Heating your home this year. “Are you ready for the sticker shock?”

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Guest Article by NRP & Blue, November 2, 2021.

Good Morning Folks

Well, it was a mighty chilly morning here on Lightning Point so I thought I would talk a little about how you’re heating your home and the cost of such. Plus what those costs are doing lately.

Winter and cool (cold) weather is on its way.

So a question, how do you heat your home/house?
I could talk about how TX. lost power last year and the state literally froze.
Or I could yack about how the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a colder than normal winter.
How about the Polar Vortexes that are expected again this year?
Or even better yet; how about talking about the Shortages that are expected in the Fuel Oil and Propane.
Rolling Brown/Black-Outs of the electrical grids that we see every winter.
How about those HUGE storms that come through and knock down trees and cut power to customers, just like a couple of weeks ago in the NE. 1/2 million people without power for how long?

Nope. I’m not going to bring any of those things up.
What I do want to talk about is how you are heating your Home.

We all know what that is, right, yeppers a Grid Tied electrical Meter.
So, do you have an ‘All’ Electrical Home?
Heat also?
A very good friend of mine (Lives in Tennessee) has one, his only source of ‘Heat’ in the winter, and cooking/cooling/hot-water/EVERYTHING is run by one of those lovely Electrical Meters.
He is subject to whatever TBTB want to charge him for that ‘Power’.
BTW, he is paying 22 cents per KWH, that double what I pay here in the Four Corners.
Last year his worse bill in the dead of winter for ONE MONTH, $700… That’s NUTS!!!!
Think about that, $700 for ONE month of power for his home.
I have to admit I pizzed him off a little when I told him my bill for the same month was $67. He got over it, mostly.

Ok, most everyone that lives in the Country or Rural areas knows what that is.
Yep, that’s a good old 500 gallon Propane Tank. You can put up to 400 gallons in that puppy, (must stay no more that 80% full).
I got one, and everyone that’s not tied to the Natural Gas pipeline has one.
So, here is the deal with these little things,
April 21, 2020 I filled mine, took 245 gallons to fill to 80#,
The cost you ask???? $1.34 per gallon. Or right at $355 to top off my tank, Not so bad I guess.
This year (March 8, 2021) I decided to top it off again, just because.
This time, 208 gallons to 80%, wait for it……..
$2.14 for the same stinking gas……. $461 to top this tank off……
That’s an increase of 80 cents a gallon; to say I was a bit unhappy is an understatement for sure.
But yeah, I paid the bill, gota have Propane you know.
So, here we are the first of November, want to take a wild stab at what the cost has gone up to?

Go On, I’ll wait……

$2.68 PER GALLON….. That’s another increase of 54 cents a gallon, so, if I was to buy that same Propane I got 19 months ago would cost me exactly TWICE the amount…… TWICE !!!!!
Think about that for a bit as I go take my High Blood Pleasure Pill.
From $355 to $710 for the same Propane, ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous !!!!!
Please remember there is no inflation….. Right?
BTW, you might want to check on that Nat Gas price coming your way.

I LOVE a nice Fireplace, these things are GREAT.
Unfortunately, if you have one like this, you’r pushing more heat out the chimney than what that fire is producing, I remember having one like this 50 years ago in my parents’ home, we put tons of wood in this thing to heat the home, and it always seemed cold, AND the furnace was always running to boot.

There is your fix for that Open Fireplace, stick an Insert into that thing and get some heat from that puppy.
A lot of Inserts also have fans whereas they can blow the warm air into the room and literally toast you out of there, they are GREAT.
If you have an Old Fireplace, look into one of these things as a conversion, you’ll not be disappointed that’s for sure.

Wood Stoves, are what I’m getting at and use at this time.

Ok, now before anyone says “Yes but your cutting all the trees down and polluting the air”, don’t, just don’t. The amounts of pollutants that are given off by these are less than that tank of Propane you will burn, AND a lot less that that Car/Truck you drive.

The wood I burn was probably going to the Dump, the Pallets I burn was NOT going to be recycled and would be now rotting in the landfill.
I get 100% of my wood free, Yes that’s right totally free, all you need to do is ask around, find a source and put your work into that wood. YES it takes a lot of work, but ya know what, most of us need the exercise anyways… Right?
Honestly, I have not cut a single live tree down for Firewood, not a single one.
The trees I do get are from already down trees that were dead.
The Pallets and scrap wood (think construction sites here) was on the way to the dump.

So, why take the time and effort you may ask?
Because I got a LOT better things to do with that $7-800 bucks I would pay for Propane, and YES I actually enjoy the working with wood, cutting it to length and splitting/stacking it.
Kind of makes one feel good when you have several cords of wood stacked and knowing that if/when the power goes out (and it WILL), you will have heat in your home or when that same Propane goes up another buck OR MORE.
Think it won’t? How’s that price of Gasoline you’re buying now? Over 7 bucks a gallon in places in California I hear.

Ok, you want to really have some fun?
Install one of these dudes in your home.
Tis on my 5 year plan for sure.

Are you sure you will have heat this winter?
What will you be paying for that Heat?
Are there going to be shortages in Propane/Nat-Gas?
How about the Grid, is it going to handle the demand?
Are Storms going to knock out your power; no power no furnace?

Just a little food for thought.
Might be a good time to think about that ‘Lifestyle’ you’r living huh?

Life is good here on ‘Lightening Point’, time for a walk with Ole Blue.

2 Replies to “Heating your home this year. “Are you ready for the sticker shock?””

  1. FLAPrepper1

    Burn Live trees? I’ve never done that. I too use only dead trees. I was taught long ago to use “seasoned” wood. Fresh cut “live” trees have too much water and don’t burn nearly as well.

    1. NRP & Blue

      FLAPrepper1:
      You are absolutely correct.
      I believe I may have not said that right.
      I do not make a habit of cutting “Live” trees, aka still standing Green Trees for Firewood.
      I do know some folks that do head to the forest for their wood, cutting down healthy live trees (usually the “Best” they can find), than haul it home, cut to length, split and stack it for “Seasoning” for a couple of years.
      Personally I see no need for this. I’m in the belief there is an ample supply of Firewood to be had without cutting the most valuable Trees nor is it being ‘Frugal’ and resourceful enough to just look and use what is available.
      As a side note, I also don’t believe in Cutting a “Live Christmas Tree” for the Season, nor do I buy a “Live” tree for the occasion. I have an old Plastic tree that I have had for 20-30 (or more) years that works just fine, heck after ya put on all the Garnishments you cant see the tree anyways HAHAHA
      And it’s a heck of a lot less of a fire hazard.