Budgeting for heat

[keljonma]

Well, here are my thoughts. We have oil heat and oil hot water.

Definitely get off budget plan. They are using the previous renter's habits to establish your billing. Which is great if they were frugal; but horrendous if they were spendthrifts.

Tell the oil company you will pay cash for all deliveries you need. Then put the money aside so you can get oil. Most of the companies around here are willing to deliver to anyone who has actual cash on hand. HOWEVER you still have to take 150 gallons of fuel oil at once. Because you aren't a "regular" customer, you have to pay the going rate at the day of delivery, which means sometimes you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

I called the local oil suppliers here and found out their delivery days for our area. One delivers Mon and Fri, a second on Tues and Thurs and the third on Wed and Sat. So we have good coverage. Unless you're willing to move to NE Ohio, though that sure don't help you any. So get into the yellow pages and start calling.

If they refuse to deliver to a cash customer.... (I have never run across this) you do have another option - though not fun. Get yourself some 5 gallon diesel containers and find yourself a local gas station (BP, Shell, Flying J) that carries diesel. Fill up, add to your oil tank, and repeat as needed. We've been told by our local oil company that in an emergency, #2 kerosene works too.

 

[prairiegirl]

Just throwing this out there..............something else to consider when heating with wood is that not all wood burns the same. The type of wood and how hot it burns can make a difference when trying to calculate for wood.

 

[SandraMort]

Definitely get off budget plan.

This was my only option. They declined us as customers so the landlady offered to do this in her name.

 

[keljonma]

Definitely get off budget plan.

This was my only option. They declined us as customers so the landlady offered to do this in her name.

Well, unless you specified that you can pay cash, the customer service people are only going to think of ways to get you to use credit (preferrably the plans they offer). I know this from a previous job.

If it were me, I'd be calling and offering US cash money.

 

[SandraMort]

Yes, I specified. They said they were considering that as an option in the future but that it wasn't an option now.

If it were me, I'd be calling and offering US cash money.

 

[PamsPride]

Last year my mom figured out how much oil she used the few years before and then prepaid for that much oil ahead of time when oil was at its cheapest. I think she paid $2.34 a gallon and when it came time to use it was over $3.00 a gallon...I think. I don't think they did it this year though. Of course that is always a gamble becaue you never know if oil prices are going to go down and I do not know if they will give you a refund for the extra.

 

[Beekissed]

I may have missed this in your posts, but can you get by with just the wood heat alone? If so, I would encourage you to do so....$300 a month can buy a powerful lot of wood! If you feel you may have to move before you use up all the wood, you may be able to sell that wood to the next owner, sell it to anyone who may need it, or(my choice) take it with you when you go.

IME, electricity is cheaper than fuel oil now, so maybe some efficient electric heaters would be more cost efficient~like the ones that give off radiant heat(not sure of the brand) that cost around $400. They are supposed to be excellent and you could almost pay for one from one month's fuel bill.

 

[VT-Chicklit]

I heat with wood and fuel oil and have found that by shopping around in my area of Vermont, there is a wide span in the cost of fuel oil from the most expensive to the cheapest. I try to use my wood stove as my primary heat source and the furnace as my back up but the furnace still runs to heat my hot water for the house. I have two 275 gallon tanks that supply my furnace. I use about 300+/- for hot water and a little heat a year. That is why I shop around and use wood as much as I can.

The reason why oil companies want you to be on a payment plan or automatic delivery is so that you wont shop around and they can deliver oil even when you are not close to being out. I was on auto delivery the first year we lived in my house. They came and topped off my tank when the price of oil was at its highest during the season, even though I really only need to fill up once a year. We had put in dual tanks so that we would not have to fill up during the most costly time of the season. The company had been notified of this but they delivered once a month anyway. Needless to say, we got rid of them and started shopping around after that first year. I have been doing this now for 8 years and have never had a problem getting a fuel delivery when I wanted it. We pay cash and I tell each company that when I call to get the price. Usually the "cash price" is several cents cheaper that the credit price. Last year there was a 35 cent a gallon difference between the most pricey company and the company that I bought my oil from. I have found that some companies are always much higher than the rest and there are 2 that are always neck and neck for the lowest price. Buying hundreds of gallons of fuel at the more costly price adds up quick. My motto, "Always shop around"

 

[SandraMort]

I may have missed this in your posts, but can you get by with just the wood heat alone?

Not entirely but we're keeping the house at an unlivably cold (IMO) temperature and raising it above that with wood.

If you feel you may have to move before you use up all the wood, you may be able to sell that wood to the next owner, sell it to anyone who may need it, or(my choice) take it with you when you go.

That's a good idea.

IME, electricity is cheaper than fuel oil now, so maybe some efficient electric heaters would be more cost efficient~like the ones that give off radiant heat(not sure of the brand) that cost around $400. They are supposed to be excellent and you could almost pay for one from one month's fuel bill.

Ohh, definitely worth looking into, thanks.

 

[shareneh]

I am wondering about the price of that oil at the temps your are keeping your home. I live in ND and it's been extremely cold the past few months. (cold for ND) and I heat with one wood stove in two story house. I don't heat the upstairs either. I have spent a grand total of $500 on propane this year because I keep the furnace down and the woodstove going at all times.

I bet you have a credit on your landlord's account. I don't know your landlord and I'm sure that at the time it was the only thing you thought you could do. Be careful. I think you should consider the future, if she decided to sell the house she keeps the heat money by getting a fat refund next year and you are left out in the cold.

Unless you have an agreement in place I would go to strictly cash for the oil received. Also, have you tried to get heating assistance? Sometimes they pay just 20% but that's 20 that you don't have to. Just wondering.