Did I mention it was cold outside? Yes, I did — two days ago. Now it’s colder. It’s 1°F at midnight, if the National Weather Service can be believed — and that’s a big “if”. Tomorrow is supposed to be colder than tonight, with a low possibly in the negative digits.
The boiler in my cellar burns one gallon of fuel oil per hour, and it has been running in a cycle of 30 minutes on, 100 minutes off. Let’s do some math.
Hours in a 30-day month: 24 hr/day x 30 days = 720 hrs
Minutes per boiler cycle: 30 + 100 = 130 min
Fraction of time boiler runs: 30 min / 130 min = 0.23
Hours per month the boiler runs: 720 x 0.23 = 165.6 hrs
Current price of #2 heating oil: $2.731/gallon
At a burn rate of 1 gallon per hour, the boiler is burning $2.731 per hour. Therefore, for a 30 day month my boiler will burn through this much cash:
Cost per month: $2.731/hr x 165.6 hrs = $452.25
From October 1 to December 31, my city has seen 1352 heating degree days (122 in Oct, 475 in Nov, and 755 in Dec). So my heating bill since October 1st will be about:
(1352 hdd/755 hdd) x $452.25 = $809.86
We’re halfway through the heating season. The cost for the entire season could easily be double. And if a pipe or outside water tap freezes and bursts, there’s the repair cost. There’s the cost of keeping the boiler running (parts occasionally fail) and there’s the cost of routine servicing (replacing the oil nozzle, replacing the oil filter, cleaning out soot). Any way you slice it, winters in Virginia have a price tag. It’s the cost of cold.
And this bit of irony isn’t lost on me: while I’m paying to keep my house warm, I’m also paying to keep my refrigerator cold and my freezer frozen.
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