Eileen Gunn
It's August, and everyone is still deep in summertime mode. The biggest seasonal concern remains slathering on enough SPF 30 to fend off nasty sunburn. But the cold weather will be here before you know it, and when it is, you'll want to fend off the high heating oil prices that could burn a hole in your pocket.
The Energy Information Administration predicts that residential heating oil prices this winter will average $4.34 a gallon, up 31% from last winter's average of $3.31. Residential natural gas prices, which often track oil prices, also are expected to rise about 22% to an average $15.58 per Mcf, from $12.72 a year earlier. Therefore, it's a good idea to get out of the sun for a little while and think about how to save a few pennies and do right by the atmosphere by burning less fuel this winter. The EIA suggests performing all the usual home maintenance that will keep heat in and cold air out: Seal drafty windows and doors, insulate your walls and attic, and buy window treatments that let the sun in to warm your home during the day. Also consider hiring an electrician to install a programmable thermostat so you can turn the heat down when you are out of the house or asleep. This is the kind of thing that should only cost a few hundred dollars and can pay for itself fairly quickly. Treehugger offers these and other tips that depend on your resources, needs and environmental bent. You also can consider investing in a new boiler or furnace. These items can last 20 or 30 years, and those that are made after 2000 contain new technologies that allow them to burn fuel more efficiently. Additionally, older houses often have bigger boilers or furnaces that burn more oil than needed. Replacing the old clunker might allow you to downsize.
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