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Old 25-02-2014, 07:53   #1
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So Whats Your Heating Costs

I have been looking over my heating costs for the past two winters and for a thirty two foot, fairly well insulated tight boat my heating costs are running around $300.00 per month, this is a combination of diesel and electric heaters. Usually I have been closing off the forward Focsle and just heating the saloon and engine space. I am thinking the cost of heat for a small boat is very high and would love to hear from others who live in very cold temperatures as to what they think their costs are to heat their vessel.
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Old 25-02-2014, 08:53   #2
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Don't have any first hand experience yet. We are trying to sell our house so we can become full time live aboards in the Boston area.

But I am curious how the break down is with electric vs diesel. How are you separating the electric heat from say the cost of de-icing system. Also, are you shrink wrapped or covered?

Thanks,

Jesse
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Old 25-02-2014, 08:58   #3
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Keep in mind that the HDD Heating Degree Days is different everywhere you go. So to get an idea on your costs compared to others weather regression analysis will come into play. Also what are you paying per Kw/h plays into your monthly costs as well.
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Old 25-02-2014, 09:06   #4
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

south more is no heating prices..... more enjoyable winters and ...... NO SNOW.
good luck in this next one coming at ye, it looks like march is gonna march in like a lion....
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Old 25-02-2014, 09:11   #5
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Our 40' boat is not very well insulated but we do cover with a clear shrinkwrap that cools down quickly when the sun goes down but it keeps the deck warm during the day. The sun goes behind the condos to the west of us as early as 2:30 in the winter. Thermostats are set for 58° while off the boat, 65° while awake and 62° when sleeping. We have a diesel fired 35,000 btu hydronic heater. The entire boat is heated. Heater is in lazarette which is common with engine compartment.

Last winter we fired up the diesel heater on New Years day and ran it through April. $800 on diesel and a little electricity for a small space heater in the head that only runs at night.

This year we fired up the diesel on Thanksgiving. Diesel will end up being closer to $1000 with the colder weather plus a little for electricity.

I would guess an average of $250-$300 per month.

For the record, we love snow. Hag, are you on the Mexico tourism committee or something?
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Old 25-02-2014, 09:15   #6
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Hmmm.... never considered it. Lived aboard "at the dock" in Seattle for a few years, but electricity was part of the moorage if I remember right. Something doesnt add up though, a small space heater or even two on that boat shouldnt add up to $300....
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Old 25-02-2014, 09:57   #7
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

I gets a lot colder in Boston than Seattle.
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Old 25-02-2014, 10:24   #8
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Quote:
Originally Posted by cburger View Post
I have been looking over my heating costs for the past two winters and for a thirty two foot, fairly well insulated tight boat my heating costs are running around $300.00 per month, this is a combination of diesel and electric heaters. Usually I have been closing off the forward Focsle and just heating the saloon and engine space. I am thinking the cost of heat for a small boat is very high and would love to hear from others who live in very cold temperatures as to what they think their costs are to heat their vessel.
Well, here in MD we aren't as cold as you- but fairly close. While I had a good general notion, you made me curious and I looked up our past 3 winter's electric bills online. The average was $114 a month. These were for the months of Dec, Jan, and Feb- the coldest three months here.

Our primary heat source is hydronic in the winter, after water temps fall below about 40 degrees and the reverse cycle heater becomes inefficient. We use approximately 5 gallons per week. Assuming $3.75 per gallon of off-road diesel (in 2014 dollars), we spend approximately $18.75 per week or about $75 per month on diesel for heat.

Our electrical usage is primarily one electric space heater, which supplements the diesel heater nicely. We don't use our water heater in the winter since the hydronic heats up the water. We of course also have power usage from outlets such as computers, microwaves, Keurig, Wii, etc. Normal living stuff for a family of four.

So, our utilities in the winter equate to approximately $190 per month. We keep our t-stat set to 69 degrees, so we could probably go cheaper. Also, we heat the entire boat, not just a portion. I feel it is important to have a nice warm home for the kids.


Frank

Edit: Forgot, we also run a bubbler when necessary, but that's only for a few weeks each winter (except this one!)
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Old 25-02-2014, 10:28   #9
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Electricity and water are included in the moorings down here in the south of France but when we go cruising in the winter we use an Eberspacher Diesel fired D4 Airtronic hot air heater which puts out 4 KW and makes our 33' boat nice and cosy(we love the heat). I would strongly recommend insulating all pipes as it nearly doubles the output at the vents, we use Thinsulate lagging around pipes and it's very effective.
We use the ventilation blower on the Eberspacher in the summer to help cool us down.
I hope this is helpful.
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Old 25-02-2014, 10:31   #10
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

You are all not getting it......a proper comparison is either the same climate zone paying the same $ for energy or you have to take into account the different climate and different dollars for energy. The only way the OP can really compare would be a similar boat docked next to him with the same occupancy rate or boat usage.
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Old 25-02-2014, 10:49   #11
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

I chose not to insulate the hoses as they act as a radiant heat source within the settees. Greatly cuts down on condensation too.
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Old 25-02-2014, 11:28   #12
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Quote:
Originally Posted by JK n Smitty View Post
Don't have any first hand experience yet. We are trying to sell our house so we can become full time live aboards in the Boston area.

But I am curious how the break down is with electric vs diesel. How are you separating the electric heat from say the cost of de-icing system. Also, are you shrink wrapped or covered?

Thanks,

Jesse
De-Icing is included with my slip fee, however I should not of included the total electric figure as heat as it also includes, battery charger, lights and refrigeration. I will pull my summer electric and recalculate. Boat is not shrink wrapped as I sail her when the channels are free of ice.
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Old 25-02-2014, 12:25   #13
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

Not sure if my info will help but here there are two ways for heat expenses when using hydro. At one place we stayed at they charged 1800 per 30 amp service for a six month period but then they said you had to take two 30 amp services, so the winter hydro cost was 3600 dollars. The other way is we would have to pay .13 per kilowatt hour at our now sailing club. The second option over the winter comes out to around 1710 dollars for the winter season. This cost is very good for us. On the whole for the year we pay for a slip and heat expenses a total of around 6,160 dollars This is a far cry from the almost 11,000 we paid at the Marina for a slip which required we take two 30amp services for six months for hydro in the winter months.
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Old 25-02-2014, 13:52   #14
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

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I gets a lot colder in Boston than Seattle.
True, but it got down to 9° this last month (just South of Seattle) with lots of Gale Force winds. I just got my power bill for a much larger vessel than the OP and it was only 25$.

I think our power is much cheaper (hydro-electric) and the marina only charges what they pay for power, but $300 per month sounds very high to me?
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Old 25-02-2014, 14:12   #15
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Re: So Whats Your Heating Costs

I get down to about 25 degrees ....... latitude. Heating costs are 0.0
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