BucketteHead t1_iqrv61e wrote on October 2, 2022 at 5:23 PM

Heat Pump. I had central forced air heat and was spending $500/month in the winter to heat my house. I can’t get gas. I spent $17k through Costco and got a $2k gift card. That included a new furnace.

If you don’t have central air you can still get a heat pump with cassettes set in certain rooms. The routing is easy.

A cheaper option would be to check the insulation in your attic.

ameliasaurus t1_iqs6v1x wrote on October 2, 2022 at 6:33 PM

I second checking insulation. It won’t matter what heat source you have if it’s all escaping through your roof.

i1theskunk t1_iqsamre wrote on October 2, 2022 at 6:57 PM

Ditto the insulation and heat pump comments, plus I’ll add double-paned (or at least updated) windows to the pile. Re-doing our window from the 1952 originals to double-paned was a significant difference in how much we were spending and it made the house more comfortable at lower thermostat settings as well. Insulation came a few years later; heat pump was added this summer.

There are those dish heater things that Costco sells, too, and they are incredible for heating up a room and they didn’t spike the electric bill much, IIRC. Economically considerate space heaters might be your best bet until you’re able to get to the upgrades suggested here.

BarnabyWoods t1_iqt3qnx wrote on October 2, 2022 at 9:59 PM

>A cheaper option would be to check the insulation in your attic.

True. But what matters even more than insulation is air leaks around doors, window & foundations. Getting a whole-house pressure test done will identify those leaks.