Running the furnace now that the price has come down.

[karl]

I was wondering how many people on here are going to lay off the hard core burning now that it seems the price of utilites are going to come down.

Last year the price of natural gas here was $15.00 an mcf. The year before it wasn't much better. Now the wholesale price is under $4.00. Our public service commission sucks, but I'm guessing they will make them cut the price by atleast half. The wholsale price was $12.50 when they gave them the $15.00 rate. Going by that it could be as cheap as $6.50 this winter.

I'm thinking of actually turning the furnace on this winter. I will still burn 24/7 just not as hard core about it. Based on what I used when I heated with gas. I would have had $300.00 gas bills last year. $150.00 this year, and with some burning $75.00 could be my goal.

 

[Steamer]

I burn the same amount of wood regardless of the fluctuation in prices. As far as I am concerned the point is to use as little gas,oil, propane or whatever other fossil fuel as I possibly can.
Let them keep it in their tanks and prices will drop ever further. Notice how a barrel of oil is declining again as the recent run up was obviously contrived by the "evil" traders.
Just my 2 cents. Thanks

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm a wood burner now . . . I still have the oil boiler for back-up heat and for when I'm not around in middle of the winter (in case I want to go on vacation) . . . but that said 1) I enjoy working with wood, 2) I enjoy the sounds, smells and visual appeal of a fire burning in the stove, 3) I can get firewood for next to nothing (other than the cost of gas and oil to cut, split and bring it home) vs. paying $2 and change for a gallon so it still makes economic sense for me to burn wood, 4) My "pay off" in buying the stove and chimney only works if I'm burning wood so I will continue to do so and 5) Like Steamer, I like the idea that I'm using a renewable energy resource and not dependent on others' choices in far-flung areas (i.e. traders on Wall Street, radicals in OPEC nations, etc.).

 

[Jfk4th]

Well since I am getting a Lopi Berkshire Gas Freestanding Stove in my Florida room next week I'll be heating that room with gas, nice and clean. However for the other part of my house my Quadra-Fire will give me my wood stove/firewood fix which I need badly. I do have a gas furnace also but hopefully that won't be on that much. With 2 little guys, having one wood stove is enough to keep me busy I do like the fact gas is going down, always helps the wallet.....

 

[Todd]

Wood heat just feels better physically and spiritually. The price of nat gas won't effect my 24/7 burning habits til it's free.

 

[BrotherBart]

No matter how low the price of NG goes I won't be burning it. Might have something to do with the fact the closest natural gas connection is eight miles from my house. >:-(

But if I had it and it got cheap I would save some wood.

 

[Tfin]

I'll continue using wood as my primary heat source.......the oil furnace will remain only as a backup. As others have stated (at least during this point of my existance) I still enjoy working the wood and burning it. Nothing compares to the wood heat as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sure there will come a point when I'll ratchet back due to physical distress but until then my wood stove will blaze forth.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Same here. Wood is our only heat no matter what the price of gas or oil is. I have no desire to change.

 

[gpcollen1]

If I had oil heat, I would never have put in the second wood stove. As it is, I have electric heat and live in one of the highest electric cost areas in the country. So I guess I'll be burning 2 stoves again...

 

[fahmahbob]

Oil could be free and I'd still only use it as a last resort. I enjoy every aspect of using wood as a fuel - from cutting it down to relaxing in front of the fire in the middle of winter. Something intensely satisfying about the whole process.

 

[wendell]

I would burn no matter what the cost of NG. For me, the aesthetics of a fire in the stove are primary. Lower heating bills are icing on the cake.

 

[Jfk4th]

I would burn no matter what the cost of NG. For me, the aesthetics of a fire in the stove are primary. Lower heating bills are icing on the cake.

Hey Wendell, I am a "Master of Fire" and I look forward to being a Pyro Extraordinaire like Backwoods Savage someday, I know the feeling man

 

[wendell]

That is so cool. Backwoods Savage is my hero!

 

[wendell]

I would burn no matter what the cost of NG. For me, the aesthetics of a fire in the stove are primary. Lower heating bills are icing on the cake.

duh=can u spell NG fireplace?

I think so. Can you spell ridiculously fake looking and an abomination to all things holy?

 

[wendell]

And, I REALLY like the icing.

 

[begreen]

No NG in our hood, but will use the electric heatpump when it's cost effective and convenient. This is not religion, just common sense.

However, I use both PCs and Macs. Guess that makes me a damn agnostic.

 

[rdust]

I've been busting my hump this year to get ahead and last week we got our pre buy price for propane and it's 1.45 a gallon! I was a little bummed but it's just a matter of time before the price goes back up.

 

[stejus]

I forget what the BTU comparisons are for wood vs oil, but I think it's something like 1 cord = 100 gallons of oil. I pay $130 per cord hard wood vs $225 for 100 gallons of oil (today's market). If these are equal in terms of BTU, wood is still the lesser cost option. I guess Oil would have to come down to $1.30 a gallon before I would seriously consider using Oil for my primary heat. I really don't see this happening any time soon.

Analyst keep suggesting crude oil will stay around $60 to $80 per barrel. They also suggest once the global economy recovers, the price will rise because of simple supply and demand principles.

Like others, I made an investment last year that I expect to pay off in three years of use. Why slow down that payoff period? Why sit around the house with blanket and lots of clothing? Why cringe when the oil burner kicks on every half hour in the peak winter months? Enough said!

 

[Hiram Maxim]

If natural gas really goes down to half the price or less.......I will be using it more than I have the last 2 years.

However that being said I will defiantly/certainly, be burning wood as it warms the house like no other.

I just like the fact of $40.00 NG bills in February and the same $40.00 is July!! ;-P

 

[Todd]

Just looked at my last NG bill and with all the taxes and other charges kicked in it came to .96 per therm. Last year at this time I paid $1.79, so it has dropped significantly. I went through 21 therms last month and that's just running a water heater. I wish I knew how many therms it would take per month to heat my home at 70 degrees just to compare, but since I've lived here we pretty much burned wood most of the time.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just looked at my last NG bill and with all the taxes and other charges kicked in it came to .96 per therm. Last year at this time I paid $1.79, so it has dropped significantly. I went through 21 therms last month and that's just running a water heater. I wish I knew how many therms it would take per month to heat my home at 70 degrees just to compare, but since I've lived here we pretty much burned wood most of the time.

Just noticed. Where did the Drolet come from?

 

[Todd]

Just looked at my last NG bill and with all the taxes and other charges kicked in it came to .96 per therm. Last year at this time I paid $1.79, so it has dropped significantly. I went through 21 therms last month and that's just running a water heater. I wish I knew how many therms it would take per month to heat my home at 70 degrees just to compare, but since I've lived here we pretty much burned wood most of the time.

Just noticed. Where did the Drolet come from?

Found it on local Craigs list $150. Some guy burned it 6 times and stuck it in his garage for the last fire years. It was pretty rusty, but I took it apart, sanded, painted, and replaced the gaskets, looks like a brand new stove. I should of taken before and after pics. The stove is pretty well built, stainless steel baffle and 5/16" steel top. I think I will hold onto it til Fall and see if anyone needs a stove.

 

[iceman]

oil is down to 1.79 before it was 1.50...but i am hoping to get under 1.60 before i buy more... i plan on burning wood this year but would feel much better knowing if i am not home on time its ok to let the furnace run a little... as far as ng goes i will be running my ng fireplace a lot this year .... the wife will be home with the little one so if they get cold they can go in that room and watch tv.....
if 100 gallons of oil = 1 cord..hmmmm green wood is 165 oil 1.79 seasoned 200+ seems like this year is gonna be interesting

 

[Wet1]

Since I installed the new boilers and converted over to NG, I haven't used any gas other than for testing the systems. Because I already have 20+ cords of wood on hand, plus 2+ tons of pellets, I probably wont bother using the NG unless it becomes crazy cheap... or we go on vacation. FWIW, our rates are higher than most areas, but they have dropped a little through May and leveled off in June. They will have to drop a lot more for me to use NG.

 

[stejus]

oil is down to 1.79 before it was 1.50...but i am hoping to get under 1.60 before i buy more... i plan on burning wood this year but would feel much better knowing if i am not home on time its ok to let the furnace run a little... as far as ng goes i will be running my ng fireplace a lot this year .... the wife will be home with the little one so if they get cold they can go in that room and watch tv.....
if 100 gallons of oil = 1 cord..hmmmm green wood is 165 oil 1.79 seasoned 200+ seems like this year is gonna be interesting

Price points seem to be all over. I live in central MA and here are the oil prices as of today, July 13th.

High 2.44 Low 1.99 Average 2.237

Cost of green hard wood has been $135/cord for for the last 8 cords delivered (Dec 08 - June 09).

Wood is still cheaper and warmer than oil, albeit more work.