With the lower oil prices we'll fill the tank up (its been 5 or 6 years since the last delivery) but we'll be burning firewood and some pellets when it gets cold enough, like any normal winter. We only set the furnace at about 60 if we leave. Another cold azz winter coming this year.
I'm mostly with the burn for pleasure crowd so probably won't change much. If I'm home the fire will burning! Did lock in oil @ $2.56/g with contract. Use about 600g/yr give or take. Last year was more of a give year.
If the price of oil stays low, I'll definitely use the furnace more, but when it's cold there will be fires going every day too. Free wood is not so easy to come by for some of us and I like to have as much of it stockpiled as I can.
Actually, I cut my wood consumption to dang near nothing in comparison to the past, three years ago when I put in a coal stove. I had to men. To many uncles, aunts, grandparents, and a mother that I had to help cut for. I simply couldn't keep up maul splitting my portion of the contribution and, meet my own needs to. So, I went the coal route and LOVE it. Lot less work too. I love burning wood but, my almost 2400 square foot house kept me humping during burning weather. I just couldn't stand to get an electric bill over $60 during the cold months. So, we didn't/don't use any heat in the winter but, what the stove/stoves produced. Our house was/is always very warm but, dang it man, I was always tired and behind. Not anymore. A wheel barrow load of wood lasts me 5 or 6 days now. I put 5 gallons of coal in the stove about 6:30 AM and, another 5 gallons at around 9 PM. Best dang thing since sliced bread as far as I am concerned. Back to topic, my brother just mentioned yesterday that he was going to have a hard time burning the same way since propane was so cheap this year. I still don;t understand that logic as there is no comparison between the two heat sources for quality of heat. He's got all the toys associated with the demand to burn a Central broiler for 5 months out of the year. Splitter, saws, trailers, truck, etc..... I think the fact that he has become a father of two boys, one 4.5 and one about to turn 2, has hampered his wood cutting time over the last 4 years. Especially now that fuel is cheaper. I don't know how it is going to work out for me now I am going to have a splitter and, with coal being $100/ton, I might take the coal stove out and put the Buck back in. I got a splitter expense to deplete! So, it might go up next year for me. Time will tell. God Bless
We will burn as little oil as possible as usual. Although I think I am going to start burning 2-4 weeks later this season. Lots to do over that time frame. And sense winter seems to be starting later and staying later for 2-4 weeks........
I voted the same even though its only my 2nd full winter. I have NG so pretty inexpensive but like others have mentioned, keeping the house at 72-74ish is alot more comfortable than 65ish. Plus I enjoy every step of the process. I will probably keep doing this as long as I'm alive! (Hopefully a solid 40 more years)
Bah Humbug. We are overdue for a real winter here in Washington. As for burning wood, that's all we have for heat, and the wood is relatively free, so bring on the cold!
I burn wood partially to save money and partially because I like it. So when the cost of alternative heating (in my case, electric) goes down, I burn a little less. This is especially true in late winter when I am getting burned out on burning wood 24/7. I predict this winter I'll start off gung ho as I do most winters, but by February I'll be letting the stove burn out overnight, unless it is really cold.
I think everyone gets burned out by the end of the season. Someday I want to upgrade my central AC unit to a heat pump just for the shoulder seasons
Thinking more about this, I may burn some nat. gas in the dv wall unit in the shoulders so I don't burn as much wood. I'll see how that impacts the gas bill, but it shouldn't be bad at all. It'll also be used when it gets real cold, as I mentioned already. The Oak supply is probably good for next year, but beyond that, I'm floundering.
Oh man, be careful what you wish for. We're able to deal with the "real winter" fine, but a "normal winter" would be gooder.
Normal winters in Western Washington stink, unless you enjoy sloshing around in the rain for months and months. I want a "real" winter, for a change. You know, the kind that has decent snow and sub-freezing temps. Burning in the wood stoves is always more fun in times like that.
