Donna Ohl, Grady Volunteer Coordinator wrote:
I used 120 therms in the past 30 days (about 4 therms per day).
HOW MANY THERMS DID YOU USE LAST MONTH?

ASSUMING that one therm equals 100 cubic feet (CCF) of (Ohio) gas, in
2001 just before we installed a high efficiency (sucks air and and blows
exahust via ground level tubes) we used (Columbia Gas here reads meters
only every other month, so I divided true reading deltas by two)

between 21 (summer) and 234 CCF (Winter).

The summer 8-20 CCF is ho****er plus gas dryer.
House is 1,500 square feet, with half-basement.
We are empty-nesters.

In summary:

2000: 20 - 188 CCF
2001: 21 - 234 CCF

In October, 2001, we insalled the Hi-eff ("90%") furnace, and then the
consumptions became:

2002: 8 to 136 CCF.
2003: --
2004: 9 - 150 CCF
2005: 12 - 153 CCF
2006: 11 - 157 CCF
2007: 9 - 164 CCF

rough summary:

Annually before, 1100 CCF/yr
Annually after, 850 CCF/yr

The stated effficiency of the old furnace was 60% (40% went up the
chimney). (120,000 BTU burner)
The new furnace is 90% (10% goes out the exhaust, and water condensate
trickles into my sump pump well). (90,000 BTU burner.

I should note that California alots only 2 therms a day for baseline costs
of about $1.22 per therm (plus 5 cents per therm PPP Surcharge); so
apparently I'm consuming double the natural gas energy California allows
(regardless of home size or number of people) for base rates.

We (me & wife) use just over two per day.

The over-baseline charges are $1.37 per therm plus that same 5 cents per
therm additional charge for poor people (i.e., the California Gas PPP
Surcharge).

Our rates are "all over the place".

Does ANYONE actually use just 2 therms per day for their gas furnace and
hot-water heater for two people living in a small 1,500 sqft house?

Sometimes. As our two boys were growing up, it was a bit crowded at
times. But we prevailed: They left the nest, and now here we are!


Angelo campanella