Goodness there is so much rattling around in there that I would not know where to start.
I do know that a priority for me is NOT TO GET COLD – Doctor’s orders!
The last time I bought heating oil was April 2014. and it cost me £468.91/US$703.84 for 900 litres. Some people might think I was silly to top up my tank so late in the season, but this is Ireland, and the seasons have a habit of being confused. There are days when we have all four seasons in one day! Thankfully we had a fairly good summer but I do use the oil to heat water.
At the beginning of November I set the thermostat to 15° and left the heat on 24/7, I probably could keep going for another month, but in case the weather gods are feeling cruel, I am not taking chances.
With the threat of colder weather from Thursday with winds coming from the Arctic and risk of heavy falls of snow overnight into Friday, I want to cover all contingencies, We got away lightly so far this winter, but our poor relations and friends across the pond are due to disappear under a mountain of snow and we all know what that means…
When they get fed up with the white stuff they ship over to us! Thanks very much!
Well I am ready. Today I ordered another 900 litres of heating oil. Boy, what a shock I got. The 900 litres of heating oil was £143.93 GBP/215.996 US$ CHEAPER than nine months ago. News like that is enough to warm the cockles of my heart!
I feel like dancing, but not before I open the lock on my tank.
Warm blessings to all.
It’s amazing that the price of heating oil has dropped at all during the heating season, I would think, let alone so much. We used heating oil for heat in our house in Idaho (1977 to 1980).
Stay warm!
Mike, since about last May, I have had regular emails from my oil supplier telling me the price had dropped and what a bargain it was. I had no place to put it until now. I woke about 4am and the news was full of Quantitative Easing, the €uro reached 1.3 against the pound sterling -not good for Elly, but good for me. Add to that there is a new king in Saudi and the tensions in the Middle East, who knows what will happen. In the past I have paid as little as £270.00 STG or as much as £540.00STG for 900 litres, so the price today was a pure delight.
We feel much the same here when gas to fill our cars is $2.50 or so per gallon. Of course the naysayers are warningit will hit $4.00 soon so this is all just a tease – oh well. Enjoy it while you can.
shackman, I wonder if this will work… it didn’t! 🙁
This link might give you an idea of our prices
That has gone down from £131.99 that I was paying for quite some time.
That’s good news! Stay warm.
Thank you, Gigi. Today the temperature lifted and the yellow ball appeared in the sky. I went out and enjoyed it.
Delighted for you. I am amazed they reduced the prices as they are still showing “fuel surcharge” on a lot of items here, ie ferries, etc.
XO
WWW
Everyone is quick to push the prices up, but seem to forget to reduce them again when the market goes down again.
Warm and wonderful surprise!
it certainly put a smile on my face today.
Oh Grannymar, Don’t heat your house to body temp. Heat your body. Ireland isn’t used to cold weather. If you have a down or fiberfil jacket & wool cap, PUT THEM ON inside. I do. The U.S. is expecting up to 5 feet of snow & hurricane like winds. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr
BHB, normal body temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), I keep the heat down to 15°C, it keeps the house in good condition as well as warming me and I do wear extra layers in winter. I need my coat and hat for wearing outdoors.
Whatever works.
We keep our house at 64F which is 18C. (Tom did a lot of math -in his head- to get that in Centigrade.) We used to do 62F. If your house is 15C brrrrrrrrrrr.
Unbelievable so I asked Tom to do the Centigrade calculations over. 18.33C Must be because our house is 3700 square feet & heat goes out faster than it comes in. -Because house is mostly glass on the north where the view is (spectacular I must add).
BHB, 15°C is perfect for working about the house, When I sit down for the evening, I light the fire and that makes the place very comfortable.
Too hot, then too cold. That’s what happens when we lose our Estrogen powers.
After three months, this way suits me and the house never gets too cold or too hot.
My husband is never too hot or cold because he didn’t lose Estrogen. He adjusts to whatever. I have a big down comforter at night. He doesn’t want that near him.
I am so happy to hear the price of your heating oil declined. Of course what comes down will inevitably rise again, such is the economic cycle. Drats.
Dianne, I am sure it will increase again, so I glad the price was in my favour this time.
15 degrees seems quite low to me. Our boiler is currently set at 70 degrees (around 21C) and even then the house can sometimes be a bit chilly.
Nick, do you switch the heat off at night? If so the boiler has to work harder (use more oil) to heat the house. Unlike you, I am all on the one level with solid walls throughout, In the past I would have used two fills – 1,800 litres a year. Since November the house has not gone cold. if the temps are very low, I would push it up a couple of degrees for an hour. I also light my fire in the evenings and close the curtains throughout the house at dusk. It works for me.
I chose the normal three day delivery, but the lorry was here at 15:30 and the tank only took 882 litres, so I will get a few bob back! 🙂
They will fall further. Just wait till the new King of KSA takes full charge and the mourning period is over and the price will drop further.
i look forward to that, Ramana.
Not to get cold! Oh my dear, GM. You certainly have a dilemma. Stay warm, my dear. Glad you had a bright side.
blessings ~ maxi
Layers, Nancy. In winter my circumference increases with all the thermal layers!! 😆
Here in Northern California it has been unseasonably warm and there has benn no rain in January. I’m going to do a rain dance today.
Gerlinde, I’ll send you some rain express delivery! We have more than enough.
Husband keeps exclaiming, ‘Look how cheap the petrol is!’ I’m glad you’re keeping warm. It’s wild and windy here today in Wales.
Welcome Liz to my blog. A wind concerto made for a noisy night, last night. The sky was doom laden and for most of the day it attempted to snow, but wet ground won the battle. peeping through the curtains, Mr night has dusted the garden with confectioner’s sugar. My fire is glowing and my toes are toasty. Stay well battened down.
I wonder how much it’s going to cost to top off your vinegar tank…….
😆 Nancy L, I have more than enough vinegar to do me…. a year!
Such an interesting chat about heating your homes in winter…I can’t imagine that here although I do know there are such types of heating. I used portable oil heaters, and bar heaters (although I couldn’t find that one last year) plugged into a power point. And certainly I can’t afford to leave it running although I would rather I could – keeping the house at a medium temp would be better than arriving home late and trying to spot heat a couple of rooms…
Cathy, in the past I set the heating to come on for a couple of hours in the morning and again from 4-5pm until bedtime. Overnight the house became really cold throughout. The boiler had to work harder to bring the heating up to the required temperature. In those years I used 1,800 litres of oil per annum. With the present method 900 litres should do a full year. Naturally in summertime, I only use the boiler to heat water and that would be for one hour a day.
I set the temp at 71 because that is the temp Dad wants. When he gets chilly even at that high temp I turn on the humidifier in his room and he feels just right. Meanwhile, I close off my room and open the window a crack. I need a bit of fresh air even on the coldest of days… We have had 70 degree days in the real N California and are hurting for rain.
Our outdoor range right now is 32ºF – 39ºF. I am keeping the indoor temps at 59ºF 24/7. It works for me and it is comfortable for working in.