$$$$ Are you still gonna burn

[hossthehermit]

My wife informed me in April, that "If oil drops to 50 cents a barrel, we still ain't burnin' it". I AM watching oil prices, will fill up when I feel they've bottomed out, want some on hand in case of breakdown . 4 tons of pellets in the cellar, generator tuned up, and hell, WE GOT FURNITURE. Can't burn the books, though.

 

[gw2kpro]

Looking forsome insight and feelings given the prices of oil dropping. Who will still burn pellets?
I think I will as I am knee deep in money spent on the stove and pellets.
Hmmm!

Nope. Big oil dared me to get off of oil this summer and we did it. It's permanent. We are not going back.

$150 / barrel oil will return, my bet is sooner rather than later, 125+ has been breached, and for quite awhile, do not be deluded into thinking that it will not approach that level again.

I'm off oil, except for what I will burn to keep my house from freezing if I ever go on vacation in the winter.

My pellets for this winter are in the basement.

My pellets for next winter will be in the basement by the end of May (no way I'm ever going to be running around looking for pellets)

Every penny of my home heating needs is gong back into my local economy.

Big oil can keep their oil, everyone in the industry is filthy wealthy except the local mom and pop filling stations. As soon as I can get a Chevy volt, I'm buying one, as long as it's under 40k (our car will need replacing by then). I'll be practically oil free by the end of 2010. Of course no single solution is perfect, no more big oil for me though.

 

[DiggerJim]

I'll be practically oil free by the end of 2010. Of course no single solution is perfect, no more big oil for me though.

Now that's funny It's like a vegetarian who wears leather. Unless you're moving to a cave, you're not going to be oil free - there's almost no significant chemical process that isn't oil dependent right now. Anything made of plastic or artificial fibers/fabrics requires oil as a constituent chemical. The food you eat (unless you grow it in your own garden) requires substantial oil based fertilizers. And then of course there's the whole transportation economy to get anything you have, buy, or borrow to you. You may be less directly dependent on oil, but any material consumption you do will add to the global demand for oil.

 

[hossthehermit]

I'll be practically oil free by the end of 2010. Of course no single solution is perfect, no more big oil for me though.

Now that's funny It's like a vegetarian who wears leather. Unless you're moving to a cave, you're not going to be oil free - there's almost no significant chemical process that isn't oil dependent right now. Anything made of plastic or artificial fibers/fabrics requires oil as a constituent chemical. The food you eat (unless you grow it in your own garden) requires substantial oil based fertilizers. And then of course there's the whole transportation economy to get anything you have, buy, or borrow to you. You may be less directly dependent on oil, but any material consumption you do will add to the global demand for oil.

RIGHT YOU ARE, KEN!

 

[richg]

Also, I am doing my part to rid my dependence on foreign oil. I'm doing right for my environment. My pellets are made here in the U.S.A. (Barefoot) by American workers in an American factory. There are sooooo many things that we have no control over. My wife checked her 401k this morning and has lost over $8k in the past 4 weeks and someone we know has lost over $50k. Albiet only a small victory for us - we do have control over our choice of heat and we are just as satisfied now as we were 3 months ago that we made the right choice.

Steve

Amen to the one millionth power. There is more to heating with pellets than than cost comparisons.

 

[gw2kpro]

I'll be practically oil free by the end of 2010. Of course no single solution is perfect, no more big oil for me though.

Now that's funny It's like a vegetarian who wears leather. Unless you're moving to a cave, you're not going to be oil free - there's almost no significant chemical process that isn't oil dependent right now. Anything made of plastic or artificial fibers/fabrics requires oil as a constituent chemical. The food you eat (unless you grow it in your own garden) requires substantial oil based fertilizers. And then of course there's the whole transportation economy to get anything you have, buy, or borrow to you. You may be less directly dependent on oil, but any material consumption you do will add to the global demand for oil.

Understood. At the end of the day, we have very little control over what car tires are made out of, what is used in the manufacture of my PC, or how the ingredients made their way into Pizza Hut.

However, there are things that we do have direct control over.

 

[trogers]

I am a new pellet user (Insert installed last week), but I have used propane as my main heating source for three years since moving to New Hampshire. I will absolutley be burning pleets this winter no matter what the oil/propane prices are. Like those who have mentioned it earlier, my pellets are in the basement at a fixed cost of $275 per ton delivered (I bought late, will buy earlier next year and for now on). As I see it, I was forced by the oil/propane industries to move in this direction. I will no longer plan my life around oil futures, not will I send any more money than I absolutley have too over those countries that don't like the USA. Add this to the fact that I can now feel good about heating with a green fuel that is made in North America (my pellets came fom Canada and the last time I checked we have a good relationship with our neighbors to the north). I hope to buy my pellets from New England Wood Pellets, Inc. located right here in New Hampshire so that I can contribute to my local economy.

For the first time in a long time I feel like I might be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem...

 

[90durham]

I believe that Canada is the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S.A., AND we like you. I have 4 tons of pellets, new stove and have no intention of having any pellets left come spring regardless of current oil price. I further believe that the vast fluctuations in oil prices have much less to do with supply/ demand and much more with greedy margin cutting hedge fund managers solely focused on fattening their wallets.
Greed has no racial, religious or geographical boundaries. It is universal.

 

[trogers]

Don't get me wrong...I love you crazy Canadians! Seriously, I hope I didn't offend you, or any other Canadians by what I wrote. I simply mean that I would rather support the New Hampshire economy if everything was equal. You raise a very important point about the US getting most of our oil from our friendly neighbors from the north. If I could find a gas station that sold only gas from US and Canada, I would go out of my way to buy that gas over gas from the middle east or Venezuela (I avoid Citco gas completely!).

 

[90durham]

No offense was taken, I am just a mite pissy lately with the way the world is going and think that there are too few people making decisions (and wads of money) at others expense.

 

[imacman]

Don't get me wrong...I love you crazy Canadians! Seriously, I hope I didn't offend you, or any other Canadians by what I wrote. I simply mean that I would rather support the New Hampshire economy if everything was equal. You raise a very important point about the US getting most of our oil from our friendly neighbors from the north. If I could find a gas station that sold only gas from US and Canada, I would go out of my way to buy that gas over gas from the middle east or Venezuela (I avoid Citco gas completely!).

Me too...I love going up to visit our friends to the north...we race our sprint cars there a lot. And I agree about where I like to buy my gas....if I knew there were Canadian oil only supplied stations near me, I'd go there too. I WILL NOT buy Exxon/Mobil, or Citgo.

 

[DiggerJim]

I WILL NOT buy Exxon/Mobil, or Citgo.

That's pretty funny too. The name on the station has almost zero to do with where the oil (or refined product) came from. The raw gasoline stock delivered to regional distribution centers come from almost any refinery and then get the brand name's "magic ingredients" added just prior to delivery - there's nothing different from the Shell, Mobil, Citgo or Getty gas at the distro center -- Techron, etc. are all added on its way to the retail outlet. The "Citgo" gas you're not buying came from the same place as the "Hess" gas you are.

Besides, as long as the demand exceeds (or even very closely matches) supply, it doesn't matter what you buy as Chavez can find enough buyers throughout the world (and he'll make giveaways to "help" the poor here for political purposes). What you do impact is your neighborhood business man who owns that station and may not be able to feed his family or heat his house - the guy in your town sponsoring the Little League team, etc. He's the one you punish.

Boycotting any station or brand is no different in effect than the boycotts of all gas purchases called for fairly regularly to no discernible effect.

 

[MainePellethead]

Don't get me wrong...I love you crazy Canadians! Seriously, I hope I didn't offend you, or any other Canadians by what I wrote. I simply mean that I would rather support the New Hampshire economy if everything was equal. You raise a very important point about the US getting most of our oil from our friendly neighbors from the north. If I could find a gas station that sold only gas from US and Canada, I would go out of my way to buy that gas over gas from the middle east or Venezuela (I avoid Citco gas completely!).

I AGREE NH pellethead! I havent bought Citgo gas in approx. 5 years. Nearly ALL my gas is bought from Irvin. I agree as well....if I could buy just U.S. and Canadian gas I would go out of my way to buy too. I love the Canadians as well.

 

[MainePellethead]

I WILL NOT buy Exxon/Mobil, or Citgo.

That's pretty funny too. The name on the station has almost zero to do with where the oil (or refined product) came from. The raw gasoline stock delivered to regional distribution centers come from almost any refinery and then get the brand name's "magic ingredients" added just prior to delivery - there's nothing different from the Shell, Mobil, Citgo or Getty gas at the distro center -- Techron, etc. are all added on its way to the retail outlet. The "Citgo" gas you're not buying came from the same place as the "Hess" gas you are.

Besides, as long as the demand exceeds (or even very closely matches) supply, it doesn't matter what you buy as Chavez can find enough buyers throughout the world (and he'll make giveaways to "help" the poor here for political purposes). What you do impact is your neighborhood business man who owns that station and may not be able to feed his family or heat his house - the guy in your town sponsoring the Little League team, etc. He's the one you punish.

Boycotting any station or brand is no different in effect than the boycotts of all gas purchases called for fairly regularly to no discernible effect.

The name means alot in my circumstance I buy nearly 100% of my gas at Irvin's here.

http://www.irvingoil.com/company/refinery.asp

 

[Stihl029]

Its nice to see the anger you folks have when it comes to oil and the greedy CEO's and OPEC that's making money off us. The question of will I still burn pellets? I'm burning them no matter what happens to the prices of oil, coal, natural gas, all of it! When Natural gas was so cheap in the 80's, I converted everything I had to it, then they started to build natural gas fired plants for electricity, the prices went up, and I was right back where I started. I see wood pellets as a commodity that's for the most part only going to be used to heat our homes ( I sure hope) So I'm sticking to it. If nothing else, this past year with the financial markets as they are, and the price I have been paying for gas, makes me realize its time for Americans to get a reality check. Don't buy what one can't afford, and we need to drop our dependency on oil. Corporate greed has gotten to this recession/depression. But its the American people that will no doubt get us out of it. I'm burning pellets because its an American commodity that produced in America! And the house is so much warmer with it.

 

[save$]

You, know, you can’t cuddle up in front of a heat duct or base board register, but you sure can by the warm golden radiant flame of the wood or pellet stove. From what I have read, if just 10% of homes burn wood or wood products, that will have a tremendous impact on our oil dependency. I work in home health care. I have seen so many elderly folks who are desperate to figure out how they will be able to stay in their homes this winter. Lower oil prices will offer some hope. For those of us who are able to burn wood/pellets, that will have a positive impact on competition and help to hold the prices down. So, not only are you helping yourself when you use wood/pellets, you also help so many others who have little capacity to make choices.

 

[Gumbo]

Yes I will burn pellets despite the price of oil...whatever it falls to. When I hop out of the shower and cozy my nekkid beehind up to the floor registers I don't experience that same satisfaction =) I'm done with oil in my home. Where there's a will there's a way.

 

[schoondog]

I'm new to pellets and was pushed to them by the absurd oil business. So far my limited use of pellets has been great. Love the heat and they make me feel as though I'm doing something positive for the US of A and the environment. I'll let ya all know how I feel after my 100th bag, hopefully in January! That being said I may hook up the wood stove I have in the basment next year so if oil stays high and pellet prices skyrocket, I'll burn wood. I will do everything in my power not to be held up financially trying to stay warm anymore.

Schoondog

 

[Kenpobldr]

We still need oil for our hot water plus one room over our garage that the pellet stove will not reach. However we love our pellet stove and and the heat that it produces for our home. We have 5 tons of pellets in my garage so yes we will still burn the pellets over oil, not to mention that I am sick to death of America being dependent on foriegn oil. Also I dont know of any pellet imports.

 

[Pellet1]

This thing will turn around. Perhaps not as quickly as it developed, but the credit thing will get corrected, confidence will return, and the market will rise again--and so will the cost of everything else, including oil.

 

[trogers]

I WILL NOT buy Exxon/Mobil, or Citgo.

That's pretty funny too. The name on the station has almost zero to do with where the oil (or refined product) came from. The raw gasoline stock delivered to regional distribution centers come from almost any refinery and then get the brand name's "magic ingredients" added just prior to delivery - there's nothing different from the Shell, Mobil, Citgo or Getty gas at the distro center -- Techron, etc. are all added on its way to the retail outlet. The "Citgo" gas you're not buying came from the same place as the "Hess" gas you are.

Besides, as long as the demand exceeds (or even very closely matches) supply, it doesn't matter what you buy as Chavez can find enough buyers throughout the world (and he'll make giveaways to "help" the poor here for political purposes). What you do impact is your neighborhood business man who owns that station and may not be able to feed his family or heat his house - the guy in your town sponsoring the Little League team, etc. He's the one you punish.

Boycotting any station or brand is no different in effect than the boycotts of all gas purchases called for fairly regularly to no discernible effect.

So, in a sense, you are advocating the "thank you sir...may I have another" approach. I used say the same thing to my friends and family, then I realized th the reality is that - you are only paranoid if no one is out to get you - and, OPEC is out to get us (or, atleast our wallets). Our country is set up for the most part on a free market system that allows for competition, supply, and demand to control the pricing for most of our goods. OPEC is the exact opposite in that they artificially pump-up or lower supply based on what they see as the right price for a barrel of oil, not what the open market would dictate if left to a free market approach.

Listen, I do feel for the local distributor that has a CITCO franchise, but in the same way that I would not knowingly (and I admit that this is difficult to know) buy prodcuts from a local company that sold merchandise that used child labor to produce goods, I can, as an american, choose to do business with local distributors that do not pay franchise fees and buy products from a company that is owned by a dictator that dislikes this country. The local owner of a CITCO station has the choice to re-assess his/her realtionship with CITCO (or any other oil company) each time his franchise agreement comes up for renewel. The local dealer can choose their relationships in the same way that all of us are free to choose ours.

I apologize for the diatribe on this subject, but I am tired of the attitude of "there is nothing we can do about any of it, so let's not try". I have found that through the purchase of a pellet stove, my hybrid car, and a few smaller changes that I have made recently that I can make a difference in how much control I allow outside inlfluences to have on my life. It may be that none of these choices are the best answers, but at least they are answers. In the end, I stand by my goal to buy as much of my fuel from locally owned companies like New England Pellet Company, and if no local options are avaialble, I will at least buy from companies that I can feel good about.

"The longest journey begins with the first step"

Now, let's get back to some great pellet talk!

 

[ilovemystove]

i'll burn no matter what. buying pellets in the spring is the way to go. these greedy bastards have forced people into looking into alternate ways of heating and so on. i could care less if the price of oil / propane drops. i hope they loose a ton of money and are stuck with massive inventory. they way they gloated about record profits quater after quater makes me sick. people in this country can barely pay their bills and the oil companies keep gouging the american consumer. i hope all americans will conserve and use as little oil as possible. in the long run it should open the eyes of americans. this country really needs to shake this oil dependence we have. i'll get off my soap box now , but its really disturbing whtas going on in this country now.

AMEN!

 

[MrJitters]

I have 8 tons of pellets and a brand new Harman P43, so my choice is clear.

 

[ilovemystove]

$$$YES YES YES!!$$$

Oil price here was $4.53 in July and $3.50 now.
We did not lock in so we are buying at current prices.
We burn around 600 gal for heat and 300 for hot water per year.
900 gal X $4.00/gal= TOO MUCH!!

Our 4 tons will be delivered next week at about $300/ton.

OPEC will be meeting soon to decide how much production should
be reduced to help bump the crude oil price UP.
The higher the oil price goes, the quicker the stove will pay for itself!!

I feel warmer from not hearing the furnace kick on!
Getting ready to install 4 computer fans in the house for circulation. About $70

Please let me know where you purchased these four fans for 70 bucks? I am looking and see they cost about 70$ each! Thanks

 

[imacman]

I WILL NOT buy Exxon/Mobil, or Citgo.

That's pretty funny too. The name on the station has almost zero to do with where the oil (or refined product) came from. The raw gasoline stock delivered to regional distribution centers come from almost any refinery and then get the brand name's "magic ingredients" added just prior to delivery....

Digger, my reasoning for not buying from Exxon/Mobil or Citgo has nothing to with what you mentioned. I KNOW all the gas comes from the same central distribution center...there's one about 3 miles from my house in Newburgh. But if I DID buy gas there, I don't want the $$ I spend to go for buying more imported oil to begin with.

I have investigated where different companies buy their crude, and Exxon/Mobil buys the most of any company from the Middle East....so guess where most of their (my) $$ goes?

And even though Citgo uses 0 crude from the Middle East, that's because they only use their own oil....the $$ goes to the nutcase Hugo Chavez...I will NOT subsidize him either.

Do I know that other companies buy some of their crude overseas?? Yes, of course, but the percentages are much lower.

BTW, I buy the great majority from Sunoco and Hess (Hess isn't listed, but has no operations in Saudia Arabia, etc)

Here's a chart you might find interesting. I tend to think the DoE knows where the oil comes from:

(broken link removed)