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[Scott7m]

Payback on most installations in my area pay back in 18-24 months of heating..  2 - 3 seasons

[Scott7m]

All electric here.  Made some major changes in reducing my electric use since April.  Not just the addition of the OWF. Electric bill has gone from 2200 kwh/ month to less than 1100kwh/month. Total savings $100 / month.  You can review my electric use chart in my gallery photos.

Wow ridge only 100/month???  No way would I have one or be in business if all I could save was 100 a month...   Most of my customers save 3-500/month..   My bills went from 500-600 down to 80-100

[MattyNH]

For you guys that have a all electric baseboard..What did you guys do when bought the OWB, like did you guys install radiant heat under the floors or rip out the electric baseboard and installed forced hot water baseboard or something else?..My parents have a all electric house.. Course the dial is off..Heat with wood stoves.. Parents are getting older..Lugging in the wood everyday is old..They have talked about a pellet OWB..Much easier...

[tbone]

To me it's a no brainer, just the fact that you will be comfortable (warm) in your house would be reason enough for me.
I have a capcod with hot a natural gas furnace which I used for the first two years I lived here.  The wife and I lived in three downstairs rooms while I renovated the second floor ( which was unfinished and only used for storage).  I added an addition to the back of the house by extending the rear full size dormer 30 feet tripling the square footage to about 2,600 sqf. Those first two years I was paying 1500 a winter to the gas man and that was just heating three rooms.  Like you I kept the therm down to 60 and burned wood in the fireplace when I  could.  I couldn't imagine what I would be paying now. I have not payed for gas in over six years now...I had the gas turned off cause they were charging me 30 a month just to have the gas hooked up.

[RSI]

Sorry to start so many topics but I have so many questions. 

Is there anyone on here that has an all electric house and has a OWB that can tell me how much money they save a month?  I realize where you live, how big your house is, how many residents etc. have a factor in it but I'm trying to compare apples to apples as best I can. My father in law doesn't think we will be able to make our money back in a decent amount of time to justify buying an OWB.  I disagree but am looking for those who have done it.  Thanks

If you buy one, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he was looking for one a year or two later. I have seen it before.

[chadley]

Thanks for the replies guys.  Here's gonna be my hang up.  With electric bills at 250-325, my wife isn't going to see our savings even though we will be at 74 instead of 60. I almost wish she would let us keep it at 74 and have a normal electric bill so she could see how much we would really save.  At 250-325 we wouldn't be saving much (in her mind) more than 175-250 per month max (5 mo of winter est) which would be 875-1250 per year which would take us aprox 10 years to make our money back. 

She understands where I'm coming from and agrees it makes sense but her dad and brother are  whispering in her ear that it won't be worth it.  We'll see what happens I guess.  Thanks for all your suggestions/opinions etc

[RSI]

You don't need to go a full month, take a look at your power meter each day at the same time for a few days then turn it up to where it is as warm as you like for a few days. You will be able to get a close estimate how much the extra heat would be costing.

[willieG]

you might as well bite teh bullet and get it now..your cost of electric won't be going on sale anytime soon i dont think. and turn the dam thermostat up to where you like it, not where you can afford it.

i heard the same arguments when i was building mine from some guys..i wouldnt spent 10
G on stove to cut and burn wood for. i can heat my house for the interest on ten grand...well they sure cant heat their home for the interest now..i think the interest the bank pays is about 1 percent or less and the cost of fuel for the house has gone up a bunch too. You think at todays rate it may take you 8 to ten years...wonder what the rates will be in two years..or 4 years?

its like not buying a house because you want to save some money..so you pay rent for ten more years while trying to save a little more..the house you want goes up in price as fast or faster than you save and all that rent money is gone, might as well bought it in the beginning.

[woodman]

The side benefit of keeping the house warm is the little woman runs around half naked! Turn that thermostat up to 74, your electric bill will go up at least 3 times then you will have a leg to stand on. OK now back to the question. I would burn nearly 1500 gallons of fuel oil per season to keep this place the same temp. So by the end of this season my owb has saved me $25,000.00. 5 years ago it cost me about $7500.00 to self install the entire system. By far the best investment I have ever made!

[Bill G]

Chadley,

     Here's my "take" on your situation:
           You want to improve the quality of life within your home.  Saving money while keeping your family warm and in hot water (DHW).

           Wife is a bit leery about wether this will work out.  FIL and BIL don't think it will work, and maybe afraid they could find themselves in the firewood business if you aren't around?

     These things work as advertised!  That's a fact. 

     You believe it can work and now you need to devise a plan to get all pieces in order.  It is expensive up front.  Hi ho  hi ho! It's off to work you go!  Overtime, liquidate some toys, whatever it takes to salt away the funds to get this project going.  May take a year or 2. 

     You can use your energy in the mean time to learn how to install your system, start lining up some firewood, maybe find a splitter. 

     It is certainly a worthwhile project and will make YOU happy and proud of your accomplishment when you strike that first match!

     Just go slow and it will work out.

     Nuff motivational writing for tonight!  Get er done....

[wiseass13]

Had electric baseboard. Bill was 300- 400. Had heat pump and duct work installed without electric backup in heat pump. Left electric baseboard in place for back up if heat pump cant keep up. Ol lady loves owb and house at 74. By the way electric bill about 120 now

[Ridgekid]

All electric here.  Made some major changes in reducing my electric use since April.  Not just the addition of the OWF. Electric bill has gone from 2200 kwh/ month to less than 1100kwh/month. Total savings $100 / month.  You can review my electric use chart in my gallery photos.

Wow ridge only 100/month???  No way would I have one or be in business if all I could save was 100 a month...   Most of my customers save 3-500/month..   My bills went from 500-600 down to 80-100

$100 is half of what I used to pay.  I contribute part of my savings to the better control of heating our home. With the indoor furnace our furnace fan would run by the temperature of the wood burner, not the temperature  the house. So it was running a lot. Anything to keep the heat pump and heating strips from coming on.

[Scott7m]

So you weren't all electric before then?? 

Didn't know u had a furnace before, I thought that's some discouraging news that you only saved 100 bucks over electric lol

[Ridgekid]

So you weren't all electric before then?? 

Didn't know u had a furnace before, I thought that's some discouraging news that you only saved 100 bucks over electric lol

Radiant heat?  No. Total electric yes. It's the only utility I pay for. Well, septic, two street lights, and everything associated with maintaining a home. No gas, no fuel, no problem.

[Scott7m]

So you had an electric/heat pump before?  You install your boiler and only save 100? I'm not trying to be smart, don't get me wrong....   I just can't fathom you were heating your home on 100 bucks worth of electric

It's common here for heating to make up over 75-80% of a homes total use