Preparation

…no-one is offering a solution to the approaching (oil supply) shortfall, it does not take a rocket scientist (grin) to realize that there is a significant ROI on its way and to plan accordingly. Which likely will mean that the price will go up faster than currently anticipated, and also higher.

It is likely that by fall demand for oil will exceed supply and very likely here in the Poconos many of us will feel some serious impact. A lot of people heat with oil and

We own two small houses. The house we live in has two fireplaces; one with a wood stove insert, the other has a propane burner. The main heat is electric, via base board units. For sub zero days and power outages we have a portable kerosene unit in the basement. Last winter, after an ice storm, we were without power for four days. Thanks to the non electric units we were able to keep the pipes from freezing. But, from speaking to linemen friends that work for a local power company, I know to expect more and longer outages. They are cut to barebones work forces and simply can’t keep up if bad weather hits large areas.

We recently purchased the small house next to us, mainly because it is on nine a half acres and we were afraid it would be developed. We rent the house next door to a young couple. She works locally. He commutes to east central New Jersey where drives heavy construction equipment. Because he commutes, because his job relies diesel fuel and new home construction and because their main source of heat is an oil burner, their financial security is immediately vulnerable to oil prices. Last winter they could barely afford the heating oil.

The best way I can think of to make things easier for our tenants next winter is to put in some back up heating systems. I plan to put in baseboard electric units and a wood burning fireplace insert. Last winter firewood sold here for around $100 a cord. I burned three.

These are temporary solutions, not environmentally friendly, and very likely I will have to look into putting coal heat in both houses, unless I find a better solution. For those in warmer areas it is probably hard to imagine how important heating oil is in the Northeast and how great the impact of higher prices is on working people living pay check to pay check.

Here's a good energy web site to check out: Energy Bulletin