one, but I figured that over those 14 years someone had paid over $3000 for it.


Well all that was almost pure profit for the gas company. I didn't consider
a power vent hwt and the extra rental for it..but at $22 a month for 14 years,
they have a good business going so selling it to you for $25 just relieves them
of the cost of disposing of it when it eventually goes.

Home Depot sell the power vent and regular vented hwt for far less than
paying that ridiculous rental price..unless you are renting. I figured, I saved
about $1500 buying my own from H-D and installing it myself. If you
are handy with a propane torch and solder, it's a DIY. There has to be
a gas shutoff valve on each tank and water shut off for both the hot and
cold pipes.

Mine is a 9yr warranty GE self cleaning HWT and after 12.5 years, it is
still fine. These tanks come with a fiber glass liner to prevent corrosion
to the tank, so they should last many many years. If they do spring a leak
it will be a small one and that can be controlled with the water shutoff valves.

I have saved about $1500 at at $548 for a similar hwt tank at H-D,
I have pocketed at least $1000 in what I would have paid in rental fees
by now. That $1000 was applied to my water heating over the last
12 years, so to me..that is what I would call FRUGALITY.


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

mode3sour said:


> Hah I grew up in the country with our own well and wood heat as well. There should be some kind of value on the extensive time it takes to use that chainsaw, but then again most people pay for a gym membership


I have a theory that if everyone heated with wood personally harvested and split by hand ... there would not be an obesity crisis. I probably average a half hour a day exercise throughout the year on this task.

I like tasks with multiple benefits. My heating with wood: Exercise, heat, woodland improvement, fellowship with my buddy, being in the woods, less oil used to maintain my existance, putting off replacing the oil furnace, maintaining the trails, excuse to buy a tractor (!)

hboy43


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

hboy43 said:


> I have a theory that if everyone heated with wood personally harvested and split by hand ... there would not be an obesity crisis. I probably average a half hour a day exercise throughout the year on this task.
> 
> I like tasks with multiple benefits. My heating with wood: Exercise, heat, woodland improvement, fellowship with my buddy, being in the woods, less oil used to maintain my existance, putting off replacing the oil furnace, maintaining the trails, excuse to buy a tractor (!)
> 
> hboy43


There might be more asthma due to poor air quality. If everyone in the GTA heated with wood, it would look like an area downwind of a forest fire.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Where is all that wood gonna come from?
Are we going to strike down any remaining forests in Ontario?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> Where is all that wood gonna come from?
> Are we going to strike down any remaining forests in Ontario?


Well it is a renewable resource, but it takes about 30 to 40 years to grow
a hardwood tree of sufficient size, so unless you own sufficient acreage with your own woodlot, the cost of a face cord of hardwood is well over $100 these days..and how long would it take to burn a face cord? Besides the cost and
storage, the fire insurance companies are pretty picky about any wood stoves used for heating.


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## daddybigbucks (Jan 30, 2011)

Dana said:


> Our utility costs for 2010:
> 
> Natural Gas (heat): $718.13
> Hydro: $1092.87
> ...


When everyone says 2300 sq ft house, we are all just talking main floor right? 
my house is 1040 sqft and the bills are :
Electricty = $906
Gas = $808 <--high effi furnace
Water/waste= $925
My numbers seem out of whack but if you are counting main and basement sq ft, I am at 2160 sq ft.
2 adult and 2 kids.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

daddybigbucks said:


> When everyone says 2300 sq ft house, we are all just talking main floor right?
> my house is 1040 sqft and the bills are :
> Electricty = $906
> Gas = $808 <--high effi furnace
> ...


Is the basement finished and heated? Then count it. Is it unfinished and cold? Then don't count it. My home is 2.5 stories, plus finished basement.


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## Dana (Nov 17, 2009)

daddybigbucks said:


> When everyone says 2300 sq ft house, we are all just talking main floor right?


That is the square footage for my entire house excluding the basement. 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths.


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## kasmca (Feb 28, 2011)

2400 Sq foot 2 story detached house plus 900 sq ft basement (limited use). family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young children). House is 12 years old.

Installed tankless water heater in May 2009. Gas number prior to May 2009 includes a monthly tank rental of $16.99 per month. I believe the tankless contributed to the drop in gas usage. Gas furnace at 72 deg during the evening, mornings and weekends, 69 deg during the day and at night. 

2010
Hydro ($926.09)
Gas ($837.11)
Water ($269.18)
Total ($2032.38)

2009
Hydro ($867.72)
Gas ($1285.06)
Water ($280.66)
Total ($2433.44)

2008
Hydro ($841.01)
Gas ($1249.18)
Water ($226.76)
Total ($2416.95)

2007
Hydro ($922.41)
Gas ($1877.02)
Water ($229.77)
Total ($3029.20)

2006
Hydro ($842.42)
Gas ($1710.52)
Water ($231.68)
Total ($2784.62)


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I'm curious about something - there's been a lot of talk about renting water heaters in this thread. It really surprised me, because I've never heard of renting a water heater - is it not done in B.C., or have I just never been aware of it?

It's not at all important, as I would never rent one, but I'm just curious!


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Karen said:


> I'm curious about something - there's been a lot of talk about renting water heaters in this thread. It really surprised me, because I've never heard of renting a water heater - is it not done in B.C., or have I just never been aware of it?
> 
> It's not at all important, as I would never rent one, but I'm just curious!


Water heater rentals are quite common here in Ontario at least.
There are several large and small companies that provide this service, namely Enbridge, Direct Energy, Reliance, Consumer Waterheaters, etc.

It is not just the rental that you sign up for - you also get maintenance and service for your monthly fee.
Some folks like it for the convenience, some don't and instead "buy out" the water heater.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> Water heater rentals are quite common here in Ontario at least.
> There are several large and small companies that provide this service, namely Enbridge, Direct Energy, Reliance, Consumer Waterheaters, etc.
> 
> It is not just the rental that you sign up for - you also get maintenance and service for your monthly fee.
> Some folks like it for the convenience, some don't and instead "buy out" the water heater.


I think it's an implied "signup". If you buy a house with a rental HWT, then
you assume the rental charges + HST on your gas bill. 

True, that they will replace any parts or even the full tank if it springs a leak,
and that is the peace of mind that most people like..similar to a service contract on their gas furnace..lol!..th
ere is nothing to adjust or clean on a gas furnace..except the dust. in the filter.but most people would have trouble replacing
the control board, so just for that, a contract is valid..and if it quits on a very cold night..they will be there..quick as a flash?


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Thanks for the info, Harold. Does anyone know whether renting is an option in BC?


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## kasmca (Feb 28, 2011)

Karen said:


> Thanks for the info, Harold. Does anyone know whether renting is an option in BC?


If you are not renting now, I don't see why you would want to. People don't rent their dishwasher, fridge, laundry machine, or toaster oven, but perhaps the most reliable applicance, with the fewest moving parts is being rented by millions of Ontarians. 

To me it's just a scam. It makes more financial sense to buy a new one every few years than to rent one.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I have absolutely no interest in renting a water heater, kasmca, nor would I have ever considered it. As I said above, I'm simply curious because I'm surprised that I've never heard of doing such a thing in all my 67 years! I'm assuming it isn't an option in BC or I would surely know about it, but maybe I'm wrong.


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## mrbizi (Dec 19, 2009)

Hydro - $1400
Gas - $1000
Water & Sewer service - $360

-House is 2000 sq. ft, 3 BR and 2.5 bath, 2 adults and 2 kids
-Wife and I work from home so A/C was on most of the time from May through September
-Clothes dryer is electric
-we use the dishwasher almost all the time except when washing pots and pans (not sure how much of difference this would make though in terms of electric consumption)


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Karen said:


> I have absolutely no interest in renting a water heater, kasmca, nor would I have ever considered it. As I said above, I'm simply curious because I'm surprised that I've never heard of doing such a thing in all my 67 years! I'm assuming it isn't an option in BC or I would surely know about it, but maybe I'm wrong.


It seems to be sold heavily by door to door salesmen in Ontario, along with equalization contracts. Maybe they tried in other provinces but we learned math in school?


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Some apartments make the tenants pay for hot water tank rental directly to some utility.


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## Rico (Jan 27, 2011)

Karen said:


> I have absolutely no interest in renting a water heater, kasmca, nor would I have ever considered it. As I said above, I'm simply curious because I'm surprised that I've never heard of doing such a thing in all my 67 years! I'm assuming it isn't an option in BC or I would surely know about it, but maybe I'm wrong.


I never heard of it either until reading about it in this forum.


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