We just filled the furnace for the Winter, have you yet?

[leebee]

We use oil. Natural gas isn't an option, as there are no lines. A company from Bangor is starting to put them in on the "main drags" but we'd have to hook up from there. It's almost $10K, and we can't do that... just don't have the money.

We filled our oil tank about a month ago... $660 at $2.999 a gallon, but we had to pay by check, not credit, to get that price. All the "big" oil dealers are getting $3.4999-$3.6999 a gallon, so we got a great deal. I hope this'll last us until December. We don't have any heat on now and hopefully will get through September and part way into October before turning on the heat during the evenings (not during the day), but we'll see. We keep the thermostat at 55 during the day, 58 in the evenings when we are home. Yup, everyone has his own blankie for watching TV at night. We replaced some windows and doors this summer, and will put plastic over everything to help (we have very leaky windows!). We also have oil heated hot water, so we wash clothes in cold water and try to keep shower time to a minimum.

I figure we'll fill the oil tank in early Dec, mid-Jan, mid-Feb, early April, and then top it up in May, unless there's enough to get us through until July or August. Heating oil is crazy, especially up here in New England... but what're ya gonna do, right? Can't freeze to death!

 

[mrodgers]

This past sring summer, i had the house renovated..... I'm so hoping that the oil cost will go down now that they have reinsulated most of the down stairs...will shall see.

In 2008 we were using about 200 gallons per month. We were on a scheduled delivery and they came and filled with about 200 gallons to fill the 275 gallon tank.

We reinsulated the house that summer. There was only 1 inch of insulation in the walls and a lot of cavities had none. After that, we started using about 100 gallons every 6 weeks. Fortunately the price at that time also went from $4.19/gallon to $2.39 or so. That was nice for a while as the price was the huge relief in cost for us.

But still, knocking down from 200 gallons every 4 weeks to 100 gallons every 6-8 weeks was a giant cost reduction.

As for the intent of this thread, no, haven't filled up yet. You got me to go look though, about 2/3rds tank left from last year. I'll guess that they will come deliver around Thanksgiving or beginning of December.

 

[aprilgail2]

we are on an automatic delivery... $600.00 is average for each month! I try and keep the costs down but the high price of oil is just crazy.

.

Holy crap- I am on Long Island and have automatic delivery and I pay 250 a month, actually I was paying 250 a month until this month and just got new contract and its now 159.00 a month! I pay for 12 months but I would rather do it that way than pay each delivery. I have 2 bedrooms upstairs and we never even go up there so I shut off the heat up there and keep the door closed to the main floor. The basement rec room has electric heat but we haven't had that on in years- its usually warm enough down there to hang out and play air hockey/ ping pong/ carts or whatever...

 

[BearcatsFan]

I haven't even priced oil yet - been scared to. Our last fill-up was almost $800, and that was the most its ever been in the 12 years we've owned our home. Local oil companies aren't very competitive - you can call them all, and they're all within a few cents per gallon of each other.

Thinking of doing auto-fill this year, but haven't yet decided whether it will be worth it.

 

[firecracker725]

We have natural gas, but being on the cusp of my first midwestern winter, I'm a little afraid. We're lifelong southerners and used to only needing the heat minimally.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We should be in good shape since we had to replace our furnace last winter to the tune of over $8000!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We do a pre-pay program, so I've paid for all the oil throughout the winter. I don't remember how much it was, but I'm sure it was a lot.

Dh gets a bonus in the spring, we earmark a portion of it for big one-time purchases like oil (and home/car insurance). It would kill me to have to shell out every fill-up.

People with natural gas heat are making out like bandits these days. And I sure do mss having a woodstove.

 

[BearcatsFan]

I'm so glad we have a woodstove. With the bad windstorm we had this Summer we were able to get a ton of wood from all the downed trees. We still need to split it all - we're going to do that once we get back from WDW when it's a little cooler.

I'd hate to think of what our oil bills would be like without the woodstove burning all winter long.

 

[Feralpeg]

Since I live in Florida, we have electric heat pumps. During the winter months, I keep the house at 70 degrees. My electric bill for an all electric 4 bedroom home runs about $90 a month. Of course, even in the winter, we use the air conditioner part of the time. During the summer months, I keep the house at 76. My bills range from $120 to $200. July and August are usually around $200.

 

[pat fan]

All wood heat here. We get it in chunks and I split it. It is split, stacked and ready to go, and has been for the last month or so. I love that feeling of having my winter wood supply ready to go.

One fill up usually does it for us,

Sheesh....that's pretty lucky. My parents heat with oil and it's a fill up every month I think. Costs them a fortune, and they are on fuel assistance (which gets smaller every year) and last year they changed the program to where you have to pay up front then submit your receipts to get reimbursed.

 

[Tink-aholic]

We also have propane and I try to keep the house at 63 degrees, but I find that costs me roughly $400 a month (if it is a bad winter...last winter was like a vacation! ). Since then, I bought a couple of really efficient electric space heaters like the one below to just heat the rooms we are in. It allows me to set the heat at 59 and reduce the heating costs (even with the additional electric) by about $100 per month.

http://cache.vendaria.com/integration/images/ct/35/VpopHTML.html?bg=D6D7A5&nm=BZOpener&err=0&title=Demo&pf=t&fr=t&iid=jmIkUFkQcffdQVeUajbacdkfffaijkQgQji&ap=sys_homedepot_uid_100669065&uid=100669065&cf=3000&purl=sys_homedepot_uid_100669065

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

You fill up a furnace with heating oil, and it's getting more and more expensive each year.

Well to be techincal you don't fill the furnace you fill the oil tank. I haven't filled mine since April. We fill ours every 6 weeks in the winter.

 

[Jillpie]

Well to be techincal you don't fill the furnace you fill the oil tank. I haven't filled mine since April. We fill ours every 6 weeks in the winter.

You're absolutely right, my bad. Hey, great responses everyone. Sounds like everyone is getting ready right along with me, I heard its gonna be a rough Winter snow wise here.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

You're absolutely right, my bad. Hey, great responses everyone. Sounds like everyone is getting ready right along with me, I heard its gonna be a rough Winter snow wise here.

I heard the same about this winter. Oil costs kill us in the winter.

 

[Buckalew11]

We have an electric heat pump but have a propane tank for gas log FPs and outdoor grill. Just filled up (but it wasn't empty) and it was 315.00.

Hopefully that'll do us for the winter. I'm HOPING for a mild winter. When it isn't mild, I spend a lot of time on the Internet looking for my retirement area in FL!!

 

[ThisIsJason]

I have natural gas (along with electric baseboards in the bedrooms, never used them though). My parents have oil heat though.

2 tanks (for some reason) 200 gallons each. Friday, I was stopping at my parents and the oil guy was just leaving, asked my dad what the cost was. $900 cash, would have been $1,100 if it was credit. One tank was empty and the other had about 1/4 left from last year. Then he told me on Tuesday he was going to prepay another $1,000 for the second fill (which will come in mid January).

 

[pat fan]

That sounds more normal. Scary....but normal.

 

[mackeysmom]

we are on an automatic delivery... $600.00 is average for each month! I try and keep the costs down but the high price of oil is just crazy.

I actually got my first bill already in june. They had not delivered since march and it was over $600. My oil is also used for heating my hot water so its always in use even when the heat is off.

Holy crap- I am on Long Island and have automatic delivery and I pay 250 a month, actually I was paying 250 a month until this month and just got new contract and its now 159.00 a month! I pay for 12 months but I would rather do it that way than pay each delivery. I have 2 bedrooms upstairs and we never even go up there so I shut off the heat up there and keep the door closed to the main floor. The basement rec room has electric heat but we haven't had that on in years- its usually warm enough down there to hang out and play air hockey/ ping pong/ carts or whatever...

Another Long Islander here - I just got my new contract and budget booklet yesterday. I'm budgeted at $257 per month.

I got the tank topped off last week - hadn't had it filled since April, I think. In the winter, they usually top it off every 6 weeks. Like the PP, I prefer to have a budgeted payment each month rather than paying with each delivery.

- Laura

 

[Diet Dr Chill]

I have to order propane on Tuesday or Wednesday. Not looking forward to that call.

 

[Funfire240]

In NW Ohio here, I just called Friday to prepay for the season for our propane (discount if you pre-pay your average). We should have a fill up soon.
Although DH refuse to turn the furnace on until at least Nov (we have a wood burner fireplace which heats our house - a ranch style - really nice)