Pro tip: I saw my old gas bill from 3 years ago and it hit me

I was cleaning out a drawer last week and found my utility bill from my old apartment in Phoenix. The cost for gas heating that winter was over $200 a month. I moved to a newer place with better insulation and a heat pump, and my bill now is like $60 in the cold months. It made me realize how much energy and money I was just wasting, and how fixing old buildings is a huge part of climate action. Has anyone else cut their bills way down by moving or upgrading their home?

3 comments

3 Comments

reeseanderson17d ago

Hang on, let me push back a little. I see this argument all the time and it ignores the fact that older buildings have a lot of character and solid materials that newer construction often lacks. My buddy @val_craig37 sealed up his old place and saved some money, sure, but he also spent a weekend fighting with plastic film and a hair dryer, and his house still feels like a drafty shoebox in the winter. Plus, all that energy you save upgrading might get eaten up by the higher carbon footprint of manufacturing and shipping a new heat pump system. Sometimes you are better off just running the old furnace and throwing on a sweater than chasing a perfect bill.

val_craig371mo ago

My old house had those single-pane windows that rattled in the wind. You could feel a cold draft just sitting on the couch. We finally got around to sealing them with that plastic film kit one winter, and the difference was immediate. The rooms just felt calmer, and the furnace didn't kick on as often. It was a small fix that saved a noticeable chunk on the next bill.

seth_rivera571mo ago

Those kits are a game changer for old windows. Put a hair dryer on low to smooth out the film, gets rid of wrinkles and makes the seal way tighter.