Heating Oil: gonna get mighty expensive this winter. any alternatives?

[mopaul]

i guess heating with electricity isn't much of a savings, when you think about the big utility interests. not everybody can heat with wood stoves or fireplaces. propane? natural gas? lazers?

as we run out of gasoline for our hummers, we might have to sleep in them on cold nights, with gas we squirreled away for winter. can mad max road warriors be far behind?

[billybob537]

1. BURN BUSH*

[lil-petunia]

2. Enlist. I hear it is warm in Iraq, Iran, Sudan, and Afghanistan

[WLKjr]

3. my mom was telling me that this morning

I am out in the country here in OH, and it get's mighty cold sometimes, I told her I was just going to wear warmer clothes. My own little protest I guess...

what I am worried about is my grandma. I plan on moving in with her over the winter to keep her company and help her out with some things.

[JHB]

4. Sweaters. More/thicker blankets...

Hot water bottles
warm cocoa
long johns
thick wool socks
nightcap (a hat to wear to bed, but the other version is recommended too)

[Mika]

12. All of outsourced manufacture

We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. :puke:

[JHB]

22. Not if you know the right people

Knitters of the world unite!

[Malva Zebrina]

5. We already have had the heat on to get the morning chill out of the house

I am not looking forward to the bills this winter. It is still chilly to the end of April and sometimes into the middle of May. A cord of wood cost almost as much as the heating oil in the past. It may be cheaper this winter. We have a wood stove, but do not use it except in emergency--ie when the power goes out. Even then, we sometimes use a propane unit instead of the wood stove because of fear of a chimney fire-you must keep the chimney clean of the carbon deposits--a chimney sweep charges fifty dollars-both my neighbors have had chimney fires.

[catmandu57]

9. You may be burning the wrong type of wood

Don't burn pine or other resiny woods, walnut is especially bad about causing a resin build up and starting fires. If possible occasionally burn some hedge wood, it makes a really hot fire and should burn up the deposits left over by other wood.
If you can stay with well seasoned hardwood.

[M155Y_A1CH]

6. Convert your furnace

Most oil burners can be converted to gas without
changing out the entire furnace or boiler.
A gas burner can be retro-fitted for your current system
if it doesn't need replacement yet.

[wishlist]

11. Last winter though, gas skyrocketed too-

I haven't heard the prognosis for gas prices for this winter yet, but I would research it carefully before switching to gas. Both my parents and my in-laws in fairly small homes have regretted switching because they have had to run their furnaces more and spend more to stay warm using the supposedly higher efficiency gas heat than they did to use oil.

[salvorhardin]

7. I am trying very hard

to be out of the northeast this winter.

Looking at getting a small house someplace warm with another person for January through April. Figured out that it would actually be cheaper than heating my place and I really need to get out of the area. The thought of another winter is incredibly depressing. Fortunately, I work from home so I am able to do this.

[Larkspur]

8. My per gallon price went up $.40/gal

I've got a contract and $1.59/gal is locked in for the winter. It was $1.19/gal last year.

That is still much cheaper than propane or natural gas, which runs about $4.00/gal.

FYI. I live in Connecticut.

[LiberalEsto]

10. Insulate, insulate, insulate

Put another layer of that pink stuff in the attic.
Caulk everywhere.
Close off a little-used room.
Switch to those little spiral compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

COLLECT AND BURN all the rethug campaign literature you can find.

[MadHound]

13. Well, it is too late for this winter

But you can start making some changes in order to conserve energy and lower you bills. First off, conservation and weatherization. Turn the thermostat down and throw that extra sweater on. Check your house for proper insulation. Not just around the doors and windows, but also in the walls, the floors and in the attic. Make sure that your windows are double paned. These things don't take much time or money to do, and are well worth it in the long run.

Larger projects that help are putting siding on your house, with foam board underneath. I recommend steel siding, even though it is more expensive. Insulates better and is more durable than either vinyl or aluminum. Look into getting some solar panels for your place to cut back on electric use. Also, if you have the land for it, look into getting a windmeill. Once again, they're expensive, but in the long run will pay for themselves. If you can't do that, think about getting a wood stove. Depending on where you live, wood can be cheap and readily available. I live in the Midwest, and people literally give away wood for the hauling. Other places, like in the mountain west, wood is scarce and expensive. If that is the case, it might be cheaper for you to have the wood trucked in. If you know somebody who is in the trucking business, you could probably find somebody who is deadheading back through your area who would be willing to haul a load of wood for cheap. Check the locales where wood is plentiful and cheap, then call up and do a deal.

Good luck, and stay warm.

[lapislzi]

14. Cap NOW if you still can

I capped back in August with a cash-only local company, and it's saving me $0.40/gallon. I realize that might not be an option for everyone, but it's worth checking local suppliers for their budget plans. Shop around. Many will throw in a free service for your burner if you go with the budget plan.

Cap = peg a fixed price for 12 months. Around here (NY) that's between $1.50 - $2.00/gal

[Rockholm]

15. Hawaii?

[Mr.Green93]

16. gain weight

[wishlist]

19. Call all of your fuel dealers to find the best price- they widely differ

You may be able to save as much as $.20 a gallon by shopping around other reputable dealers rather than just staying with the same company you have always used.

[Mr.Green93]

24. Electric Thermal Storage

is what we use. Cheap off peak electricty. Costs 100$ a month to heat 2800 sq. ft.

[nostamj]

17. well, I'm sure bushco would recommend

that you BURN BOOKS for heat....

[freestyle]

18. New window coverings

Insulated curtains can make a difference. Definite second on the insulation. A programmable thermostat can help alot also. Turn the overall heat down a bit and supplement only the room you are in with a space heater. Those are lower cost options.

If you are in a position to do some home improvements, high performance windows and doors can make a big difference. A higher efficiency furnace can make a big difference and there are oil furnaces in the 95% range now. Replacing old appliances can reduce energy use. A tankless hot water heating system reduces energy used for hot water. Then there are really major changes like solar and geothermal. Tightening up your house, especially the windows and doors has the most immediate impact. Good luck.

[Jacobin]

20. Chop up your furniture and burn it in the fireplace

[democratreformed]

21. wood?

We used to heat with a wood stove. It was annoying (I had a hard time starting the fire and it was messy), but it kept us warm.

[catmandu57]

23. Covering windows with plastic film

helps quite a bit. We get the 3m window film and make a weekend project out of it, it really helps to tighten the house up, holds the heat in and keeps the cold out.
Stay away from manco, that stuff sucks even with good preparation it comes loose. If I can I'll use 3m or stormking, I hate that fucking manco crap.

[OneTwentyoNine]

25. Drill a Oil well in your backyard and rape Murikans at $50 per barrel...nt

[MallRat]

26. My alternative? Don't eat.

$1.82 a gallon, Mr. President?

Fuck. Me.

-MR