Oil Price Shock

[Lex33]

Here in the cold northeast I just got an oil delivery at $3.69/gallon. My fill up just cost approx. $600. I was not prepared for that. How are the prices in other cold parts of the country?

 

[ancestry]

I'm in Maine and the best price up here is $2.85 per gallon. I shop around and go with the cheaper companies where you have to pay cash/check upon delivery. I no longer use the companies that make payment arrangements or do auto fills as they charge much more per gallon for that convenience.

At the height of the cold (usually January/February) sometimes our heating cost can costs us in excess of $1,000 in one month.

 

[Marionnette]

Here in the cold northeast I just got an oil delivery at $3.69/gallon. My fill up just cost approx. $600. I was not prepared for that. How are the prices in other cold parts of the country?

We are locked into a contract for the season with our oil provider...$2.59 per gallon here in PA.

 

[loveysbydesign]

$2.99 here in PA from a discounted oil place(paying cash...extra 10% with credit)

 

[figment3258]

3.10$ in MA

 

[chellewashere]

3.29 here in PA. I have to only do so much each month cant afford a full full up.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

3.10$ in MA

As long as the United States only produces around 7 of the 20 million barrels of oil consumed daily and drilling is very limited in the Gulf of Mexico, the cost of fuel oil is going to remain hight.

Wind and solar power are not going to meet the demand in the near future.

 

[julirina]

I am soooooo glad we're not heating with oil this year! We had an awful lot of those $1000 months when we did. Moved to a farmhouse a year and a half ago ... heated with electric baseboards and space heaters all last winter and had a few $1000 electric bills! But......we installed a woodstove last month and it is so toasty in here right now! It helps that we're sitting on 400 acres of timber and can take any wood we want -- we just have to supply the manpower to get it down, cut, split and stacked. Hopefully we won't have to pay for heat for a long, long time. Plus we get a tax break for the stove. I can so sympathize with you all, though!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Do you have a contract? If not, look into Mass Energy. It is a non-profit co-op that gets you the best rates on the day of your delivery, costs $20 to join ($10 for seniors).

http://www.massenergy.org/

brochure
https://secure.massenergy.org/PDFs/MassEnergy_HeatingOilBrochure.pdf

We did it a few years ago and was assigned to CK Smith in Central Mass. Had no issues and got great rates. CK Smith also serviced our boiler. For the last 2 years we locked in very early with a local company, this year was back in April when we got our tax refund at $2.59.

 

[kelcoppens]

This is our first winter without oil heat! We sold our house last spring and our new home heats with an electric heat pump. I certainly do not miss those expensive oil deliveries!!

 

[jstonemo]

Holy cow! Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the NE? When it is really cold here in the midwest, our gas bill can be as high as $150-200/mo., and that makes me wince. How does anyone afford to live in the NE?

 

[loveysbydesign]

Just one more reason I want to move south! We can only afford 100 gallons at a time and then we have to also pay a 50 fee for getting less than 150 gallons!

 

[csharpwv]

I had never heard of heating oil until I met my wife.
I grew up and still live in WV - we have tons of nautral gas.
We pay in the ballpark of $75.00 a month to heat our home with a forced air natural gas furnace.
It's a big house - 3br-LR-DR-Kitchen-Family Room -laundry.
My best advice for your is to invest in a GOOD electronic thermostat if you don't already have one.
Be sure to buy one with a 5-2 program pattern (5 weekdays -2 weekends)
AND if you can find one with a consistent temerature vacation over ride (set it for one temperature the entire time you are gone in the winter (62 degrees is what we usually use in the winter)
The first year we lived in our house our bill was well over $175 in the coldest months - but as soon as I installed the electronic thermostat - life improved (warm in the morning - cool at night - great for sleeping!).... and we have more money!

DO it! You will easily pay for the price of the thermostat in the first year! (We paid for ours in the first month!)

They are SUPER easy to install as well!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Holy cow! Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the NE? When it is really cold here in the midwest, our gas bill can be as high as $150-200/mo., and that makes me wince. How does anyone afford to live in the NE?

All depends on where you live in MA- I live in central MA and my town doesn't have it. I live about 100 yards from the town line and the next town over has it! Everone else in my family has it in my area of the state.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Holy cow! Is there no natural gas infrastructure in the NE? When it is really cold here in the midwest, our gas bill can be as high as $150-200/mo., and that makes me wince. How does anyone afford to live in the NE?

We can't!! Everyone assumes because salaries are higher here that we're rolling in dough. They don't realize what our electric rates are & what winter oil cost us. It's a real financial killer. No natural gas in my town but there are areas that have it.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

My best advice for your is to invest in a GOOD electronic thermostat if you don't already have one.
Be sure to buy one with a 5-2 program pattern (5 weekdays -2 weekends)
AND if you can find one with a consistent temerature vacation over ride (set it for one temperature the entire time you are gone in the winter (62 degrees is what we usually use in the winter)
The first year we lived in our house our bill was well over $175 in the coldest months - but as soon as I installed the electronic thermostat - life improved (warm in the morning - cool at night - great for sleeping!).... and we have more money!

DO it! You will easily pay for the price of the thermostat in the first year! (We paid for ours in the first month!)

They are SUPER easy to install as well!

Sometimes you can get them for free or little cost. The gas company runs a lot of rebates for energy star thermostats. My Mom bought mine for Christmas the year we were building our house and she ended up paying very little for them.

Also, in my area pellet stoves are becoming very popular. About half of the homes on my street have installed them in the last few years. Very clean (little ash), easy to maintain, thermostat controlls the temp unlike a wood stove (downside-electricity goes out, no pellet stove.) Neighbors get together to place large pellet orders to save on delivery, etc...

 

[shoney]

My last delivery was on 12/21 for 3.25 a gallon. We use heatusa...a buying service. It costs 25.00 per year or 3 years for 50.00. Includes full contract and annual cleaning. We live on Long Island and one block can have gas lines and another doesn't. Our previous home had gas and I wish we still had it!!!!

 

[denise5374]

I filled up on 12/21/10 and paid $2.98/al, total bill $606.00. Keep the house at 67 during waking hours and 60 a night. Have to can't afford any higher

 

[loveysbydesign]

I filled up on 12/21/10 and paid $2.98/al, total bill $606.00. Keep the house at 67 during waking hours and 60 a night. Have to can't afford any higher

We keep ours at 64 during the day and 58 at night so I'm right there with you! We have a separate zones for the kitchen and upstairs...keep the kitchen at 58 and only turn the heat on upstairs when we're up there!

 

[MaryKLady]

I filled up on 12/21/10 and paid $2.98/al, total bill $606.00. Keep the house at 67 during waking hours and 60 a night. Have to can't afford any higher

My DH would LOVE to live with you! I keep it at at 64 day and 62 night. I keep a thermometer to make sure that's where it actually is too

I just got a delivery today and it was 3.20/gal. I buy all my gallons in the summer when it's cheaper and they deliver it monthly, depending on my consumption. I finally found a company that doesn't play games with prices and deliveries....charging me for storage, insurance and such.

I only bought 500 gallons this year so I hope it will last...it's been chilly!