"Winter's predicted weather, high oil prices could bring NE to its knees"

[Bluebear]

DOVER — Record oil prices could combine with colder-than-normal temperatures this winter to deliver a one-two punch to homeowners...

"Conserve as much as you can," warns John Keefe, owner of Majik Oil Company of Dover. "I don't know when (homeowners) will get any relief this year."

Colder temperatures will mean greater demand for heating oil this winter. Combined, the two could drive up prices even more, predicts Keefe. This will occur with demand for oil around the world growing at its fastest pace in 16 years, according to Firmbach...

To deal with increases in prices and cold temperatures, local oil companies recommend signing a contract as soon as possible. If contracts are sold out, they advise calculating a budget and setting aside enough money for oil this winter.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050820/NEWS0202/108200033

[applegrove]

1. Don't you get it? That is when SS gets privatized and all the savings

of the Greatest generation go directly into the market to pump it up for a "one time' fluff. That's not snow... that is the GOP Fluff girl trying to pump the market up!:sarcasm:

[madrchsod]

4. "gop fluff girl"-----priceless

[JohnnyRingo]

2. On our knees before the Arabs.....

....and bent over before the oil companies.

Either way, it seems the working man loses and the old money wins.

Who are the dumbasses who voted two oil men into office?

[Bluebear]

6. And a secy of state who used to be with Chevron n/t

[blurp]

26. Chevron is a bench warmer compared to state-owned oil companies

ChevronTexaco globally is #20 in terms of reserves they control.

Saudi Arabian Oil Company by itself controls about 25 times the amount of reserves as ChevronTexaco.

ExxonMobil is #13, controlling about 1/10th the reserves as Saudi Arabian Oil Company.

Foreign governments with these huge reserves are the ones that have us by the balls. American companies are bit-players at this point.

[blurp]

25. Uh, the biggest oil companies are Arabic!

The largest US company, ExxonMobil, produces about 2% of the worlds oil.

If you order the top oil companies by reserves, Exxon comes in at #13. The top 12 are all companies run by their national governments.

Saudi Arabia Oil Company is #1, with over 10 times the reserves of ExxonMobil.

[QC]

3. Why do people still use heating oil?

Just curious here--not making judgments--but it seems like an ancient technology that's been devastatingly expensive for decades. Why is it still so popular?

[Bluebear]

5. I don't know, but it is extremely popular up here in New England nt

[gristy]

7. And the alternatives are...

wood? solar? :shrug: It gets pretty cold in the northeast in the winter.

[idiosyncratic]

14. Elsewhere natural gas or propane are used.

But maybe those fuels aren't practical in the Northeast.

[QC]

17. We mostly use electric around here.

I grew up with wood heat. It has its disadvantages, but works nicely.

[blurp]

27. How about a heat pump? Window unit is less than $500.

If I were in the North East, I'd get a window unit heat pump for about $500 and put it in the bedroom.

Heat pumps are much more efficient than simple electric heating.

And when summer comes, you can actually use it to cool, too.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Because People in coal rich West Virginia elected Bob Byrd

About 50 years ago and they're still being punished.

Maybe someday Texas will elect a Democrat and we can find an alternate source to oil.

[skids]

11. Because I rent.

...I have no choice in the matter. I haven't looked, but my guess would be the most wasteful buildings and houses from an energy perspective are the ones where renters pay the power bills -- there is no incentive for the landlord to upgrade the property.

Another reason is storage -- natural gas tanks require a lot of approval. If you are remote and don't have a direct feed, oil tanks are much more convenient.

[applegrove]

12. Natural Gas is not available everywhere. It takes a while for people

to trust. The old workingman victorian homes were tiny and easy to heat. The puppies being built today with 3 story foyer are going to cost monstrous amounts of money to heat. Gas or oil. Or electric.

I sat in a cabin in the woods and listened to a radio all weekend that was powered by a crank or solar panels. Now why aren't solar panels the most heavily invested and technologically advanced roofing? Why? Because oil boom has been subsidized by workers making less in the last decade.

When will the rich do their part & sacrifice?

[Bluebear]

13. My elderly friends from NH won't have anything to do with gas

They are afraid it will 'explode' their house.

(GOP fluff girl, still chuckling over that!)

[applegrove]

16. GOP Fluff Girl... that is what all these market infusions are - it isn't

real..these are just one time dumps of money to keep the market artificially going. Tax cuts to wealthy, Iraq War spending on ammunition that just blows (insert analogy here), lower wages for workers, etc. etc. All timed to keep that market roaring. Then it will be tax reform. Then it will be corporations overestimating the possible return on the pension money they invest. One time pumps for the market. And once all those tricks are gone.. what will be left? Investment in solar energy? Good schools? Adequate health care? No - just oil & gas stocks roaring to heights one could only dream of. No savings. Nothing invested in alternative sources or R & D.

GOP Fluff Girl it is!!!

[wli]

20. slavery n/t

[applegrove]

22. A form of people working for the rich as opposed to working the better

of their country & a shared project.

Slavery is too strong a word. If I have to respect the word Nazi - I insist that Slavery is left alone too.

[wli]

23. I was not abusing it

I literally meant that slavery could be reinstituted to get another "one-time boost" to the economy by eliminating wage payments.

[applegrove]

24. Oh sorry - yes..that is how many in the south got their perpetual markets.

That is a good analogy.

[cliss]

9. I'm wondering -

How much does a contract cost? Does the oil supplier get his money in a lump sum? And how much does a typical house which has an oil furnace use per month?

Also, what alternatives do homeowners have? These are important questions, and they should be looked at now, while the weather is still warm.

[oasis]

10. Blue states. Chimpy could care less.

[MisterP]

15. they didn't vote for him, they're only good for getting terrorist attacks

for his brainless supporters to hee-haw over, gay people to hate, and money for his ranchers and their play farms

[jbnow]

18. I don't like to complain

(yes I do) but we've had record heat all summer. Our average 90 degree days in a summer were used up in June, but they keep coming.

I have politely suggested to God that perhaps we could save 15 or 20 of these extra degrees per day to use in January and February. It is not a lot to ask, it is a good idea, it would be simple for a Deity to handle.

So this cold snowy winter is a lot of crap. Where does global warming go in winter?

[applegrove]

19. Well - if the market for alternative energy systems was there then you

could save some of the heat in a battery or a wind funnel or solar panels or hydrogen fuel cells. And then use them up in the winter.

Also burying pipes in the ground and getting water heated that way also heats in winter & cools in summer (if you live in a severe climate). We should all be on that technology. I keep forgetting what it is called.

[Skittles]

21. why does it refer to only homeowners?

do renters not pay utility bills?