[AA702]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Heat's been on since mid-October. Been mild so far...only used 1/4 tank oil of 275 gallon tank. We keep ours at 68 when we're home...60 when we're not. In the 50's today in upstate NY.

Is fuel oil cheap as gas?? or or less?

[aqualung8705]

Nope. It's not that cold, and I bundle up, and the fur kids snuggle up to me. Besides, unless I'm able to sell a few things (DM me, if interested), the power will be turned off on Friday. The cable has already been off for over a week.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by AA702

Is fuel oil cheap as gas?? or or less?

Fuel oil has decreased in price over the last few months (but not at the rate that gasoline has). Before the decrease, gas was slightly cheaper, but fuel oil is now winning out. Unfortunately, most of us locked in the season's oil prices in July/August, when fuel was climbing faster than the Megabuck's progressive meters! I pre-bought a season's worth (700 gallons) at $4.64 per. Now that price is down to slightly under $3.00 per gallon. I'm on th hook for the higher prices...but at least I'm guaranteed delivery. Those who do not lock in take their chances...no different than gambling in LV or playing the stock market. Praying for a mild winter.

[Buzz123]

Pardon my stupidity but isn't it dangerous to use oil to heat with? Aren't you afraid of fires or explosions? How does that work? I've never used anything in my life but gas or electricity, and mostly we just turn a knob on a thermostat and it's automatic. As a kid we had gas stoves that you had to light with a match. I lost my eyebrows a few times. Many neighbors used coal and that is a lot of dirty work. You have to keep shoveling it into the furnace and if you get within ten feet of coal you get dirty. Living in the northeast seems pretty strange to me now.

[5kingsinvegas]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Pardon my stupidity but isn't it dangerous to use oil to heat with? Aren't you afraid of fires or explosions? How does that work? I've never used anything in my life but gas or electricity, and mostly we just turn a knob on a thermostat and it's automatic. As a kid we had gas stoves that you had to light with a match. I lost my eyebrows a few times. Many neighbors used coal and that is a lot of dirty work. You have to keep shoveling it into the furnace and if you get within ten feet of coal you get dirty. Living in the northeast seems pretty strange to me now.

No Buzz Sorry, but I had to laugh at that one. The fuel oil is in a tank buried on your property and a big truck comes and fills it up, usually once a year. You still use a thermostat in your house and really you don't notice any difference between gas or propane or fuel oil other than how it is delivered.

In Michigan they had a program, similar to the water one here, where if you agreed to hook into the natural gas line once available the county would pay to remove your old fuel oil tank. There is a concern that old ones may start leaking and contaminate your well.

[jfkIII]

Buzz, I read recently that 75% of homes in the northeast heat with oil. Heating oil is an old (not as old as coal!) and proven technology. As stored in tanks...the fuel oil is not very flammable. The furnaces have nozzle feeds which vaporize the fuel into tiny particles which is then ignited and burned to create the heat which heats up the water which travels through a closed, interconnected water pipe system (usually .75 inch copper), which runs along the base of each room through baseboard registers, and is pushed through the system by circulators. Temperature is maintained via thermostat controls which turn the circulators on and off when temprature is within, or out of, range desired. Maintenance consists of having furnace professionally cleaned of soot, once a year. My particular furnace is German technology (Buderus) and my burner is Italian (Rialto). I get approximately 89% burning efficiency...which is about the best, given this technology, as the Europeans having been doing it longer than us (more widely used there) and heating oil is much more scarce and expensive there.

My oil is stored in a 275-gallon tank in the basement. I had a 550-gallon tank buried outside, but I had it removed because it was 30 years old...and feared of it someday leaking and contaminating the water wells in my surrounding area. NYS offered a $200 tax credit for removal (now expired) which I used to help pay for the removal.