This coming winter!

[murray hill farm]

For those who live in the north and where heat in the winter monthes is required for survival, what will happen this winter? What will happen to those who still have a home? In the last few winters many had to chose between heat and food or heat and medicine, but with the cost of oil and of gas now..is anyone looking to the certain crisis that is coming in the winter of 08/09? It most definetly will be bad.

[Raven]

1. I'm in NH. Had an oil delivery last week. 180 gallons (1/2 a tank)

at $4.60 a gallon...$828.00. Last year I paid $2.60 a gallon. People are going to wake up to this just before the election. There is a waiting list for wood and pellet stoves and the cost of pellets has gone through the roof, I'm told.

[trof]

14. I paid around $.50/gal in NH back in the 80s.

[Redneck Socialist]

2. Budget plan

I have my oil payments spread out over ten months. I use to pay as I went, no way I can afford that anymore.

[murray hill farm]

3. it is going to be so bad this winter.

I live in southern Georgia now, but came from Marquette, Michigan. The economy is Michigan is very bad with so many losing their homes and their jobs. Without heat in the winter, there is no way to survive and the tax base for communities is gone with the jobs and the houses, etc. There is no feasible way for communities to subsidies winter heating bills for those who cannot afford to buy oil or gas to heat their living spaces. I believe this will be a very scary winter in the usa.

[knitter4democracy]

12. I'm worried here in Battle Creek.

Hubby and I tossed around getting a Franklin stove last winter, but with the fireplace, windows covered, and blankets everywhere, we were fine. Not so everyone in town, though. If it's as cold as last winter or worse, people aren't going to make it.

[jwirr]

4. I am assuming that family will come home to survive and help with

the bills. We are living in bigger homes and with fewer people than we used to. That may be at an end.

[Andy823]

5. I was in Germany

Back in 1971 until 1973. Families lived together over there, as they do in may other countries. We have a large Mexican population around my area, and they also live together to help make ends meet. Actually they do a lot better than most americans because they take care of each other, work, put the money into the family budget, and are able to make it on low wages since the whole family is working. My wife and I have been taking care of her mother for 14 years now, and it has helped us and my mother in law.

I see all kinds of people around my area who have built bigger homes "after" their family has grown up and left. Now it's just two people living in 3 and 4 bedroom homes that are twice as big as the home they had when they were raising their family. I own a storage facility and I see more and more people renting storage to put a lot of their stuff in, and have moved back in with their parents.

The way things are going I think you are right, more families will start coming home and helping each other, and that could be a good thing for all.

[jwirr]

6. That is not bad. My friends who immigrated from Vietnam lived that

way also and they are sending their children to college, etc. We used to all live in extended family situations. It is a healthy way to live.

[kristopher]

7. One suggestion would be to look to Japan

Section of living areas and heat only where necessary; use space heaters.

Take a very hot shower in the early evening (deep baths are better) and then bundle up.

Use a lot of blankets - both sitting around and sleeping.

Not being snarky here. I lived for years like this and, while it's quite a departure from the typical western lifestyle (a visiting friend hated it, said "I feel like I'm f*&%ing camping in the g*dd*mned house") it is both livable and affordable. If you just run your central heat until you are out of money and fuel, then you will really be screwed.

Go to lowes and get some folding partition doors and section of any area that doesn't require heating. then place SMALL space heaters in the rooms you frequent. Don't forget that kerosene or propane require sources of fresh air!!

Consider consolidating areas - if you are alone or your children are gone - live and sleep in the same room room. We slept in the same room with our twins until they were 5.

Japanese baths are great, but they aren't the same as a jacuzzi. They are deep relative to their top surface so that while in use, they lose less heat. You soap and rinse outside the tub, then use it for soaking only. That way, more than one person can use the same hot water. You can find convection heaters for a japanese tub on the internet for about $700; either propane or wood. Hand made baths are expensive, but it is possible to build a strong box out of wood and coat it with fiberglass.
It's probably not worth the effort for most people, but I absolutely am addicted to the routine and effects of that style of bathing.

In total, for a family of 4 we probably used about 5-8 gallons of kerosene for heating and 3 gallons propane/week.

Added on edit: stock up on long johns and warm socks.

[malakai2]

11. I'll second a lot of this

Lower the temperature on the thermostat overall, drop it even lower at night, and close off vents and doors in rooms not in use. Keep a couple space heaters handy. Make sure windows are insulated, gaps around doors are sealed, etc. Take a hot shower in the morning and dress in layers. Stock up on extra blankets for the bed and the couch. Eat warming foods, drink hot tea throughout the day.

It isn't truly uncomfortable, it just takes a brief adjustment period. I kept my heating bills manageable for the past several years in a terribly drafty house in windy South Dakota doing this stuff.

[Strelnikov_]

13. People created a thriving civilization living in these on the North Dakota plains

Well, until smallpox was introduced, that is.





If they could (thrive), we can too.


And I agree with what you said. Turn it down, only heat certain rooms. Here in central Iowa, I find it easier to keep warm versus keep cool. We really only have three months any more that I would consider 'heating season', for me anyway.

[Speck Tater]

8. I am starting to wonder how long it will be before we start to see

mass migration away from areas where the winters are no longer survivable without cheap oil.

[murray hill farm]

9. I was wondering that too.

It must be already starting somewhat. Where I live in southern Georgia, the homeless population grows during the winter months since it is easier to live out the winters here...and at least not freeze to death. last winter, I began to notice small tent communes cropping up on city lots here..and for some reason, they were allowed to stay. I guess the neighborhoods took pity and did not complain to authorities. These were adults...no children. I expect that adults are more able to hitch a ride from north to south. Families would be another matter.
A lot of good individually based ideas here to cut heating costs, but for the many, many who live in poverty in the north, even these good ideas will be luxuries that would be out of their reach. It really is frightening to me to think how devastating this winter will be to so many.

[Summer93]

10. Heating oil.....

Looking toward $1000 plus to get 200 gallons could make 3 or 4 deliveries bleak when it comes time for holiday shopping this winter. For those of who are not millionaires and can no longer carry wood nor shovel snow these costs are also going up.

[phantom power]

15. I think this winter is going to throw the oil crisis into sharp relief.

[meow mix]

16. damn, and i just moved north to escape greenhouse heating in the south.

guess i gotta grow some wings and follow the geese

[kristopher]

17. Let me recommend a book

The Solar Home Book by Bruce Anderson 1976

It has some ideas suitable for DIY that might be useful even in northern lattitudes. Many simple devices can provide 25% or more of your home's heat.

[emmadoggy]

18. We contract our LP

in the summer and pay on a budget plan over 10 months.

The first year we lived here - new home - 6 years ago, they estimated our usage at 1000 gallons for the winter. At the end of the winter, you have the two "off months" to make up any underpayment. Overpayment is applied to your next year's budget plan to reduce your payments. Your total usage at the end of each winter is then used as the estimate for your next winter's budget amount.

With each passing year we have been reducing our usage. With each passing year, our budget payments have been increasing. Last year, our contract price was 1.59 per gallon and our usage was calculated at 826 gallons (previous year's use).

This summer we received our contract. Our contract price this year is 2.30 per gallon! That is a HUGE leap. And our usage was down to 736 gallons - even with a VERY long, cold winter last year (worst winter in several years). This was done simply by lowering our thermostat another degree from the previous year and (finally) starting to make use of the programmable thermostat.

Last year we paid $138 per month. This year we are paying $162 per month. The first year - with the 1000 gallon budget - we paid $126 per month. The following year, we paid just $86 per month!! Gas, energy and food are taking bigger and bigger chunks of the pie, while our income barely budges. Yep, lots of people will be hurting this winter.

My mom is looking into getting a Sun Heat infrared heater this year and if we had the money right now, I think we would be also. http://www.sunheat.com/