Looking for data points on natural gas heating costs of a house in a cold(ish) climate with radiant heat.
September 20, 2011 6:49 PM Subscribe
Looking for data points on natural gas heating costs of a house in a cold(ish) climate with radiant heat.
We're looking at a property in Eastern Washington and trying to understand what we would be getting into with heating costs, particularly in the winter. The house is new construction (past 5 years), two stories, and including the heated garage is about 3,700 sq feet. It's been touted by the sellers as "green" and "energy efficient" but no LEED certification--"over insulated" "triple pane windows" and radiant heat.
We've asked for detailed utility bills but the past owners were there very infrequently so that data is not so relevant. I know the natural gas rate schedule for Puget Sound Energy so what would be most helpful would be any actual/estimates of therms used in the cold (Nov-Mar) months for a comparable property. During that period the average temperature is about 21-28F.
Thank you AskMeFi
We're looking at a property in Eastern Washington and trying to understand what we would be getting into with heating costs, particularly in the winter. The house is new construction (past 5 years), two stories, and including the heated garage is about 3,700 sq feet. It's been touted by the sellers as "green" and "energy efficient" but no LEED certification--"over insulated" "triple pane windows" and radiant heat.
We've asked for detailed utility bills but the past owners were there very infrequently so that data is not so relevant. I know the natural gas rate schedule for Puget Sound Energy so what would be most helpful would be any actual/estimates of therms used in the cold (Nov-Mar) months for a comparable property. During that period the average temperature is about 21-28F.
Thank you AskMeFi
Here's a calculator. You should be able to get the gas charge from the local utility and heating degree days from the National Weather Service, but I have no idea how to estiamte the heat loss data.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:23 AM on September 21, 2011
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:23 AM on September 21, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks Mr. Know-it-some -- I went looking for a calculator but was coming up with junk.
posted by donovan at 6:28 AM on September 21, 2011
posted by donovan at 6:28 AM on September 21, 2011
how to estiamte the heat loss data.
It's a little tricky, especially if you don't have the documentation for the windows and doors. A rough estimate can be had by using standard U values for wall assembilies in place of exact numbers.
Note that radiant heat, contrary to popular belief, still uses the same amount of energy to heat your home; however, one often realizes a savings with radiant heat because the warm floor allows for a lower thermostat set point.
posted by Mitheral at 2:35 PM on September 21, 2011
It's a little tricky, especially if you don't have the documentation for the windows and doors. A rough estimate can be had by using standard U values for wall assembilies in place of exact numbers.
Note that radiant heat, contrary to popular belief, still uses the same amount of energy to heat your home; however, one often realizes a savings with radiant heat because the warm floor allows for a lower thermostat set point.
posted by Mitheral at 2:35 PM on September 21, 2011
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posted by birdbone at 7:17 PM on September 20, 2011