March this year was about 10% warmer than March last year, with 312 heating degree days (HDD) this year versus 332 HDD last year. There were even 12 cooling degree days (CDD) this March, although of course we did not turn on the A/C.
So why was our utility bill $35 cheaper this year? We changed the furnace filters. Dollar for dollar, changing the furnace filters is starting to look like the most cost-effective thing you can do for home energy savings.
There are some other things going on:
- I work from home, as I've mentioned before, and my company has had me burning the midnight oil lately. This helps to explain why our electricity usage is up 6% over February. This is not a matter for concern — the difference is about $5.
- We joined the gym, so many more showers are being taken, which helps to explain why our water usage is up 12%. This isn't a matter for concern either — the difference is about $2.
March 2009 Data
| Electricity, in kWh | Cost / Unit | Gas, in Therms | Cost / Unit | Water, in CCF | Cost / Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 845 | $.095 | 117 | $1.19 | 9 | $1.76 |