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Energy Officials Project Record High Prices for Heating this Winter
September 25, 2007
According
to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association prices for
winter home
heating are
projected to increase by 10.5% for all families and reach record levels
for home
heating
oil, propane and electricity this winter. Prices for home heating oil,
in particular,
are
projected to be almost 28% higher than last year’s level. The average
family is projected
to pay
about $402 more for home heating oil than last year for a total of
$1,834.
According
to Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of the National Energy Assistance
Directors’
Association,
“these record prices will place a significant burden on low and
moderate income
families this winter.
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Evelyn M. Rusli
Forbes.com – 9/12/07
The price
of crude oil crossed the $80-a-barrel mark for the first time ever in
New York
on
Wednesday, as global supplies tighten. Although the time spent above
the $80 threshold
was brief,
a barrel of crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange went for $79.91
at the
close of trading, up $1.68 for the day.
The
seemingly inexorable rise in oil -- which early this year was below $56
a barrel --
reflects
global trends such as the red-hot economies of India and China, which
are using
increasingly
large amounts of energy. This surge in demand has drained supply,
pushing up
the price
of crude and, inevitably, gas pump prices. According to U.S. Energy
Information
Administration
Senior Economist Tancred Lidderdale, the global consumption for
petroleum
has
increased 1.5% this year, meaning the world is gobbling up 1.3 million
more barrels
per day than it did last year.
Energy Costs: Get A Handle On Your Heating Bills.
Energy costs are a major household or business expenditure, especially
in harsher winter climates. As a fuel source, wood -- in addition to
being readily available and totally renewable -- is also very
inexpensive compared to other fuel sources. In fact, the energy savings
realized by heating with the Classic can often pay back the purchase
price in the first two years. By adding a domestic water-to-water heat
exchanger, the Classic can also provide all of your hot water. You can
then turn your water heater off and realize big savings on your
electric or gas bill. Over a ten-year period, a homeowner or business
may save $10,000 to $50,000 or more on heating costs. Heating with a
Classic outdoor wood furnace only makes ‘cents’ and lots of it!
Wood Heat: Good For You, Good For Our Environment.
A wood heating system is the right choice for the increasing number of
people who are concerned about our environment. Unlike systems that
rely on fossil fuels, wood is a totally renewable resource, which, when
burned, results in no net carbon dioxide increase. Carbon dioxide is
part of the natural plant-growth cycle and occurs naturally when trees
are allowed to rot on the forest floor. On the other hand, fossil
fuels, when burned, release carbon dioxide which otherwise would stay
trapped in the earth. This causes a net increase in carbon dioxide,
which is believed to be responsible for the heat-trapping "greenhouse
effect." In addition, harvesting firewood has a pruning effect on
forests, which allows new growth to flourish. And the wood you burn
most likely comes from your local area -- it's not imported, as is the
case with oil.
Eliminates your heating bill...
For many owners that cut their own wood or use scrap wood, they can entirely eliminate their heating bills.
Did you know...
Using wood as a heating fuel is endorsed by the U.S. Forestry Service.
By burning wood, a renewable resource, an average home will save enough
nonrenewable fossil fuel to operate an automobile for a full year.
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Want to know how an outdoor wood furnace works?
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