Heating options...

SIKSUKR · 11-26-2007, 02:02 PM

I don't think any heating device that uses electricity makes sense as far as dollars per btu output.Here's a chart from the US office of energy that is great for comparing energy cost.Wish there was a wood value.I don't know what efficiency rating they use for the fuels but electric is 100%.You can plug in different energy costs for comparison.

Fuel------$ per million BTU------Cost of fuel

Oil--------18.24-----------------$2.53/gal
Gas-------11.86-----------------1.18/therm
Propane---27.19-----------------2.48/gallon
Electric----41.38-----------------.14/kilowatt hour

Blue Thunder · 11-26-2007, 02:42 PM

Wood pellets have 16.4 million BTU/Ton with an efficiency of 83%.
Wood has 20 million BTU/Cord with an efficiency of 77%.
Coal has 25 million BTU/Ton with an efficiency of 80%

Blue Thunder

Argie's Wife · 11-26-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I don't think any heating device that uses electricity makes sense as far as dollars per btu output.Here's a chart from the US office of energy that is great for comparing energy cost.Wish there was a wood value.I don't know what efficiency rating they use for the fuels but electric is 100%.You can plug in different energy costs for comparison.

Fuel------$ per million BTU------Cost of fuel

Oil--------18.24-----------------$2.53/gal
Gas-------11.86-----------------1.18/therm
Propane---27.19-----------------2.48/gallon
Electric----41.38-----------------.14/kilowatt hour

WOW - where were you last night when hubby and I were crunching numbers trying to figure out our options. We're serious about this and not kicking tires. It was sad to see that we're on the national high-end of electricity costs. I loved the safety aspects the electricity would have given us but the cost doesn't justify the purchasing of the product and the cost of the fuel it will use. The national rates vary between $0.08/kWh and $0.14/kWh. Boo hiss! If electricity was less expensive it would have been a option.

So, we're sorta back to the drawing board unless someone comes up with something that's solar powered... I looked into that but there's not much that works when there's no sun (doesn't store energy...)

We got a tank of fuel delivered today and the delivery guy was almost apologetic about handing me the bill.

"Here's the bill for some liquid gold," he quipped.

The bill was for $607... an arm, a leg, and my first born.

fatlazyless · 11-26-2007, 11:53 PM

Oh no, at 2.53/gal for heating oil, a 275 gal tank costs aboout 680 dollars......time to close up the house, drain the pipes and start hitchhiking to Florida. Maybe, Acres will slow down and pick you up in his Porsche.

Way up north in Groveton NH, after 103 years the Wasau Paper mill is closing on Dec 31 due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel fuel which are basically the same thing. Diesel is dyed blue for the highway tax, and heating oil is dyed cranberry color red because it's the same color as wine.....no, not really but it is dyed red. Bet you didn't know that 275 gal tank in the basement was full of a red wine colored liquid.

Increasing transport costs for trucking 105,000 tons/year of high quality, finished paper from Groveton to Ohio and Indiana, along with the heating oil needed to power the mill turned a successfull 103 year operation into a money loser.

"If the mill made money, we'd keep it open!" says the big boss.

While the truck drivers for Roehl Transport of Groveton get about 35 cents/mile for driving, the diesel bill runs about 60 cents/mile and Roehl moves about half the Wasau paper.

After the last Roehl truck has left with a 20 ton load of paper, sometime in January, flatbed trucks will no doubt show up to remove the paper making equipment for its' trip to somewhere...like to Wisconsin or to China. Mostly due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel, which are basically the same item.

So, the increase in oil prices all changed the dynamics of making paper, closing the mill, and it's all over for 303 very high paying north country manufactoring jobs. From a high paying local job......to.........what?

.....that's real sad for the Groveton area.

Argie's Wife · 11-27-2007, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Oh no, at 2.53/gal for heating oil, a 275 gal tank costs aboout 680 dollars......time to close up the house, drain the pipes and start hitchhiking to Florida. Maybe, Acres will slow down and pick you up in his Porsche.

Way up north in Groveton NH, after 103 years the Wasau Paper mill is closing on Dec 31 due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel fuel which are basically the same thing. Diesel is dyed blue for the highway tax, and heating oil is dyed cranberry color red because it's the same color as wine.....no, not really but it is dyed red. Bet you didn't know that 275 gal tank in the basement was full of a red wine colored liquid.

Increasing transport costs for trucking 105,000 tons/year of high quality, finished paper from Groveton to Ohio and Indiana, along with the heating oil needed to power the mill turned a successfull 103 year operation into a money loser.

"If the mill made money, we'd keep it open!" says the big boss.

While the truck drivers for Roehl Transport of Groveton get about 35 cents/mile for driving, the diesel bill runs about 60 cents/mile and Roehl moves about half the Wasau paper.

After the last Roehl truck has left with a 20 ton load of paper, sometime in January, flatbed trucks will no doubt show up to remove the paper making equipment for its' trip to somewhere...like to Wisconsin or to China. Mostly due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel, which are basically the same item.

So, the increase in oil prices all changed the dynamics of making paper, closing the mill, and it's all over for 303 very high paying north country manufactoring jobs. From a high paying local job......to.........what?

.....that's real sad for the Groveton area.

Not to derail this but I used to work for Spencer Press in Wells, ME as a customer service rep and we got a lot of our paper from Wasau. I hate to think of the impact this is going to have on not just Groveton but the printing/paper industry in general. Spencer Press was one of the top ten offset printing companies in the country when I was there - I don't know how it ranks now, but I would guess it's probably still a big player. Sad that Wasau is closing...

==========

Blue Thunder -

Yes, the pellet stove is looking attractive as I'm sitting here in silk long underwear, a turtleneck, wool socks and LL Bean fleece. We do know handymen (my brothers - love 'em!). It's not something we could afford this winter but next winter, unless a better option presents itself... Money is tight not just because of fuel costs but also because Hubby's income has been frozen for two years as he's a teacher and the contract didn't pass again. I had quit my job to stay home with the kids and then the cost of living went thru the roof. I get it that voters also have bills to pay but...

Weirs guy · 11-27-2007, 12:16 PM

For what its worth (next to nothing) my brother in law recently bought a new house that had a pellet stove. He spent a half hour last weekend expounding about how wonderful, cheap and easy to use it is. Hes extremely happy with it and I am considering one down the road over a wood stove.

AW, maybe you can find something on Craigslist or Freecycle? If not theres always income tax time!

idigtractors, thanks for the info. For some reason I thought even double wall pipe through a wall was a no-no.

11-26-2007, 02:02 PM	#1
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	I don't think any heating device that uses electricity makes sense as far as dollars per btu output.Here's a chart from the US office of energy that is great for comparing energy cost.Wish there was a wood value.I don't know what efficiency rating they use for the fuels but electric is 100%.You can plug in different energy costs for comparison. Fuel------$ per million BTU------Cost of fuel Oil--------18.24-----------------$2.53/gal Gas-------11.86-----------------1.18/therm Propane---27.19-----------------2.48/gallon Electric----41.38-----------------.14/kilowatt hour __________________ SIKSUKR

11-26-2007, 02:42 PM	#2
Blue Thunder Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Eastern MA & Frye Island/Sebago Lake, Maine Posts: 951 Thanks: 252 Thanked 351 Times in 158 Posts	a little more info... Wood pellets have 16.4 million BTU/Ton with an efficiency of 83%. Wood has 20 million BTU/Cord with an efficiency of 77%. Coal has 25 million BTU/Ton with an efficiency of 80% Blue Thunder __________________ " Live for today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come"

11-26-2007, 11:53 PM	#4
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,754 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	Oh no, at 2.53/gal for heating oil, a 275 gal tank costs aboout 680 dollars......time to close up the house, drain the pipes and start hitchhiking to Florida. Maybe, Acres will slow down and pick you up in his Porsche. Way up north in Groveton NH, after 103 years the Wasau Paper mill is closing on Dec 31 due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel fuel which are basically the same thing. Diesel is dyed blue for the highway tax, and heating oil is dyed cranberry color red because it's the same color as wine.....no, not really but it is dyed red. Bet you didn't know that 275 gal tank in the basement was full of a red wine colored liquid. Increasing transport costs for trucking 105,000 tons/year of high quality, finished paper from Groveton to Ohio and Indiana, along with the heating oil needed to power the mill turned a successfull 103 year operation into a money loser. "If the mill made money, we'd keep it open!" says the big boss. While the truck drivers for Roehl Transport of Groveton get about 35 cents/mile for driving, the diesel bill runs about 60 cents/mile and Roehl moves about half the Wasau paper. After the last Roehl truck has left with a 20 ton load of paper, sometime in January, flatbed trucks will no doubt show up to remove the paper making equipment for its' trip to somewhere...like to Wisconsin or to China. Mostly due to the high cost of heating oil and diesel, which are basically the same item. So, the increase in oil prices all changed the dynamics of making paper, closing the mill, and it's all over for 303 very high paying north country manufactoring jobs. From a high paying local job......to.........what? .....that's real sad for the Groveton area. Last edited by fatlazyless; 11-27-2007 at 07:17 AM.

11-27-2007, 12:16 PM	#6
Weirs guy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Weirs Beach, NH Posts: 1,067 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	For what its worth (next to nothing) my brother in law recently bought a new house that had a pellet stove. He spent a half hour last weekend expounding about how wonderful, cheap and easy to use it is. Hes extremely happy with it and I am considering one down the road over a wood stove. AW, maybe you can find something on Craigslist or Freecycle? If not theres always income tax time! idigtractors, thanks for the info. For some reason I thought even double wall pipe through a wall was a no-no. __________________ Is it bikeweek yet? Now?