Sticker Shock from my oil bill. Anyone else?

[Generic Other]

$720.00

Who do I blame? FUCK YOU BUSH.

[MADem]

1. OWCH--how much did you get? n/t

[Generic Other]

12. They only fill it when its almost empty

I guess they should be sending monthly bills to help their customers absorb the cost more evenly!!

[terip64]

2. OMG! Mine is coming any day and last month they ESTIMATED me down...

I have natural gas. I said I was going to pay them more because I knew it was wrong, but yeah, right. With two kids in college and one a freshman in highschool, I just keep writing checks and keep praying.

[blindersoff]

5. that is really a shocker

We keep our thermostat at about 59 day and night and have gotten used to just layering our clothes. Our friends who come over always comment about the chill but if they want to be here, that's the way it is. The only time I really boost it up is when my little grandsons come over for a visit.

[Generic Other]

14. I don't even heat the upstairs

but I have an elderly mother in my home.

And probably my furnace is too old (from the 50s). I guess I should sell my house and move into a Hooverville or under a freeway overpass!!

[Massacure]

18. You might want to replace the furnice if it is that old.

Do you even know what the efficiency is on it?

[Generic Other]

20. No. I only know it works. I guess I better order a new one

Only $2000 according to the furnace repair guy who serviced mine a few years back.

I just never believe newer is better. And I am a firm believer in the idea that if it aint broke, I don't want to fix it.

Sigh. There goes my vacation money! State park camping here I come.

[CoffeeCat]

3. Holy Crikey!

Did your bill double...or triple?

That hurts.

We've got our heat down to 63 during the day and 59 at night. Our bills are normally around $120, and they're currently hovering around $230.

I've spoken with friends who keep their thermostats at around 68. They're paying through the nose. We live in the Midwest, and it has been very cold during certain periods. That doesn't help.

I'm amazed that our bill isn't lower. Penguins and polar bears would feel at home here--and still our bill increases were 30-40 percent.

Sorry about your bill.

[terip64]

4. I have mine at 60 during the day and 58 at night and still pay tons.

We have an old farm house so I try to wear layers. I don't mind it but lately I can't get warm no matter what I do. We are in the midwest too.

[madokie]

22. We heat with wood pellets and keep the thermostat at 72

and I'll be spending a little over 500 bucks this winter, The price for the pellets went up this year and the previous years we only spent around 300 bucks for the whole winter.

[Generic Other]

26. Do you burn the pellets all day and night?

I have a new fireplace insert that I use at night. God knows how much I would be paying without that!!

[madokie]

29. Yes, it is the only thing we use to heat and it is on all day and night

it lights itself when the thermostat calls for heat. We been using one since the winter of '91. we purchased a new one this winter and passed our old one down to our son. Our plan is to sell the one he has next winter and purchasing a new one for him. I believe we will be able to sell it used for about what we paid for it new in '91 too. They make them as inserts also.

[calico1]

6. Oh, my that's horrible.

We locked in at $2.29/gal and we have it topped off monthly. We have been averaging around $220 or there abouts. We also wear layers, and keep it lower than last year.

[tatertop]

7. That's not for one month, is it?

If so, we need to have an
insulate Generic Other's house party.

[Generic Other]

9. No, I get oil every three months or so but it's never been over $300

In September it was higher, but this bill was crazy. They charged $2.65 per gallon. This was a mild winter and we burned wood every night. I guess I should turn the thermostat down.

[cantstandbush]

8. Welcome to the Bushbot "war on the middleclass."

So far, they are winning with their "shock and awe."

[seemunkee]

10. Damn, ours was 450 for this month

plus another 250 for electricity

[Midlodemocrat]

13. Mine was $400 this month for natural gas and $200 for electric.

Can't wait until spring.

[Generic Other]

17. Don't get me started about the Enron surcharge on my electric bill

We are still paying extra after being screwed by those sharks.

[AlCzervik]

11. my sister got hers the other day, it was around $600--i think, she was

swearing so much it was hard to make out the exact number.

[Generic Other]

15. I actually called my husband at work and made him guess the price

He didn't even come close. No "Price is Right" for him! I just about passed out when I saw the bill.

Lucky for me I can pay it. There have been times in my life that would have put me under though.

[NewWaveChick1981]

16. Our natural gas bill in January went from $120 in 2005 to

$395 in 2006. FUCK YOU, GEROGE BUSH!!!

[CountAllVotes]

19. geez and I was complaining

My bill was about 1/10th of yours ($88.00 last month for 33 days both gas and electric - the largest bill ever). But then again I live in a very small house and I turn the heat OFF at night when I go to bed. Conservative living helps during times like this and no, I don't want a McMansion ever!

The bill in the spring/summer tends to be about $25 or $30 a month so I'll figure on $50.

:kick:

[Generic Other]

23. I always thought fiddling with the thermostat made it worse

I could try turning it off at night.

I don't live in a McMansion though. 2500 sq. ft.

Think I'll start burning Depression logs (rolled up newspapers)in the fireplace like my granny used to do.

I'm lucky to have a fireplace insert. Use it all the time. It should have cut the heating bill!

[CountAllVotes]

27. I always turn it off at night

I turn on the electric blanket and get the bed warmed up and off it goes and yes, it does save. I also invested this past winter in some Icelandic wool blankets (wow, talk about WARM!) and bought some angora wool socks. I dress in layers myself. I have on two pairs of socks right now, thermal underwear, a shirt, a sweater and heavy sweat pants along with some lambswool lined shoes.

I turn it off as soon as the house heats up. It is thankfully heavily insulated and was deemed to be one of the top 5% homes in the area I live for having the lowest bills and least energy use.

I've been highly conservative with the $ my whole life anyway, so I'm used to it. I had a wood burning stove where I lived before here. If I was still there, I'm afraid I'd be up the creek as wood costs about $300 a cord here now. ugh.

:kick:

[Mr.Green93]

30. Your insert

may be taking your heat up the chimney.

[Generic Other]

31. It's pretty new and much more efficient than we had before

I've turned the thermostat down to 5 degrees. And I better just bite the bullet and buy a new furnace. Mine is formt eh 50s, and may be too old and inefficient.

When I first moved into this house, there was a huge box of coal in the basement. It took me days to remove it bucket by bucket like a miner! I always wondered where they burned that!

[ThomWV]

21. We've Used Less Oil This Year Than Any Other

The first year we had this house we burned 1,000 gallons right on the nose. My father was dieing that year and lived with us. The house was kept particularly warm for him. The second year we were down to about 800 gallons. Around year 5 I put in a large wood-burner. That dropped our annual usage down to the 450~500 gallon range, where it stood for two decades. This past summer, and it took me all summer, I built a new chimney (full liner, block built with stone face) right in the middle of the house. We moved the wood-burner (same one all these years) over and fired her up. This year we started with 125 gallons in the tank. I bought 200 gallons in January. We haven't run out yet.

I can not believe the difference in just moving the wood-burner. From a high of 1,000 gallons to our new low of about 200 gallons (there is over 100 in the tank right now) is simply stunning.

Price? We used to pay around $0.36. That went to the $0.50~$0.75 during the Clinton years and in fact dropped considerably toward the end. Now? I'd be lucky to get it for anything less than $2.25.

The reason? When you start a war in the middle of the world's second largest reserves you gotta expect something to happen.

[Generic Other]

24. I really feel for those with less means to pay

I complain, but I can afford the cost. I have a good job. And so does my husband. But 50% of the people in my community are living below the poverty line! This is life and death to them.

[CountAllVotes]

28. you should count your lucky stars

You are fortunate to have the money to pay the bill. I don't have that kind of money and never have. In any event, it is the conservative people in this country (meaning those that conserve, not conservatives) that will make it though this. Those spending away with the credit card and racking up big bills will end up on the street if they have nothing to fall back on. And there are many in this boat, don't be fooled. Even many living in these McMansions don't have jack sh*t but when they find they can't even pay the power bill for it, wow, the sh*t WILL hit the fan.

This is gonna do it folks. When people cannot afford to heat their homes and stay warm and begin to die, then We the People will arise again as we'll find we have NO choice. :(

:kick:

[Jim Warren]

25. Yes

50 at night, 55 by day. brrrrrrrrrrr in New England