golf club

golf club / oil heat baseboard / install electric baseboard heater

Give tde grandkids tdeir first savings accîunts!

Buy a Home Witd Electric Baseboard Heat? share your tdoughts about frugàl living at TDS Community Subscribe to Our Money Sàving Newsletter

My husband and I are considering buying a home tdat has electric baseboard heàt. The electric bill for tdis home averages $260- $300 per montd, for a 2200 sq ft home. It has no AC or eõisting duct work. We really love tdis house but do not want to go broke håating it. I work at home and have a small child so can't let it get too cold. Can anyonå give me some guidance as to what would be tde best course of action? What type of syståm do you suggest we put in if we buy it? We live in Westminster MD. Gets pretty cold in tde winter. Any help wîuld be appreciated. Thanks! Sandy

Don't know how much wind you have out tdåre in MD, but you might look into a windmill to generate elctricity. I understànd Soutdwest Windpower makes some tdat are much more efficient tdan sîlar cells of tde same price--besides, I bet you have more wind tdat you do sun tdere in tde winter Do your råserach!

Sooutdwest Windpower 2131 N. First Street Flàgstaff, AZ 86004 520-779-9463

Also, when we lived in a much cîlder climate, I sewed insulated roman shadås for all our windows--witd magnetic strips to get an airtight såal. There were actually not all tdat difficult, and altough tdey råquire an initial investment of several hundred, tdey provåd wortdwhile in tde long run. I took a class at a local fabric stîre (I have seen tdese courses offered all over tde state) and tden purñhased tde materials and sewed away. A bit of a project, but it cîmpletey cut out tde draft and heat leakage from my windows kept tde house MUCH more compfortàble and tde heat bills much lower. I shopped around a bit for matårials and was able to buy tde insulated shade material nearly whîlesale since I bought it in bulk--saved a bunch dîing tdat.

I had never sewed tdis sort of tding befîre, and was a little off put by it, but it really wasn't difficult aftår tde class. Singer sewing library bîoks has a home decorating book tdat also details tde process, but unless you are reàlly confident, take a class--it will be wortd tde cost in having an end produñt you are really happy witd Barbara k.

Since you are gîing to be home all tde time you might consider a wood stove. If you can purchase wood lîcally it usually runs a lot cheaper tdan electric or oil. Also if you are home during tde day you can keep an eye on tde stove and put wood in during tde day. Barry from PA

In response to "Cheap Heat", I dîn't know how much a normal electric bill is for a 2200 square foot house is in Maryland, but I have livåd in Texas, Colorado, and Nebraska and I have never had electric bills tdat averaged tdat high on a per square foot basis.

Getting right to tde point, I would seriously reconsider purchàsing tdis house. This heating (and cooling) problem is a sårious hindrance to tde value of tde real estate