HVAC: Does closing ducts reduce a heating bill?

My house has returns for each room (that's the best way and the way they used to do it back in the olde daze), but they are non adjustable, I'd have to make a magnetic cover etc. for each.

I had the whole house insulated (there was non when I purchased it) I also installed programmable thermostats in the three zones. I then refurbished (not replaced as I liked the wood windows) all the windows and the storm windows (this took 2 summers).

I got the records from the gas company for the previous owners monthly bills for the last 12 months of ownership. They were paying between 450 and 500 / month for heat in the winter months (with no one living here) My gas bills have been consistently in the $190-$210 range This is for gas that includes heat, hot water, the dryer and the stove. for the last couple winters. During the summer we are around 20/month for hot water stove and the dryer and since no one lived in my house for a year the costs the gas company gave me was only for heat. this means I probably cut the actual heating bill part of it by about 60%

Check with your local utility company's. Nstar had a rebate thing that they would pay me %80 of the cost of insulating my house up to $2000. This combined with a federal tax credit netted me approximately $160 profit for insulating my house.

This was on a 2000 +/- SF house

mazdeuce wrote:

z31maniac wrote: America. Where people buy a house so large, they save money by not using rooms.

Maybe, but my parents used to restrict warm air flow to the upstairs of our house to save money and every room was slept in. We didn't live up there, we just slept up there so it didn't need to be so warm. I also change the airflow to various parts of my house depending on the season and whether we're heating or cooling and we have two people in every bedroom.

I do the same. Sleep under blankets with the upstairs heat set at 62F. I heat the basement and first floor to 68F.

Heat rises. Warm floors > cold floors. Profit!

I did some more looking today. It looks like insulation on the ceiling of the basement is a waste of $$$ compared to insulating the walls and floor of the basement. hmmm....

It looks like when insulating a house it goes in order of priority something like this:

• attic

• walls

• basement walls and floor

For our house it looks like the only "easy" way is going to be insulating the attic (which I remember seeing lots of insulation). So I'll get dressed up and poke around in there next time I get a chance.

"Walls" are a gamble (or so I hear) because the old plasterboard in our house may not allow even distribution of blow in foam. If the price was right (under $500 after rebates) then I could see giving foam a try anyways. The alternative is the removal of the plasterboard and installation of sheetrock (and insulate then) but I'm afraid that's a bit outside of our budget/free time allowance (plus living in a project house with toddlers and newborns might wear on the wife a bit). Bummer.

So I guess, for now, I'm going to see what I can do about plugging holes and stopping drafts. The previous owners installed storm windows over our old windows, but I think they can use a bit of edge sealing (our front door, I can see daylight around).

Till then the furnace is set at 60 (down from 66) and we broke out the sweaters and blankets.

The bill cycle for one complete month of having the vents shut should end around the 8th(?) so we'll see how the bill looks at the end of the month.

see? You wait long enough and you don't even need a thread!

The bill was $15 less with the vents (and doors) to the basement and upstairs closed.

Thanks again everyone!