All Forum Posts by: Crystal Dundas

Ps... Robert the gas rates is $1.13 per ccf in Philadelphia. The electric rate is about .09 per kWh. Kind of hard to compare Apple's and oranges and not sure if that it's possible to prove it through that methodology. However anecdotally, everyone I know in Philadelphia prefers gas heat due to the cost difference. I moved into a home with gas heat and am paying about $400  less in winter months to heat it. The electric company told me that Electric heating is just extremely expensive and my hvac guy said the same as did the majority of folks here on this forum. You're the only adamant proponent of electric heating. But hey you may very well have a secret sauce none of us are familiar with. With all of that being said, I'm going to swim with the crowd on this one 😉

Thanks for your input Robert. Lol

Thanks also to all of the rest of you. I am going to continue down the path of installing gas heat. As you said it is a cheaper option here in Philadelphia. 

Not sure if I figured out why I need to change the ac unit as well but if I can't get the price down, I will just go without  a central ac in that unit as we ha e cool enough summer's where wall units and ceiling fans work just fine for most folks.

I have had two sets of tenants in that unit and both have come out with electric heating bills upwards of $900... Gas was the best comparable option.  The heater/ac unit are about 7 years old and in perfect working condition. That's why I don't want to replace ac if I don't have to.

oh I know that I don't need central in my neighborhood... I'm more so asking why I can't keep u unit I have with the gas heater being installed.

Hi folks,

A few weeks back, I decided, at the advice of all of you beautiful people to convert my rental from electric to gas heating.  I just received the quote and the hvac guy is saying I have to change out my AC unit as well.  There is nothing wrong with the unit that I have.  Do I really need to do both?  If so, I may very well just leave the unit without central air.  I'm in Philadelphia so we get very few days that are so hot that AC is a must have.  and the house has ceiling fans throughout.

Let me know your thoughts.

Where in Philly is the propertty located. How close to market value are you getting?

 Absolutely Troy. This is my second set of tenants I'm going through. To me, it's more stress than it's worth if I can find a better solution. I don't want to deal with the shock every winter and then late rent payments because the heating bills are too high.

This is the second set of tenants I've had the issue with.  I know there is a level of irresponsibility for both sets. But either way, having lived there, I know the electric forced air can be expensive if you're irresponsible. And I don't want to deal with the turn over or the challenges paying rent because of the $700 heating bills. Just trying to improve the property to make keeping it rented easier.

Thank you Henry!

what is in your lease? I've read that in single families tenants are typically liable for pests but multifamily, landlord is.