[Adelaidewonderer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', 'I')n an old house with radiators, you can't cut them off by zone or by room. It's all or nothing. My point is, there are tons of people like me, living in older homes and trying to decide between groceries and heat. It's an ugly spot to be in.

[Homesteader]

This underscores the issue with populated areas when TSHTF. Those who prepped will be vastly outnumbered by those who didn't or couldn't.

[Puchica]

I'm like you, I've set money aside and have many preps. I live on a very cold mountain in Pennsylvania and the weather hovered around 20 F during the day and much colder at night this winter. I prepaid my oil at a discount last summer, and at any rate, with a well insulated house, I never used more than 85 gallons of oil a month this winter. But the ELECTRICITY! 500 a month, every month this winter! for a 1200 sq. ft house with 4 people????? Part of is must be that we were 'slammed'; switched to one of these so called electric distributors that call and promise to save money But still 500!!! And we have a coal fired cook stove. I'm going to have an energy audit done. Something's very scwewwy awound here.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Puchica', '!')But still 500!!! And we have a coal fired cook stove. I'm going to have an energy audit done. Something's very scwewwy awound here.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', '
')In an old house with radiators, you can't cut them off by zone or by room. It's all or nothing. My point is, there are tons of people like me, living in older homes and trying to decide between groceries and heat. It's an ugly spot to be in.

[bratticus]

The walls of 1920s homes can be insulated via RetroFoam http://www.retrofoam.com/

[hope_full]

Some of these posts offer some interesting ideas.

Some are mean-spirited and tell me a *lot* more about the poster than anything else.

What is the point in being sharp-tongued? What is gained by being so full of venom and vitriol?

The United States is facing so many problems on so many fronts, isn't this a good time to take a deep breath and speak kindly? What is gained by so much ugliness? I'm really baffled. Am I to be chastised because I'm in a position to spend some money to make my house more energy efficient with a good quality boiler?

My original post was NOT about me, but that point seems lost. The purpose of the post was two-fold: 1) To discuss the problem of heating oil in America's housing stock - which on average is 50 years old now, and 2) I am worried for others - many right here in my neighborhood - who are in dire straits. People who lost their jobs and people who are scrambling to put food on the table. What do *they* do when they get hit with a $600 heating oil bill? Or worse - three in a row?

As to those who say "something is screwy," I can assure - it's not. Yes, we've had a cold winter here in Norfolk, but my interviews with other homeowners and oil truck drivers tell me, our $600 a month heating bill is pretty average right now in this early 1900s neighborhood.

In closing, I implore you - if all you want is to have an acrimonious and unpleasant conversation with a stranger on the 'net, stifle that urge and go on to the next thread. If you want to speak like well-educated, thoughtful souls who seek to discuss the grievous energy problems facing our country, please post away.

There's enough upset and sadness in the world. Why add to it by throwing around ugly words here at Peak Oil?

[vision-master]

I supplement my heat with this...



This year wood pellets were from $3.5 to $4 bag. I go thru about one bag every two day's (running on low about 12 hrs day). My place is 1,400 sq ft and is a energy hog - 3 stories. I haven't seen a gas bill over $80 Month yet this year. I live in Minnesota. For those who can't use a regular wood stove, consider a pellet stove. My ele bill has increased about $25 Month by running my pellet stove.

Menards has been selling these for about $1,000 this year, add another $250 for the exhaust and yer set.

[hope_full]

I've heard a LOT of good things about pellet stoves. Does it have any funny smell to it?

[vision-master]

Nope odor free and it's gotta nice fireplace flame all the time too. Also, I can purchase fuel ahead of time so there's no sticker shock. The way things are looking this winter, I should have enough extra pellets to last half way through next winter. I wait for the sales and then stock up.

[Adelaidewonderer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', 'T')here's enough upset and sadness in the world. Why add to it by throwing around ugly words here at Peak Oil?

[bratticus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', 'W')hat is the point in being sharp-tongued? What is gained by being so full of venom and vitriol?

[vision-master]

We sure have some high and mighty ppl here.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', 'A')s to those who say "something is screwy," I can assure - it's not.

[Pops]

If you don't have anything constructive to add, buzz off.

----
We live in a 100 yo house too, we've been working hard to seal it up. But at some level of energy cost, unless you've a home you can heat with your breath, you may need to change habits. Our house is 2 story and 2,200sf, the upstairs is not heated or air conditioned, each downstairs room has a door and we use them. For a portion of the year, in high summer and deep winter we only heat/cool the living room and my office, the kitchen and bath doors stay open to get enough to not freeze but everything else is closed off. We put on more clothes and use a blanket when watching the tube and have electric blankets on the beds upstairs. Our forced air heat decided to poop out the day the temps dropped to -12 last month, we brought out the air mattress and slept in the LR by the wood stove - and let the faucets drip.

A couple of neighbors (who live in old houses too) say why don't you put in some window air conditioners upstairs or why not buy one of these miracle electric heaters like we bought from Parade Magazine for $500 (!)

The A -Number One Best way to save energy is too have an air infiltration test done (it might still be refundable is some states). It will tell you how drafty your house is and SHOW you where the drafts are so you can plug them yourself - if you can work a caulking gun, you can save big bucks little investment. This is especially true for an old house.

I'll tell you, the weatherization program last year was a boon to poor people in old house but our elected officials are now more concerned about the bank accounts of billionaires and say we can't afford to help poor people save energy or keep warm.

It's Trickle Down II ---
AKA:
Piss On 'Em.

[bratticus]

The concept of "house" as a sealed bubble with 72F all the time is a modern ideal. Many countries have dwellings where the ambient temperature is not sealed off from their surrounding environment so completely.

[cephalotus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hope_full', '
')
In an old house with radiators, you can't cut them off by zone or by room. It's all or nothing. My point is, there are tons of people like me, living in older homes and trying to decide between groceries and heat. It's an ugly spot to be in.

[DomusAlbion]

Our farm house (circa 1940) has an oil heater in the basement. The tank was full when we bought the farm in 2005. We refilled the tank in the fall of 2009 because we moved temporarily to Boise (through the winter of 09 - 10) and we had to keep the house above 40 degrees (F) to avoid freezing. Last summer we installed a second wood burning stove and this winter we have heated entirely by wood that comes from our property. We close off many of the rooms and keep the inside temperature in the low 60s. It's very comfortable. Like pops we have blankets to snuggle in and wear sweaters in the house.

We are going to refill the underground oil tank again for emergency use. No. 2 heating oil also works well in the tractor, so we have back up heat and enough diesel fuel to run the tractor for about 5 years.

[anador]

This is what we use.

Wood Fired Central Cast Iron Boiler

As I recall it was only about 3gs to set the system up, it ties into our heat exchanger so we didnt need to replace our oil burner. The old burner still has the pilot lit so it kicks on automatically only when the boiler fire goes out ( which is in the rare event the boys arent home to fill it as mom won't have anything to do with it ). We have two 500 gallon oil tanks in our basement as a backup and have not had them filled since we installed it 5 years ago. We live on a heavily wooded plot of land and have used both fallen deadwood, cleared wood from two pastures we are clearing, and wood donated by a tree surgeon friend of ours (just lucky I guess) to heat our 2,100 sq. ft. house, water, and pool for 5 years. The thing paid itself back after the second season.

We are currently building a wood-gas to old mack engine block generator to power the circulator pumps, fans, and well-pump so that we can be heated and comfortable in the winter even if we lose power.

We fill it twice a day in winter and every other day in summer and Im in New England BTW so this all holds for some pretty nasty winters.

[kublikhan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'T')he A -Number One Best way to save energy is too have an air infiltration test done (it might still be refundable is some states). It will tell you how drafty your house is and SHOW you where the drafts are so you can plug them yourself - if you can work a caulking gun, you can save big bucks little investment. This is especially true for an old house.

I'll tell you, the weatherization program last year was a boon to poor people in old house but our elected officials are now more concerned about the bank accounts of billionaires and say we can't afford to help poor people save energy or keep warm.