Its official, winter is gonna be expensive

[johncinco]

Blurb from the Wall Street Journal.

And you thought driving was expensive. Utilities analysts estimate it will cost families 30-50% more to heat their homes with natural gas this winter, while families who use heating oil could face increases of 50-100%. One official says it could cost families $1,600-1,700 a month to cover heating oil, electricity and gasoline costs this winter. Natural gas storage levels remain 2% below their five-year average, despite increase drilling, partially due to a fall in imports and Eurasia buyers outbid their U.S. counterparts.

That is altering the math for consumers and energy companies alike. Some worry the higher heating costs could be the tipping point for family budgets that are struggling to absorb higher food and gasoline prices. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, which represents state officials

 

[ropensaddle]

I have not used natural gas in years wood, wood,wood and more wood:hmm3grin2orange: I would love to just turn something on
instead of all that work but the savings keeps me burning.

 

[danrclem]

I have not used natural gas in years wood, wood,wood and more wood:hmm3grin2orange: I would love to just turn something on
instead of all that work but the savings keeps me burning.

Admit it rope, your a woodaholic. You'd rather cut a log than turn on a stove. There are no Woodaholic Anonymous meetings where I live so I have to suffer with the disease.

Now everybody in unison; Hi, I'm (insert name) and I'm a woodaholic. Trouble is I don't want to get better.

Danny

 

[bowtechmadman]

I'm not afraid! My name is Rod and I'm a woodaholic. Now if I can convince my wife to let me put a wood burning stove in the kitchen (range/oven) that will be one less appliance sucking electricity.
I better look harder at windmills b/c she would never go for a wood range.
I hope it's cold...I have alot of wood ready for the OWB!!!

 

[MATTYB11]

Blurb from the Wall Street Journal.

And you thought driving was expensive. Utilities analysts estimate it will cost families 30-50% more to heat their homes with natural gas this winter, while families who use heating oil could face increases of 50-100%. One official says it could cost families $1,600-1,700 a month to cover heating oil, electricity and gasoline costs this winter. Natural gas storage levels remain 2% below their five-year average, despite increase drilling, partially due to a fall in imports and Eurasia buyers outbid their U.S. counterparts.

That is altering the math for consumers and energy companies alike. Some worry the higher heating costs could be the tipping point for family budgets that are struggling to absorb higher food and gasoline prices. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, which represents state officials

I think we're going to see a lot more foreclosures come late winter and early spring. Budgets are already streched pretty thin for most people. Adding a $ thousand a month heating bill may be the pervebial straw that breaks the camel's back.

 

[gtstang462002]

Winter is the only time that I can truley afford my mortgage. Damn AC in the summer....

 

[Jkebxjunke]

Winter is the only time that I can truley afford my mortgage. Damn AC in the summer....

LOL
I can identify... my last electric bill for last month was over $2400 I have 4 chickenhouses too ... so I run the ac in my house... I figure I use that much in the chickenhouses I might as well be comfortable in the house.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

I have not used natural gas in years wood, wood,wood and more wood:hmm3grin2orange: I would love to just turn something on
instead of all that work but the savings keeps me burning.

:hmm3grin2orange: Well you could get a couple of cases of baked beans and have all the 'natural gas' you could want...

sorry had to do it... I think the heat has gotten to me

 

[mga]

I think we're going to see a lot more foreclosures come late winter and early spring. Budgets are already streched pretty thin for most people. Adding a $ thousand a month heating bill may be the pervebial straw that breaks the camel's back.

the problem will start when people have to pay their utility bills with credit cards because they don't have the cash.

 

[reaperman]

the problem will start when people have to pay their utility bills with credit cards because they don't have the cash.

Spooky thought.

Bought my first home 21 yrs ago, and have burned wood ever since. Never had a heating bill yet. I now live on 40+ wooded acres of oak and the money I saved buring wood over those years past, have paid for my property (got a deal on the land). And I should never run out of wood in my lifetime. Unless I get lazy. Its too bad we cant be even more self-sufficiant in other areas.
In my area of the state there is a 5 deer bag limit. That helps cut down on the grocery bill. If it were geographically possible I'd have a windmill also.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

the problem will start when people have to pay their utility bills with credit cards because they don't have the cash.

Funny you should say that, McDonalds has been accepting credit cards for some time. I asked the cashier the other day if many people actually do pay often with them. Her responce: "Oh yes, all the time people just dont have spare money and it is easier to pay it that way than with real money."

I don;'t have to go to McDonalds but was running late and stopped there with the boys to pick up a bite to eat. I wish now I had just ate the wrapper instead. Would have been more satisfying.

You are right though they use their cards till they cant anymore and then settle their debt with another house morgage and start the process all over again. Only this time they have lost most or all the equity in their home.

Werent we warned about this in Economics class as seniors in HS ?
I guess you can't teach common sense.

 

[gtstang462002]

Spooky thought.

If it were geographically possible I'd have a windmill also.

I am looking into solar panels and making the electric company buy from me.

 

[mga]

Funny you should say that, McDonalds has been accepting credit cards for some time. I asked the cashier the other day if many people actually do pay often with them. Her responce: "Oh yes, all the time people just dont have spare money and it is easier to pay it that way than with real money."

I don;'t have to go to McDonalds but was running late and stopped there with the boys to pick up a bite to eat. I wish now I had just ate the wrapper instead. Would have been more satisfying.

You are right though they use their cards till they cant anymore and then settle their debt with another house morgage and start the process all over again. Only this time they have lost most or all the equity in their home.

Werent we warned about this in Economics class as seniors in HS ?
I guess you can't teach common sense.

lol..yea,,, charging at micky d's. even if it was a good marketing ploy, it reflects a problem we have these days.

over extended credit cards is going to be the next "housing crisis". too many people charging their daily expenses just to "make it" can't last forever. it has to catch up with everyone sooner or later. and, like the housing crisis, we'll all end up paying.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I am looking into solar panels and making the electric company buy from me.

Kansas utility companies are not required to buy your surplus so here it would only be a savings not a windfall. The only benefit here would be that I already paid for it once it isn't going to keep costing me money except to maintain it occasionally.

At one time I had a bookmark for a company that was selling solar panels on credit. The payment was fixed for the system. They did a cost study on your homes useage and would install a sytem that would take care of your monthly usages. The monthly cost was equal to your current electric bill. There were no storage batteries involved. You stayed connected to your local grid. During the day you fed your surplus into the grid and then drew those surpluses back from them during the evening or nighttime hours. It was designed to put about 5-10% more in then you use to offset the cost of the meter charge.

Nice idea, I wish I still had the bookmark to share.

 

[Dennis_Peacock]

Winter is the only time that I can truley afford my mortgage. Damn AC in the summer....

Yes'sir-ree.......Way expensive during the cooling season and burn wood in the winter. Makes it a lot more affordable. :greenchainsaw:

 

[TonyG]

Ks,

if you decide to purchase a Solar Panel system, you currently have until Dec.31 to get the Federal Tax of 30% off of the total project cost. They tried to extent it...but shot it down.

Here in Pa, they just approved a 35% tax credit for Solar that I believe we can join to the Fed 30%. This is a whopper of a savings at 65%!
There currently working on the wording as we speak, and expect to have it up and available in a month or so.

 

[mantis]

Just wait until they start to charge you for burning wood

 

[mga]

Just wait until they start to charge you for burning wood

ya know.....i was thinking about that. i could come up with several ways they could "tax" you, but i won't post them.

 

[Joshlaugh]

I am also looking to solar panels. We all know that electric rates are not going to be going down anytime soon and a family near me already fought the city and won the right to keep their ALREADY installed solar panels. If anyone knows any websites etc about credits and rebates please let me know, I would appreciate it.

In Ohio, our electric company will "buy back" our electricity so there are people out there that actually get money from the electric company every month or so.

Josh

 

[KsWoodsMan]

ya know.....i was thinking about that. i could come up with several ways they could "tax" you, but i won't post them.

What ?!? and not make it any easier for them ? or so they can add to what you already came up with ? LOL

[BOLD]TONYG[/BOLD] I had forgot about the Alternative Energy tax incentives for Kansans. It won't be this year for me but thanks for the reminder.

To tax me for it , someone has to account for it. That won't be me.

Solar would be a good option for me. Like a lot of things , a day late or a dollar short. Looks like I'll end up paying their price for another year.