My 3000+ sq ft (incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with an
oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a heat
pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per gallon.

Due to the high cost of oil, I called the oil company about budget billing
(same price every month), and was told they are using $4.50 per gallon as a
planning number for next heating season, and said I use about 280 gallons
per heating season.

Also, I live in Maryland where the local utility company was deregulated and
for the first time in 15 years, was able to raise rates last year. They
claimed it was a 50% increase. I don't see how a jump from about $150 to
$300 per month is 50%. That's 100%. With oil heat on the first floor, my
annual monthly average use is about 2400 kWh per month.

Where I live there is no natural gas available.

I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but is it worth an investment
for me to switch from oil and a/c for the basement and first floor to a
second heat pump or other energy source? If so, what other factors need to
be considered, for example will my electric panel be able to handle two heat
pumps? I have neighbors with two heat pumps rather than one plus oil/ a/c -
that's what the builder installed for them.

What about a propane tank?

Finally, my oil tank is full. Would I be better to deplete it over the next
winter, then convert?

What is a typical cost to convert? Will a HVAC company dispose of the oil
tank? Any other issues to consider? If this is a viable investment, how
long will it take to realize a positive return on the investment?

On May 30, 5:20*pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
My 3000+ sq ft *(incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with an
oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a heat
pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per gallon.

"ransley" wrote in message
...
On May 30, 5:20 pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
My 3000+ sq ft (incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with an
oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a
heat
pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per
gallon.

Due to the high cost of oil, I called the oil company about budget billing
(same price every month), and was told they are using $4.50 per gallon as
a
planning number for next heating season, and said I use about 280 gallons
per heating season.

Also, I live in Maryland where the local utility company was deregulated
and
for the first time in 15 years, was able to raise rates last year. They
claimed it was a 50% increase. I don't see how a jump from about $150 to
$300 per month is 50%. That's 100%. With oil heat on the first floor, my
annual monthly average use is about 2400 kWh per month.

Where I live there is no natural gas available.

I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but is it worth an
investment
for me to switch from oil and a/c for the basement and first floor to a
second heat pump or other energy source? If so, what other factors need to
be considered, for example will my electric panel be able to handle two
heat
pumps? I have neighbors with two heat pumps rather than one plus oil/
a/c -
that's what the builder installed for them.

What about a propane tank?

Finally, my oil tank is full. Would I be better to deplete it over the
next
winter, then convert?

What is a typical cost to convert? Will a HVAC company dispose of the oil
tank? Any other issues to consider? If this is a viable investment, how
long will it take to realize a positive return on the investment?

What is the Kwh cost you now pay, that will determine if a heat pump
will save you money.

_______________

I mentioned I average $300 at 2400 kWh per month. That's about $0.125 per
kWh, when including taxes and fees loaded onto the utility's per unit
cost/kWh.

"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote in message
. ..
My 3000+ sq ft (incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with
an oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a
heat pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per
gallon.

Due to the high cost of oil, I called the oil company about budget billing
(same price every month), and was told they are using $4.50 per gallon as
a planning number for next heating season, and said I use about 280
gallons per heating season.

Also, I live in Maryland where the local utility company was deregulated
and for the first time in 15 years, was able to raise rates last year.
They claimed it was a 50% increase. I don't see how a jump from about
$150 to $300 per month is 50%. That's 100%. With oil heat on the first
floor, my annual monthly average use is about 2400 kWh per month.

Where I live there is no natural gas available.

I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but is it worth an
investment for me to switch from oil and a/c for the basement and first
floor to a second heat pump or other energy source? If so, what other
factors need to be considered, for example will my electric panel be able
to handle two heat pumps? I have neighbors with two heat pumps rather
than one plus oil/ a/c - that's what the builder installed for them.

What about a propane tank?

Finally, my oil tank is full. Would I be better to deplete it over the
next winter, then convert?

What is a typical cost to convert? Will a HVAC company dispose of the oil
tank? Any other issues to consider? If this is a viable investment, how
long will it take to realize a positive return on the investment?


Is it warm enough in Maryland to get much efficency out of a heat pump ?
Being in an area where it does not get much below 30 deg, many days out of
most years a heat pump seems to be the way to go.
I have one and on some days when it gets in the 20's I will sometimes start
up a wood stove in the basement. I do not usually burn it too much, but do
have it for emergency heat if the power goes out for a long period of time.
That has not hapened to me in the 4 years I have lived here. In another
house it was out for about 3 days (2 nights) and an unvented natural gas
heater I had installed in a single carport that had been enclosed saved us
from being cold.
I usually only burn a stack of wood about 4 feet high and 6 feet long and
about 18 inches wide. The basement is not heated as a rule, but I do have
one room about 12 x 20 that has a dropped cealing and heat it with an
electric bathroom type heater if I plan on being in that room for a while.

On May 30, 6:20�pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
My 3000+ sq ft �(incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with an
oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a heat
pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per gallon.

wrote in message
...
On May 30, 6:20?pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
My 3000+ sq ft ?(incl basement) house has two-zone heating/cooling, with
an
oil furnace and air conditioner for the basement and first floor, and a
heat
pump for the upstairs.

I bought the house three years ago, when oil was less than $2.00 per
gallon.

Due to the high cost of oil, I called the oil company about budget billing
(same price every month), and was told they are using $4.50 per gallon as
a
planning number for next heating season, and said I use about 280 gallons
per heating season.

Also, I live in Maryland where the local utility company was deregulated
and
for the first time in 15 years, was able to raise rates last year. ?They
claimed it was a 50% increase. ?I don't see how a jump from about $150 to
$300 per month is 50%. ?That's 100%. ?With oil heat on the first floor, my
annual monthly average use is about 2400 kWh per month.

Where I live there is no natural gas available.

I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but is it worth an
investment
for me to switch from oil and a/c for the basement and first floor to a
second heat pump or other energy source? ?If so, what other factors need
to
be considered, for example will my electric panel be able to handle two
heat
pumps? ?I have neighbors with two heat pumps rather than one plus oil/
a/c -
that's what the builder installed for them.

What about a propane tank?

Finally, my oil tank is full. ?Would I be better to deplete it over the
next
winter, then convert?

What is a typical cost to convert? ?Will a HVAC company dispose of the oil
tank? ?Any other issues to consider? ?If this is a viable investment, how
long will it take to realize a positive return on the investment?

you have a full tank? lucky you.

bide your time, oil prices may drop like a rock.

either a worldwide depression will kill consumption or a new
president and congress will find a alternative fuel plan and the oil
producing countries will increase production to try and derail the
replacement fuel.

either way the mid east oil producers will ultimartely lose


_________________________

Lucky me indeed. I think my last fill was about $600 for around 150 gal
after a fill about two months earlier. That works out to needing about
$300/month in the heating season, in addition to my average monthly $300
electric.

Good advice though (really, not sarcasm), thanks. I hope you're right.

Dimitrios Paskoudniakis wrote:
....

Good advice though (really, not sarcasm), thanks. I hope you're right.

Not much chance of that. Oil will come down some, but certainly "not
like a rock" and the rest is pure poppycock...

--

"dpb" wrote in message ...
Dimitrios Paskoudniakis wrote:
...

Good advice though (really, not sarcasm), thanks. I hope you're right.

Not much chance of that. Oil will come down some, but certainly "not like
a rock" and the rest is pure poppycock...

--

So you're saying that switching to another fuel will reap a positive return
on investment? If so, which type, how much, ...?

So you're saying that switching to another fuel will reap a positive return
on investment? �If so, which type, how much, ...?

a methyl ethyl with 15% gasoline. computer controls can do this
easily, adjust engine for mixture used.

methy originally called wood alcohol can be made in many ways, so we
dont turn food into fuel.

to assure fast wide distrubition require oil company owned stations to
provide e85 methy ethyl or a severe tax is imposed on their profits.

5 years would provide some relief, by 10 years crude could largely be
used for lubrication.

the oil producing countries will run the price down to discourage
their replacement, but its important we make the conversion
anyway.......

google methyl.

i fixed machines that used methyl alcohol years ago and ran my lawn
mower on it as a experiment, and added some to my gas once when i ran
out........