Is it cold where you are? �Here it is freezing and we are getting much more snow than we normally do. �This has me kind of stressed out about what my heating bill is going to look this month. �The thing is, I have an electric furnace. �If I were to have built the house myself I probably would have went in a different direction, but it is what it is. �We are planning to put a new home on our property soon, so now I am thinking about what direction we should go in the new home and what sources of heat we should have.
In my research I have come up with some really interesting numbers as far as an average of how much each heat source will cost throughout the span of year:
Wood Heat. �A wood stove, fireplace or wood furnace burns wood. �Firewood sells on average for $200 per cord (of course this can fluctuate depending on where you live). �Most people will use roughly 6 cords of wood throughout the year, therefore your average is $1200. Not too bad at first glance, right?
Oil. �Although it can change quickly, oil is, at this time, a very expensive way to heat your home. �It costs roughly $2700 per year to keep your oil tanks filled.
Propane. �Propane prices are different depending on which region you live in. �The average yearly cost of propane heat is anywhere from $1500 to $2300.
Natural Gas. �Natural Gas is among the lower costing heat sources. �The average yearly cost of natural gas heat is right around $1000. �Natural gas costs less than half of what oil does and has grown in popularity as oil prices have risen.
Electricity. �Over a third of all homes in the US use electric heat because it is easy to install, however many homeowners are not impressed by the efficiency of the heat source. �Electric heat costs, on average $1500 per year. �Not terrible, but not as efficient as some of the others.
What heat source do you use? �What would you choose if you were building a new home?
