Need to know how much gas heating costs per month? We’ll help you out.
We’re heading into the peak heating season! That means that your gas furnace, as well as your budget, may be struggling to keep up with new demands. For budgeting purposes, it’s important to have an idea of what your gas heating costs are per month, but that can be tricky.
It’s hard to give an exact figure for how much gas heating costs per month. BUT, we can help you figure out what goes into determining those costs. Prices for gas heating vary according to how many appliances you have in your home (that require gas), the size of your home, the efficiency of your gas furnace, local utility rates in your area and more…that’s a lot of variables.
Here’s a breakdown on how each factor will increase, or lower, your monthly gas heating expenses.
- Size of your home. Like your electricity and water bill, the size of your home is going to affect how much your gas bills run. If you have a bigger home, there is more square footage to heat during the winter.
- Having a big family. This can go one of two ways… If you have more people they could be fiddling with the thermostat more (different preferences for different bodies). This can drive up utility costs. BUT, it can also be a perk. More people in a home actually can make a home feel warmer.
- Having a small family. Again, this can go one of two ways. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can create a schedule that results in lower temperatures during the day while people are out of the house (it’s easier to coordinate schedules when there are fewer people). But, fewer people in the house will make it feel cooler.
- Utility rates. Prices for natural gas will vary according to the provider in your area. Make sure you contact your local providers to get an idea of the rates in your area. They may even have this available on their website.
- Efficiency of your gas furnace. While high-efficiency gas furnaces are more expensive to install, they can actually help you save money each month on your utility bills. That’s definitely a BIG perk.
- Age of your gas furnace. The older your system, the less efficient it may be. The less efficient your gas furnace is, the higher your utility bills are going to be. That’s why it can be a good idea to replace those old units.
- Did you have your unit maintained? Fall preventative furnace maintenance can help catch problems that could be raising your bills. Make sure you schedule maintenance with your local HVAC dealer every fall to make sure your unit is performing at peak levels.
- Furnace filters. A dirty air filter can actually lower the efficiency of your system. Make sure you are regularly changing your furnace filter.
- Weatherizing for winter. Make sure that every year, you weatherize your home. This includes reinsulating problem areas, using weather stripping to block off any air leaks around windows and doors, and more! Air leaks can be a major source of heating cost spikes in winter.