Insulating an OLD House-Oil Costs

[Lakegeezer]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I was living in Dracut Mass. My electric bill was $90 a month! When I moved to Laconia, it was $30, now around $25. Since I moved in I replace all my lights with the energy star lights. That's about it.

Come to think about it. I had an electric stove and dryer. I don't think that would make that much of a difference.

Isn't the meter charge alone about $20? Which electric company do you work with? What's your secret other than energy star light? Just a fridge and the water pump or fan on the heater would run over $25 with NH Coop (18-20 cents/KW).

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

Isn't the meter charge alone about $20? Which electric company do you work with? What's your secret other than energy star light? Just a fridge and the water pump or fan on the heater would run over $25 with NH Coop (18-20 cents/KW).

PSNH is my supplier. The total meter charge is $35.75 a month. My energy charge is only around $25 a month. I don't include my meter charge when I calculate my electrical consumption. Sorry I didn't make that clear. My total bill is actually around $60 a month.

[BroadHopper]

is quite the experience. For instance at my house, there was a huge leak around the fireplace under the mantle piece. I had to remove the mantle piece and use fireblock foam between the masonry and the wood frame. Only other big leak was the dryer vent. There is no way of stopping that.

My gf new construction, the leak test discovered a leak in a corner between two gables where the roof meets. The insulation contractor had to be called in to fix it. As it is in the contract that the house has to pass the leak test.

Energy Star homes have 1 inch of foam insulation followed by fiberglass or cellulose batten covered with a thick plastic sheet. Sheetrock must be added without strappings. There will be a moisture problem between the plastic sheeting and sheetrock. A number of sheetrock contractors turn down the job because they insist on strappings. Saying sheetrock goes on better.

[DickR]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Only other big leak was the dryer vent. There is no way of stopping that.
.......
Energy Star homes have 1 inch of foam insulation followed by fiberglass or cellulose batten covered with a thick plastic sheet. Sheetrock must be added without strappings. There will be a moisture problem between the plastic sheeting and sheetrock. A number of sheetrock contractors turn down the job because they insist on strappings. Saying sheetrock goes on better.

There is one dryer vent I know of that works well against drafting back into the house, the Heartland Dryer Vent. It's available by Internet for around $20 shipped. Easily found via Google.

The described combination of foam followed by a porous insulation isn't specific to the Energy Star program. That "flash and batt" approach is but one way of providing air leakage protection and insulation level that meets code. Energy Star does say that porous insulation such as a fiberglass batt must be up against the confining surfaces on all six sides, with no void spaces that would permit convective flow of air currents.

Having a sheet of poly between the insulation and the sheetrock as a vapor retarder also is not a requirement of any US building code or Energy Star. It can cause problems in hot humid weather if the A/C inside is turned down too low, as condensation can form inside the wall in such conditions. All that is required here is a 1 perm vapor retarder, which can be a vapor retarder primer paint. The permeability of a sheet of polyethylene is so low as to be called a vapor barrier, something not needed except way up in Canada or Alaska.

Installing sheetrock over strapping or directly onto framing members is a purely regional thing. Builders in the NE tend to do it with strapping on ceilings, while elsewhere no strapping is used.

[BroadHopper]

I'm trying to compare natural gas to oil. They way I calculate it, my gas bill should be a bargain!

Gas is $.79120 per therm. Therm = 100,000 BTU

NG 138,000/100,000 = 1.38/.90 = 1.5333 * $.79120 = $1.213

Bad math?

[CateP]

Speaking of natural gas, I notice National Grid (formerly KeySpan) has natural gas service in selected areas in the lakes region. (Gilford, Laconia, Northfield, Belmont). Does anyone know if they are expanding in the area and laying more gas lines?

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by CateP

... ). Does anyone know if (National Grid) are expanding in the area and laying more gas lines?

They are actually trying to sell this territory right now. I would not expect them to expand service until that is resolved.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I'm trying to compare natural gas to oil. They way I calculate it, my gas bill should be a bargain!

Gas is $.79120 per therm. Therm = 100,000 BTU

NG 138,000/100,000 = 1.38/.90 = 1.5333 * $.79120 = $1.213

Bad math?

Not sure what you are trying to show there BH, but this link is a relatively up to date comparison of the cost of various heating methods.

http://www.lge-ku.com/rsc/lge/res_heating_costs.asp

I just got an oil delivery from Fuller's at $3.19 per gallon, so the info on the page is a little dated, but you get the idea. Natural gas seems to be the cheapest way to heat now, due mainly to the massive relatively new reserves. Oil unfortunately is getting more expensive due to global issues and the domestic supply being squeezed off by politics. Not a good situation considering the impact on the economy and people's pocket book, you would think our politicians would be much smarter, but they are not.

FWIW I thought tummyman's numbers were pretty good. I talked to my oil man and he told me they are not shipping b2 yet.