[Lilura]

Hi All,

We've just moved into a house with gas connected and I've no idea how much I should budget for as I have never had gas before :/

We have a 3bed house, 2 adults, 1 PT 8yr old boy and 1 9mth old. Our water is gas heated, and the stove top is gas powered. There is also gas central heating. We haven't needed it as yet, but I suspect we might when winter hits. We're in Blue Mountains NSW.

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure on what they spend on gas? I know it won't be entirely accurate, but just a general idea so I know how much to put aside so it doesnt kill us when we get the bill ><

Thanks in advance!

[julia*v]

I am not in the Blue Mountains - in WA - so pricing will be different. I find my summer bills are around $80-90 (three months) and my winter bill is about $160-180.

We have gas cooker, water and gas heater - although that is not central - just one heater plugged into the gas at the wall.

Hope that helps.

[Laam]

In Canberra we had a 3 beddy with centeral hearing, hot water and stovetop that were all gas. Bills were $70-80 in summer and $250-300 winter (I was home most days so heater was on too)

[Zarlias]

A few years ago I moved from sunny Queensland to bitterly cold, miserable Melbourne and came up against gas and central heating for the first time ever.

Suffice to say, our first winter quarter bill was a massive shock and ever since then what I've done is budget a flat $100/month for gas. We had hot water, stove and a old 2 bedroom worker's cottage with just myself and DH. In summer, I would get ahead due to no heating, less hot water use etc, and in winter, I'd catch up and use up all the extra from summer, if that makes sense.

When we moved out of our last house in May last year, the gas bill was only about $60 ahead so it seems to be spot on. I would assume the Blue Mountains are cold and miserable in winter too, and with a little one, your heating bill might come close to my Qld blooded one.

If, after a year or so you find that you're overpaying then you can adjust. The PP who had a less than $200 winter bill must be tough - ours was more like $5 - 600, with about $200 in summer.

I HATE being cold

ETA I set up BPay and paid the $100 each month into the bill so it's enforced savings and bills are paid when they arrive.

This post has been edited by Zarlias: 01/05/2012, 07:13 PM

[mumto3princesses]

We are in Sydney in a 3 bedroom house with 5 of us.

Gas hot water and stove top plus gas fireplace. Last winter we paid about $100 for the gas. Then summer is usually around $80ish.

[jayskette]

I'd say budget 1/2 to 1/3 that of electricity
It's hard to set a permanent budget until the first bill comes.
I suggest just use gas as you normally would for the first quarter and adjust accordingly after.

[Lilura]

Thanks guys

$100 per month seems a decent average to start with... I just had no idea whether it was more/less/equal to electricity in an average house

We are trying to avoid the central heating as we've been warned that it can easily make the bill creep up, but we'll have to see how cold it gets I guess