Quote:
Originally Posted by Merrymeeting
I agree, but wondering about that this year...
I've been pleasantly surprised at how efficient our new home and system is, and how little we've used this year.
BUT!!! Gas and propane prices are based on usage. As a result of decreased burning, my rate is going up.  Something wrong with this picture. |
Oil price is based on market conditions, not usage. Propane price is based on usage and the greed of your provider.
Propane pricing starts typically based on the Selkirk index. Selkirk is a terminal in NY that supplies much of the propane to the northeast. The Selkirk wholesale price on 2/4 was $1.15 per gallon. For those that are paying $2.79-3.29 as others have posted in another thread this should be an eye opener as to how badly you are getting hit. I am locked at $2.19, and when I finish combining with my company supply based on the combined usage I will be at $1.72-1.79. At home though I am trending 14-18 gallons a day between the furnace and rinnai.
I stress that owning your own tank can be highly beneficial as when the provider is supplying the tank you are paying for it per gallon and cannot shop around.
Typical oil margins are only around $.30-.40 per gallon.
Getting back to geothermal, Quest geothermal recently opened in Somersworth. They are Canadian based and have done hundreds if not thousands of systems north of the border. They are relatively new here and have only done a few locally. I am talking to them about retrofitting our house. We do have a new propane system but I am looking at my options to make sure I made the right choice in the end. Our system now is rather unique and complex, and heating in general here has been expensive and tough.
Being only 10 years old I think I live in the most drafty house I have ever seen. I have Anderson windows and doors, but think that if my walls could talk they would tell me that my insulation job was crap.