Dan,
Glad we're paying the same in the Appalachin basin as you are in Colorado. My gas bill is compairable with about the same size house (heating upstairs, not basement) , average about 65-70 degrees and no more. If we need more, I supplement the living room with wood in the fireplace.
Sometimes I can get that room up to 75 degrees just by burning wood. I have that room on it's own zone for that reason (and the fact that it's got a loft with 16' ceilings and skylights to boot... not the best for keeping heat in such a large space.
That'll all change once they spud that well on my property in the spring. My lease is up early summer and the gas company I signed with confirmed at least 1 well on my property by springtime. I burn up about 150-170,000 cubic feet in a year. I get 300,000 (free gas) per year off the well and 1/8th royalties or 12.5 % after lifting costs. If she's a boomer or is a good oil producer, it could pay my mortgage too. I'm not expecting that much from royaties, but it could be a good one. They planted 50 wells within 2 miles of my place this summer, (mostly a promoter company). My neighbor's one well that's closest to me is a good gas well, with no fluids. He's getting some hefty royalties. Another 1/4 mile down the road is more of an oil producer not so much gas.... being in the drilling business, I know that even 5 acres away from a great well, may produce a not so good well depending on the sandstone payzones. BTW these are shallow wells around 2100-2700 ft
Free gas will be good, but at close to $100 per Bbl of oil and $7 per MCF of gas could be good. Even an average well for the area that produces 300 MCF per month could put $250 in my pocket each month. How's that for a kicker?? Get free gas, then get a check for more than you would have paid for gas you use?? Initial 3 month flush could get me up in the thousands on roayalties, so I'm all for them planting 1 or 2 or however many wells they want on my tract of land. Looks pretty promising
That's why you won't find my complaining at the pumps. Yeah I may gripe a little, but I can't produce natural gas and or oil and make money off of it, then turn around and complain when I have to pay for gas to put in a vehicle. That would be a bit hypocritical I think.