So technically you guys should double your "mortgages" if it costs you as much to stay alive inside your house as it does to pay it off.
My friends do. I thought they were crazy when they bought the house...now I know they are. Ours isn't that bad. $250 for gas and electric at its worst. That plus our mortgage is still less than rent was on a decent studio apartment in Tustin, CA.
To be honest, that's dirt cheap to heat an 8K sq. foot mansion built in the 20's in the middle of an arctic blast. Surely your friends figured there would be a few downsides to their Jay Gatsby special?
That's with a full wing of the house shut-off. :laugh:
Luckily, they did expect it, and their combined mortgage and heating bill is still lower than a mortgage in high-end neighborhoods (with HOA fees) in the 'burbs. They're cool about it, usually laugh about how insane it is. Dude's a mortgage broker with Quicken Loans, his wife makes bank at a Ford dealer. Money ain't a thang for them.
Holy crap that's a crazy heating bill. We keep our house at 64 when we are out and 68 when we are in the house and the total bill for both electric and gas is $190 a month during the winter, plus I keep the garage heated at 40 degrees. We have 2500 sq ft + 1000 sq ft garage so I guess insulation really does help a shit load!
Insulation plus modern construction helps a ton.
I just drove home from dinner ~15 miles at ~15 mph because there was a random short snow storm that gave ZERO visibility, fun times. Instead of waiting it out at the restaurant like a smart person I went out and idled along the rumble strip all the way home :lol:
Driving by feel, another experience not offered in LA.
Driving by feel is always a fun experience. :laugh:
I keep mine at 62 in the day, 60 at night. Oil bill ~$80 a month. 1.5 tanks of heating oil averaged out over the year, and that heats our hot water as well.
Heating oil? What's that? You live so far out of civilization that you don't have natural gas?
Fuck man, 62 indoors? I'd never get off the couch. 70F year round here, my house has better weather than LA.
:laugh: Damn.