A series of articles on how the offerings given are used here at St. John’s:
What’s Up with the Cost of our Utilities?
With such a cold winter everyone is concerned that their utility bills will skyrocket. Some have reported bills that more than doubled from one month to the next. What about St. John’s?
We’ve been on a budget payment plan for decades, spreading out the anticipated cost over 12 months. The plan is recalculated each summer. The new payment takes into consideration any account balance or deficit, as well as anticipated increases. Last year (‘24-’25) the annual payment plan was just under $75,000. This summer our monthly payment increased by less than 2%, from about $6,220 monthly to $6,300 (or just under $76,000).
What does this mean? (A good Lutheran question to ask!)
- IF we see an increase in the amount we pay, it won’t be until August, 2026.
- Our actual cost may create a large account deficit which we will pay one month at a time beginning that month.
What are we doing to help moderate our utility costs?
About 15 months ago workers installed nearly two dozen programmable thermostats that can also be remotely monitored and controlled by means of a cell phone app. The temp setting in classrooms is automatically adjusted at the end of the school day. The sanctuary HVAC is set to turn on Saturday afternoon and adjust down (or up in the summer) after worship ends on Sunday. The usual “empty” temperature setting for the winter months is 62 degrees. Our typical “in use” setting is 68 degrees.
More recently workers also installed additional controls on the air handlers which control the heat for the gymnasium and cafeteria, both of which are heated by a boiler. Hot water is sent through a series of pipes (called a heat exchanger) and then in several spaces air is sent over these coils of pipes creating warm air to heat the space. In the cafeteria a long pipe called a “fin tube” fills with hot water and then “convection” helps move air that heats the space. These additional controls mean these spaces are not “overheated” during the winter months (that’s been the problem over many years).
These thermostats CAN be controlled by someone (like a teacher or usher) at the thermostat. However, the thermostat has a limit of 72 degrees. And then, at a designated time, the temperature settings are returned to a lower setting (or higher in the summer months). There’s even a special schedule for when school is not in session.
Since the schedule for the thermostats can be easily adjusted, the number of classroom furnaces that are “calling for heat” is limited each morning. One furnace is scheduled to come on at 5:30am while several others don’t turn on until 7am. Everything is designed to help heat (or cool) spaces ONLY when they are being used.
How are we doing?
Since November we have used considerably more natural gas than previous years. That means it is likely our utility bills will increase at the next adjustment this summer.
—
Next month: What are the plans for the future?
Read more from St. John's
Save the date: Family Reunion Sunday
Check out the plan for the Family Reunion Sunday on August 30th, beginning with worship at 10am. To check how you can help, the list of needed volunteers is also included here.
Blood Drive at St. John’s
Sign up now to donate blood on Family Reunion Sunday, as the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis and faces an emergency shortage.
Interviews Beginning for the Associate Pastor Call Process
The Call Process is moving forward as four names have been selected to be interviewed. More information on the plans for that interview process are shared here. If you would like to attend the…
The Story of the Stained Glass
Check out this series of articles describing the teachings behind the stained glass windows at St. John’s! This month, Pastor shares the meaning behind a small group of the disciples.