[Scbang]

Does it make sense to maintain TECO GAS account for a snowbird who shuts off water heater and heat during summer? Is it too much of bother to stop and start every 6 months?

Cheers!

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Scbang

Does it make sense to maintain TECO GAS account for a snowbird who shuts off water heater and heat during summer? Is it too much of bother to stop and start every 6 months?

Cheers!

Probably depends on which county, how much hassle, and if there any add on charges for disconnect reconnect?

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Schedule of charges other than monthly gas usage:

https://www.peoplesgas.com/49c7e0/si...ison-chart.pdf

there is a disconnect fee, a trip fee, and probably a reconnect fee and the trip fee to lock and unlock the meter. . .

overthinking the options to save a small amount of money, maybe?

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Scbang

Does it make sense to maintain TECO GAS account for a snowbird who shuts off water heater and heat during summer? Is it too much of bother to stop and start every 6 months?

Cheers!

Just a twist on that idea. If all you use gas for is heat and hot water for half the year, would it be cheaper in the long run to simply convert to electricity and not have to pay the monthly fee on an open gas account when not using any? In reality, do you really need gas for heat? We run the heat on our HVAC for about an hour, once per year, simply to burn the dust from the system, not to heat the home. We love having our windows, screened doors, and sliders open all winter to let in fresh air and never use the heat. That only leaves hot water, and an electric hot water heater is not very expensive. I suppose if you have a gas stove, cloths dryer, and pool heater that would be a different story entirely, as replacing all those appliances would significantly change the equation. It sucks that part time residents, who never rent their homes, can’t easily turn unused services on and off when not there, especially nowadays when most things can easily be done remotely.

[CarlR33]

You never said how much your paying per month for static no use service? You’re probably overthinking this, IMO

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Just a twist on that idea. If all you use gas for is heat and hot water for half the year, would it be cheaper in the long run to simply convert to electricity and not have to pay the monthly fee on an open gas account when not using any? In reality, do you really need gas for heat? We run the heat on our HVAC for about an hour, once per year, simply to burn the dust from the system, not to heat the home. We love having our windows, screened doors, and sliders open all winter to let in fresh air and never use the heat. That only leaves hot water, and an electric hot water heater is not very expensive. I suppose if you have a gas stove, cloths dryer, and pool heater that would be a different story entirely, as replacing all those appliances would significantly change the equation. It sucks that part time residents, who never rent their homes, can’t easily turn unused services on and off when not there, especially nowadays when most things can easily be done remotely.

Agree, I would like to convert my hot water heater to electric. Probably will when I have to change out the fairly new one I installed recently. Electric WHs are easy to install and safer IMO. Then, have line plumbed to furnace with solid black gas pipe to reduce hazard in attic with CSST cheap lines.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Scbang

Does it make sense to maintain TECO GAS account for a snowbird who shuts off water heater and heat during summer? Is it too much of bother to stop and start every 6 months?

Cheers!

Tell us what you are paying for the months that you are not here so that we can run the numbers.

I do know that disconnecting and reconnecting fees are high. These are public utilities that are supposed to be regulated.

[Scbang]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Tell us what you are paying for the months that you are not here so that we can run the numbers.

I do know that disconnecting and reconnecting fees are high. These are public utilities that are supposed to be regulated.

It's $24/mo probably not worth the hassle but I was just curious.

Thank you all for your response.

[jrref]

After reading all these posts, here in the Villages since we don't have cold winters and most are using heat pumps and not heating with gas like up north, the only reason to have natural gas is for cooking preference or to run a generator. It's not going to be cheaper than electric. Some may say that gas appliances are cheaper than electric but at the end of the day with the monthly fixed transport cost and the usage cost, I don't think you will be saving any money.

I feel TECO may be expanding their service lines to get that monthly re-occurring money. It's like a subscription for them. Goes on forever plus usage. I'm not suggesting not to get natural gas but if you do, understand why and what the ongoing costs will be.