Need to buy heating oil? You might be out of luck
Posted
Aug 19 2008, 04:43 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
If you heat your home with an oil furnace, you're likely
dreading the approaching cooler weather. With the cost of a gallon close to $2
more than last year, many families will be feeling the pinch this winter.
Some people are filling their tanks now and locking in
prices in anticipation of further spikes this winter. In some parts of the
country, though, getting a summer delivery may be hard to do.
Evelyn Black at the Amateur Economists has encountered
difficulties
getting her home's oil tank filled this summer ahead of the fall rush. According to news reports, many small oil delivery companies are unable to purchase
heating oil to fill their trucks because of credit problems.
After three weeks and several calls to her oil company,
Black has yet to see a delivery truck.
"For the short term, we need oil, and at least one of
us is getting scared," writes Black, who lives in Michigan. "I'm not writing this to
cause a panic. Panic never solves anything."
Black advises her readers to call their oil companies now to
schedule a delivery -- just in case.
This is what I've done in recent years to cut down on my heating
oil bill:
Shop around. In
many areas oil delivery companies are competitive and will try to lowball the
competition or lure customers with incentives. Last fall, while checking rates
I found an offer from one company that was too good to pass up. I received a
free furnace tune-up and 50 gallons of fuel in exchange for signing a one-year
delivery contract.
Keep the thermostat
on low. By low, I mean less than 66 degrees. We crank up the furnace in the
morning to get rid of the chill. We then turn it down to 60 degrees until the
next morning.
Use space heaters. Fortunately,
in the Pacific Northwest electricity is relatively
affordable. We run small 1,500-watt heaters in our living room and basement
family room when they are occupied. Our furnace is 50 years old -- it needs a
helping hand. We're cognizant of the safety risk space heaters pose. We never
leave them running in an unoccupied room, and we keep them away from
combustibles.
Dress warm while
indoors. As much as I'd like to wear shorts and T-shirts everyday of the
year, in our household it's jeans and sweatshirts during the cold months.
Seal doors and
windows and check the insulation. I've made sure all the cracks are caulked
and doors are weather stripped. New energy-efficient windows were installed six
years ago. Short of tearing out the walls and installing new insulation, my
home is about as energy efficient as it's going to get.
Keep the furnace
tuned and the air filter fresh. Some companies provide discounts for
service calls during the summer.
Do you heat your home with oil? Are you considering a switch
to a natural gas or electric furnace? Have any tips on how to cut your bill?
We'd love to hear from you.
