If you didn't burn wood, how much oil would you use?

[KaptJaq]

I have a ranch on the side of a hill on Long Island, NY. The main floor is 1,800 sq ft and at ground level in the front. Lower level is at ground level in the back and split between an 800 sq ft unheated garage and a 1,000 sq ft of family room, laundry room, office/guest room, etc.

Prior to the stoves I burned between 800 & 1,000 gallons of oil a year. Last year I used less than 200 gallons basically for DHW.

I have a VC Montpelier in a centrally located masonry fireplace upstairs which burns almost continuously from Halloween till mid March. I use all scrounged wood. Downstairs is a Godin Coal stove that I light for those really cold spells we get occasionally. I probably burned a ton of coal last season.

With the current price of heating oil at about $4.00/gal it is more than worth my effort to gather & split a few cords of wood.

 

[mhrischuk]

I'd be afraid of the plastic.That wood has to breathe.CONDENSATION!

The vapor barrier (plastic) keeps the moist interior air from getting to the wood. Moist interior air is the leading cause of mold and dampness.

 

[mhrischuk]

I wonder if/when oil prices will return, would people go back to oil or would they still be hesitant since the price fluctuates so easily. Someone farts in the middle east and we get gouged at the pumps!

Andrew

I never want to be in the position again of having to depend on one type of fuel to heat my home. You are truly over the (forgive the pun) barrel then and it's not a pleasant place to be. I hope to have multiple options available to me from here on out (well, from Nov 2 on out).

Speaking of over the gun barrel, I heat with propane. The propane company owned the 500gal underground tank which is subsidized by higher per-gallon rates. I could not get filled by anyone else. This year I bought the tank for $1287. I now own the tank and can purchase from the lowest cost supplier.

And this year I'm starting with an almost full tank and hope to not have it filled this year at all.