To EAT or To HEAT... Tough Choices this Winter for many in the North

[WePurrsevere]

As of July 1st our most widely used local home heating fuel company lists the price per gallon of Oil as: $2.49 for cash; $2.59 for credit & we just got a letter offering us a lock in price of $2.949 (IF we had decent credit). If a person needs to or prefers to use a "cleaner" fuel Kerosene is 30 cents per gal more.

Many up here are either low or fixed income, many are barely getting by and living month to month and many of us; low, middle and fixed income; are very worried about this Winter and how we'll get through it without going hungry or freezing to death. It's not like folks up here can get a 2nd job to help out.. they're lucky to have even one job and make a bit more then NYs minimum wage and thanks to the RW dastards HEAP home energy heating assistance has been cut back just when many need it the most... (and yet the rich get more tax breaks :grr: ). The only slight advantage many up here have is that they have wood stoves as a "back up" heat source and wood is relatively inexpensive compared to oil... although it can be more of a challenge for the elderly and disabled to use.

While looking for more information about the heating oil outlook I ran across this article: Heating oil prices make consumers face tough choices for upcoming season... hopefully they're right about home heating oil prices going down... meanwhile we'll just keep working on insulating and sealing up our 150 year old house better, replacing the old burner in the furnace with a more efficient one, etc... and praying a lot... for all those facing a cold Winter and choices that should not have to be made... and certainly not in this country.

It's funny... I never really minded Winters. I enjoy the beauty of the sun glinting off the ice coated "crystal" trees, appreciate Mother Nature's insulating blanket (Snow) and on milder winter days I embrace the crispness and the Winter smells BUT... lately.... Winter haunts me as well as others I've spoken with up here.

We watch the world news and worry as the oil prices go up and down and many of the oil suppling countries erupt into turmoil. We get angry at seeing the oil companies rake in huge profits. We are disgusted at our politicians who are piddling away time and tax money trying to pass bills that have nothing to do with REAL issues and stand little chance to pass while we and those we love face a cold Winter of harsh choices.

To EAT or to HEAT... that will be OUR question while our Representatives enjoy their raise in their warm and fancy homes and the pResident sits back contentedly enclosed in his nice warm bubble of a home... with a belly full of good food... eats cake... and grins.

[Monkeyman]

1. We have people dying from the heat today can't afford to cool off

[WePurrsevere]

5. I know & am deeply saddened by it, If something can be done to help them

it should be.

The concerns of those who need to stay warm and alive when temperatures are at or below freezing this Winter don't negate the concerns of those trying to get through a horribly hot and humid Summer (and visa versa).... innocent lives should not be lost due to something like cold and hot that can be overcome with knowledge and/or today's technology combined with a bit of help from others and our government.

[soothsayer]

2. wood stoves eat wood like CRAZY! well, the old ones do. the

new ones are better, i hear

[WePurrsevere]

7. True, newer ones are more efficient & pollute less. Unfortunately many

up here can't afford new so they buy used or try to keep up their old one.

I'll use our experience as an example of costs: We have both an old wood stove and an old wood/oil combination furnace. During January and February using the wood side of the furnace or wood stove runs us about 1 face cord a week and lots of work keeping it loaded. A face cord up here runs an avg of $55. so (as long as we don't get broadsided with a long and harsh sub-zero streak) on avg it costs approx $210. a month to heat our approx 1700 sq ft home that way. For the same house for oil or kerosene it would run about 50 gallons a week or about $672. a month (*the above was figured hoping for an "average" NNY Winter, using a straight 4 week month and oil at $3. a gal).

To get through this Winter we're hoping to get at least one of our 2 oil tanks filled with oil for nights and if we don't get back from somewhere in time to reload the wood (we have furkids and frozen pipes are not a good thing). Of course if we win a million or two dollars from Publishers Clearing House ;) :D we'd gladly be totally off the grid and using clean energy such as solar, wind and/or geo-thermal. B-)

[skids]

3. Switching from oil to Nat Gas...

...because that's what the landlord wants to do. I suppose it's progress of some kind, given the old furnace was wasting huge amounts of energy.

We're crossing our fingers and hoping we make out on the deal. Who knows how NatGas prices will behave -- at least with oil you sometimes had the option of stocking up when the prices were down.

[HockeyMom]

4. Sorry to say this

but I had natural gas where I used to live. My heating bills ran well over $300 a month. I also have gas heat in the new place I am renting. I am hoping that since the system and windows are fairly new, it will be more energy efficient.

However, I am not holding my breath. Fuel prices, gas and oil, have skyrocketed since last year.

Ditto for the A/C. Right now I have my A/C set at, no lie, 80 degrees, and it is staying on constantly. I guess temps in the mid to high 90s will do that. Terrified to see that bill this month.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Salvaging insulating materials may help some folks

Many contractors have tons of leftover insulating materials at a building or renovation site and if you ask you can sometimes get a free load. Adding extra insulation helps keep those heating bills down.

Also, for those who have basement doors that open to the outside (We have one of those swinging, double-door cellar deals in our old home) make sure you get out the old plastic sheeting and duct tape and cover up that door from the inside! Even a closed basement door can let in tremendous amounts of cold air. An insulating blanket on the hot weater also helps.

Finally, I agree with everything you've said here, I'm just offering a few lost-cost tips.

[WePurrsevere]

8. TY for the tips! I hadn't thought of salvaging insulating materials...

I'm going to do some checking around and see if there's a place that salvages stuff like that as well as from remodels and demolitions.

After moving into this house in the early Spring the year before we learned the hard way last year in January to seal off the basement doors here. We had to make it so wood could be dropped down them when needed but it made a large difference in drafts and cold.

We're also going all along where the foundation and house meet and using Great Stuff to insulate. There was a horrible draft coming up through and up into the house from the lack of insulation there... apparently an often over looked area to insulate. Normally snow might help block those drafts but we didn't have enough last winter. Another thing we're doing is insulating the heat ducts and water pipes (we have a new electric water heater we'll be insulating and adding a timer too).

One trick I've used for years (started when I lived in rentals) is to use passive heat during the day and blankets over the windows at night. If you go to garage sales, auctions or "Good Will" shops you can often pick up heavy old blankets (like wool) for next to nothing... add rings and another curtain rod behind your existing curtains and viola... extra insulation. B-)

I know it's the middle of Summer and people have a hard time thinking about Winter right now but NOW is the time to think, plan and do before it comes... which seems to always be much to soon. :)

Thanks again for the tips. :yourock: