Heating/Fuel oil time

[Bob_VT]

2005 $2.29
2006 $2.39
2007 $2.45
2008 $4.52

2011 $3.52
2012 $3.48

2015 $1.85

Latest Update 9/26/18
2018 $2.76 Entering a whole new world here........... totally new oil tank only a 275 gallon (which will be filled more than once during the season. New regulations have outlawed my in-ground tank and EVERYTHING had to be replaced to include a new concrete slab, new tank, new insulation on the laid up stone walls, new plumbing (none of the pipes or parts were cheap ). Spent so much money I feel like I should be waxing the tank weekly to keep it looking good. This is probably the most sealed up my 150+ year old house has been.

Yup.... those are my fuel oil costs per gallon. I just ordered my 1000 gallon tank be topped off and I figure about 700 gallons.

Nuff said.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

OUCH!!!!............ even with simple math.

 

[Major Woods]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

I filled up 3 weeks ago @ 3.94/gal, put a major hurting to the check book.

I ordered a pellet stove and 8 tons of pellets over the weekend to help keep my butt warm this coming winter.
Should be able to recoup my initial cost in a season or 2.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

I know... I'm in MA. It's going to cost me 6000+ bucks this winter in oil. I have woods behind my house and i've already started clearing the fallen trees out as i'm going to try to get by with a wood stove the best i can and only use my oil for hot water.
That is a complete robbery..... it'll be interesting in NE this coming winter when people literally start freezing to death

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Perhaps relocation may be prudent.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

The last time I bought oil was 2004 @ $1.89. Just checked my tank last night. I have 25 gallons left. Of course my primary heat is wood, but now everyone else is on the band wagon and getting it causing the price of it to skyrocket.

I'm thinking of a pellet also. Getting tired of splitting and stacking. Plus the big arse mess it makes.

I've been looking to build or buy a mulch stove for outside also. Seems like a logical answer to heat. Just run the branches thru the chipper and your all set. Plus nobody really wants brush and is usually glad to give the stuff away.

Nothing beats the heat of wood IMO..........SS

 

[aspeck]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Boy am I glad I installed geothermal heat and air conditioning when I built my house. Last year and this coming year it will be completely paid off in the savings!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

As soon as my 3/4 ton truck project gets fixed I am going to collecting firewood. I will probably burn a little this year but I anticipate a whole bunch in the future.

This will give me a year to season it properly too.

 

[PAkev]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Bought an outdoor wood furnace a few weeks ago and also plan to heat our domestic hot water with it. I have 12 acres of mostly wooded property so the wood resource for basic operation is FREE. I anticipate the savings will enable us to afford to put the $$ in the gas tank of our cars to get back and forth to work.

I hope this whole oil thing doesn't go too much farther but who knows....
I would anticipate more and more folks on fixed incomes will be giving up their homes and moving into subsidized housing just becuause they can't afford to heat their homes through the winter season.

Alternative energy sources (solar, wind, hydrogen, etc.) once mainly embraced by "tree huggers" are now getting a second look by many proactive energy consumers. This also appears to be a viable career path for the younger generations to build a new energy infastructure upon.

Arrrrrrr........now I'm spending about an hour before work each day cutting and stacking wood as my AM exercise routine.

 

[JB]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

There is another alternative.

#2 fuel oil is essentially the same as #2 Diesel fuel.

Biodiesel would work fine in a furnace. Once the up-front cost is taken care of, biodiesel from used veggie oil can be produced for $.50 to $.75 a gallon. A professional grade processing plant can be set up for about $4 Grand to make batches of about 100 gallons.

Not counting your labor to collect the used veggie oil and to run the processor you could pay for the processor in one season. After that you would save about $4 grand a year at todays prices.

Tempting, huh?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Yes I know the bio-diesel route. I have been actually considering a waste oil furnace. There is more waste oil available then used veggie oil. There would be no processing..... just burning.

All of the automobile dealerships use waste oild heaters for their shop.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

I just picked up a Russian nuclear warhead on the black market cheap. Should have a crude nuclear reactor up and running in a few days. I'll have all the hot water I need.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

There is another alternative.

#2 fuel oil is essentially the same as #2 Diesel fuel.

Biodiesel would work fine in a furnace. Once the up-front cost is taken care of, biodiesel from used veggie oil can be produced for $.50 to $.75 a gallon. A professional grade processing plant can be set up for about $4 Grand to make batches of about 100 gallons.

Not counting your labor to collect the used veggie oil and to run the processor you could pay for the processor in one season. After that you would save about $4 grand a year at todays prices.

Tempting, huh?

So did you find a setup yet JB? Now you got me thinking this might be the way for me to go. I wouldn't need to process 100 at a time, but half that would do. I've got plenty of access to the stuff. The oil our stores has thickens at 110* now. Under 110*, it is like a paste. Its that new non-trans fat oil. That oil is the worst stuff that I've seen/used. It degrades so much quicker than the thinner lighter oil,,,,,the stuff that is surpose to be bad.

 

[JB]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

I am still looking up potential suppliers of chemical supplies, SS. I am amazed that there aren't sources of bulk methanol and KOH out here in horse country. Have to ID reliable sources at acceptable prices.

I am currently looking at a turnkey processor of 20 gallons per batch for just about $2Grand.

I don't know about the non-transfat oil. The process I am investigating converts triglycerides in veggie oils to non-glycerin esters with methoxide made from methanol and potassium hydroxide. In addition, of course, it needs to be de-acidified (by adjusting the Ph of the methoxide), washed (of methoxide) and dried (of water) before use.

Sounds complex, but once you get through the mysterious names for supplies and components it is simpler and safer than making moonshine. Oh, and it is legal (so far).

 

[mscher]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

If fuel prices continue as they have been, it would not be hard to believe, that getting free or cheap waste oils, of all types, will become a thing of the past.

Anything that burns will be a commodity of value, that other's will also be bidding for.

Same with fire wood.

If you don't have your own sources, the costs of these fuels might not offset the cost of the alternative heating system.

 

[oscar80]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

This is what I am building. http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/ A lot cheaper than 2k..
Dave

 

[SgtMaj]

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[bhammer]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Dang, that is killer.... Can you speculate or they offer price match if it goes down.. Maybe Wal Mart should start selling fuel oils.

I spend about $500+ a month on electric bills during the summer and a couple hundred on CNG. Not to mention the massive amount of water to keep the grass a light brown to slight green...

 

[JB]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

This is what I am building. http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/ A lot cheaper than 2k..
Dave

Sure looks a lot cheaper, Oscar.

Be sure to let us know how it does.

 

[mscher]

Re: Heating/Fuel oil time

Wow... electric heat's not an option? Even with a high electric bill I only pay around $200/mo... that's gotta beat $6000 a year.

Good idea! Surprised it does not come up more often, especially for supplemental heating.

Baseboard heaters with the built-in thermostat, are inexpensive, easy to install and relatively easy to wire in.

Want to heat a room, turn it on. When done turn it down or off. They crank out the heat pretty good.