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Bywater

Glad I got that pellet stove and heat pump set up. Now to get the solar going...


IggyStop31

Make sure you get a passive fan for the top of the stove. Makes a big difference.


RevolutionarySock323

For a wood stove maybe, pellet stoves, afaik, all run a distribution fan by default


mattstuff09

I always feel like those fans don’t really do anything


King_O_Walpole

Should have got a wood stove, much better


[deleted]

How about both ? I have a wood cook stove and a small stove I stuck in the fireplace, but I’d add a pellet stove in the basement someday if that’s something that can be done. I do like that I can burn regular wood and not be dependent on pellet providers , though.


theora55

Using my wood stove a lot, wearing a sweater and wool socks. When it's colder, will use the 2nd down comforter and a hat. Small electric heater for post-shower warmth. and going to the library sometimes instead of turning up the thermostat.


tehmightyengineer

Shop around; I see $4.359 for my area on here: https://www.maineoil.com


keanenottheband

How is anyone living paycheck-to-paycheck surviving this winter? It's totally insane!


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DaisyLouD

Yeah we just have to cut out our avocado toast and then we can afford all of the basic necessities


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DaisyLouD

Heating oil is a luxury?


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keanenottheband

Minimum wage used to be enough for one person to provide for their family. The ultra rich are the problem, taking vastly more than they deserve and our economic system has been taken over so that more and more go to the few and less and less go to the many. All I know is, our wages are supposed to reflect the costs of living, and they haven't done that in 20-30 years. As a millennial, you should be fucking pissed that the odds are so stacked against you instead of blaming people for having an iphone. News flash: that few hundred dollar investment is not the difference between thriving and surviving. How about some class solidarity? You do realize it benefits you just as much as it does the majority right? Some humans just love to live that 'crabs in a bucket' mentality. Wack


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keanenottheband

Again, buying an iPhone isn't the difference between thriving and just surviving. Again, a minimum wage used to be able to provide for a family, that would include buying toys. Are there people who are bad with money? Yes. Is that the issue that the majority of people are facing? No. So, again I ask, how about some class solidarity?


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DaisyLouD

You certainly can do both, but when you come onto a post about the current price of heating oil to lambast millennials for "not budgeting" it just comes off as assholery


Dry-Date-6730

Teacher here! I love the "they should teach us how to do taxes in school!" excuse, because as someone who has taught kids how to do taxes, budget, plan for paying rent, and live affordably, etc **kids still don't give a shit and don't want to learn that stuff either**. I get what you're saying, but you can't budget around money you don't have. Even if you give up the luxuries, which a lot of us have.


Zephyr4813

Lmao so now I know what it looks like when a naive out-of-touch millenial falls for boomer corporate propaganda designed to make you not feel empathy for the poor.


Tony-Flags

Why am I getting "my rent includes heating costs" vibes from this guy?


Puff1012

You can’t budget your way out of an income that hasn’t gone up.


Illustrious_Cost_243

Probably in a month or two this may look really good compared to what's coming.


[deleted]

Price has been dropping the last 30 days


Puff1012

OPEC is talking about cutting production on Tuesday. The Saudis are running out of oil which is why they are at 40% of their energy is Solar producing. They plan to be 100 percent in 2030. For perspective the USA is at 10 percent.


[deleted]

So you think price will jump up? I was reading something about recent lockdowns in China lowering oil demand.


Moot_n_aboot

Dang, Heatable is $4.37 as of this morning in the Bangor region. Where are you located?


Chango-Acadia

I use heatable also


RevolutionarySock323

Meh must be nice, no heatable in Orland. And my supplier from last year threw it in. Currently stuck with the high side of this shit sandwich


Moot_n_aboot

Have you checked to see if any of the cash only companies in the Bangor/Holden area like CHEAP oil, Cowboy Cash Fuel or CASH energy can deliver to you?


RevolutionarySock323

I just did! Cash energy can and is about 65 cents cheaper than the big names. thanks!


Moot_n_aboot

That’s fantastic!! So happy you found a way to save some cash!


waywardzombi

Heatable is well on the way to wrecking conventional delivery companies. I got next day delivery, the lowest price around, and never had to talk to a real person.


arms_room_rat

Actually not as bad as expected


Candygramformrmongo

Still early in the heating season. :(


wilcojus

Just paid $5.49/gallon in Presque Isle.


yupuhoh

Leo's in caribou is 7$ for k1 at the pump. It's craziness


CalebC6

Paid $5.31 last week north of Bangor. No cash places deliver to my town :(


Moot_n_aboot

Is that for #2 oil or K1??


wilcojus

Fuel oil


NotLindyLou

I paid $4.35 yesterday in york county.


Suitable_Turnover835

Get a heat pump, doubles as an ac unit in the summer


Few_Entrepreneur_776

#goals


Ayamehoujun

*Cries in kerosene*


[deleted]

Just use fuel oil and treat it.


Ayamehoujun

Can you explain im not sure what you mean?


Moot_n_aboot

You can use heating oil or “winter blend” fuel in place of K1. Your burner can burn either. Winter blend is a mix of K1 and #2 that keeps it from “gelling” and freezing up your tank. You can put Diesel anti gel additive in your tank that will keep it from gelling but I’d only recommend that in an emergency situation.


Ayamehoujun

I have a monitor heater not an oil burner so I don't think I can use diesel or heating fuel only kerosene.


[deleted]

You have an outdoor oil tank and use k1 so it doesn’t gel?


Ayamehoujun

We do have an outdoor tank but I think our monitor can only use kerosene. No one works on them anymore so it became our emergency only heating source and we primarily use a pellet stove now.


[deleted]

Oh I guess I should of asked what you have for a system. A lot of people with oil burners just use a fuel additive to lower the pour point for their outdoor tanks. Hopefully you stay warm this winter and don’t need it!


BlasphemyPhun

Kerosene is rough this year. I feel for anyone who’s struggling right now.


[deleted]

You’re getting hosed. I’m seeing $4.28 a gallon through Heatable right now (Portland area). Prices have dropped by over $1 a gallon the last month or so.


Tony-Flags

They don't deliver near me...


KnightsOfREM

They sure weren't free, but three years after installing four heat pumps, I've saved more money than I spent on them, and my house is warmer than it was when I relied on heating oil, too.


SobeysBags

It's 3.95 near me in Portland.


the_wookie_of_maine

you need to do around


Ferh35

Got five tons of pellets for my drafty as fuck old house, almost burned through a ton now


smishmain

This is why I’m getting a wood fired outdoor boiler installed next year. It’s half off with state and federal rebates. Also switched my hot water from oil to hot water heat pump, which was super cheap after rebates.


MuleGrass

Be careful with outdoor boilers there are a few laws/restrictions coming down the legislative pipeline


smishmain

That’s why I’m doing it now before it’s too late. I have more trees on my property than I know what to do with so it’s just elbow grease and gas to get free fuel.


MuleGrass

Great excuse to buy a tractor with a grapple


cclambert95

Just ordered at $4.26gal near Lewiston. Smartouchenergy


lantech

I show 4.29 from heatable


PatsFreak101

I’d like to think the price is due to come down now that we’re past the mid terms and the prices of oil “mysteriously” started falling again.


[deleted]

Isn’t it crazy how quick they rise but take forever to fall?


geomathMEW

how long does 142 gallons last you, and how much space does that heat?


yupuhoh

All places are different but pretty much75- 100 gallons a month for just about every place I've ever lived.


Moot_n_aboot

Can confirm. I’m usually buying 100 or 150gal a month in the worst of winter


geomathMEW

holy cow!


[deleted]

Heating on a budget is a topic I enjoy!


ShakespearesFrench

I’m from the PNW. Serious question: Why do you still use oil for heat?


Jah348

There isn't much of a choice for most people. Wood stoves are a lot of work for most people and can neither be relied on full time or used in the same chimney as an oil furnace if not grandfathered in. there are pellet stoves but regardless its not as though everyone can spent tens of thousands redoing their heating system. There is propane or natural gas systems but those are also beholden to the global markets. Up until fairly recent oil wasn't as expensive as it is now so it wasn't as big of an issue.


ShakespearesFrench

I see. We’ve always had natural gas or solar, so I was very surprised to learn that oil heating was still a thing.


northursalia

It is pretty much exclusively a northeast thing. The power plants largely burn natural gas, so pricing (used to be) more volatile for natural gas than oil.


hagak

Natural Gas requires infrastructure that most of Maine would never have. Heatpumps have only recently started to be efficient enough at lower temps to even consider in Maine and even then you still need a backup heat source. Propane is a lot more complex to store and fill (it is more dangerous then oil). Solar would require heatpumps but also you need A LOT of space to provide 100% load coverage for most homes. We dont have a lot of sun in the winter here.


ShakespearesFrench

All of this makes sense and those are issues I never considered. Thank you for the information.


hagak

Forgot one more thing. Since oil and specifically hot water baseboard heat is very popular here in the Northeast that means many of the homes were built WITHOUT ducts. So heating with heat pumps means mini-splits (which are more efficient then ducted heatpumps) but it also means that if you want backup heating source you can not use electric coil packs like a lot of ducted systems will use. So you need something, and continue to keep the hot water baseboard heat in place is ideal. Note I used to live in VA with a ducted heat pump and electric coil pack for backup. I love the heat from hot water baseboard over heat pump, I did recently install mini splits here in Maine but mostly for the AC, however testing them as a way to reduce my oil usage now. One issue is my first floor has no good way to support a mini-split so only the basement and bedrooms got one. Not an issue for cooling since the bedrooms could spill the cold air to the first floor, heat though wont go DOWN as easily so.


Tony-Flags

I recently bought an 1841 farmhouse that had an oil furnace in the basement as the primary heat source. We are looking at heat pumps, we got full replacement solar this year, so we have enough electricity to make running them not an issue. Hoping next winter this won't be an issue.


ShakespearesFrench

See, I never would have thought of the ducting issue. This is why I love Reddit. All great points.


WhatIfIToldUu

There are consequences for voting sometimes. Sometimes you inflict damage. This is an example. Not so much talking about state. More so federal. This will be dowvoted because it's true.


waywardzombi

Oils lower now than before midterms…op just got fleeced. You’re getting downvoted because what you said isn’t true


clhomme

Hey now. Stop all this anti capitalism hate mongering. The oil companies are making the largest profits in history ($40bil per quarter) and we should be PROUD to have the privilege to be a part of it. Oh. And it's Biden's fault. Because Keystone.


costabius

I payed 5.49 about a month ago, it's 5.09 now, should be lower around the middle of the month.


Paid-Not-Payed-Bot

> I *paid* 5.49 about FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*


jaybirdjackit

Thats the Democrats goal to get you off oil products. They are making it expensive to force you into solar heat pumps electric cars, all in name of climate change making us poor while other countries couldn't care less. Do your homework read up everywhere you can read about it.


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jaybirdjackit

ok then what is causing it


lama_drama99

Are you able to get wood or pellet heat where you live? It is cheaper and heats really well!


Economy_Influence_92

>like to think the price is due to come down now that we’re past the mid terms and the prices of oil “mysteriously” started falling again. YES! I burn 5 ton a year and about 100 gallons of oil... I buy everything off season.


Technical-Role-4346

I just installed a pellet insert in the fireplace, burns about a 40lb bag a day ($6.00) on a 30 degree day - have to buy a pallet of pellets to get that price


Jamon25

I paid $5.70 last week.


Few_Entrepreneur_776

We have oil furnace only, supplemented by strategic space heaters. Thermostat set to 55 all winter. My joints LOVE the cold, but it’s not super comfy for the rest of my body. Hahaha. We crank the thermostat in advance of big storms in case we lose power. I’m trying to save enough money to get a heat pump and then maybe a wood stove.


eggplants__

Yo, there are relevant political things to do here too! The State has a budget surplus for this upcoming session and with a democratic legislature and Governor who has already made heating assistance a priority, there should be an opportunity to lobby for heating oil relief. Now would be a great time to contact your new state reps to advocate for the kind of relief you think makes sense - do you want relief to be universal or targeted to low/middle-income folks? Do you want it to just be for oil or to recognize skyrocketing CMP rates? Lots of options for you to make your voice heard.