Today On MSN Money

[pgfpro]

What if gas cost $10 a gallon?Life would go on, but it wouldn't be the kind of life we would like. It's time to start preparing for possibilities that used to sound like fiction.

http://money.msn.com/how-to-budget/w...aspx?GT1=33029

Looks like GasSavers.org will be having a viewer increase in the near future.LOL

[theclencher]

I kind of hope it does go to $10. Perhaps THEN the local retards will stop with the autostart abuse and incessant idling? Perhaps THEN every other moron going aimlessly up and down the streets won't be doing it in a Suburban?

[pgfpro]

Another thread on MSN today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41938193...ergy?gt1=43001

[jmf]

I think it's good for gas to go up, but heating oil is really going to hurt. I think it's hard for a lot of poor or elderly to pay the rising heating costs. I cut my own wood and only use a little oil. I would not be able to afford to heat my house on oil alone.

[theclencher]

Speaking of the elderly, I know for a fact that almost all of them like it to be about 90 degrees inside all winter (that goes for renters who have heat included in the rent too). No, don't put on another sweater or anything; just crank it up! Just sayin'.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Personally I keep the heat on 55, and wear a sweater in the winter.

[theclencher]

I keep it on 48 when I'm home and 45 when I'm not. I practice what I call "extreme zone heating" so no, it's not like I'm sitting there in 48 deg temps most of the time. In the spring sometimes I'll "reward" myself with higher temps when it gets warmer outside and the furnace doesn't have to fight the ginormous temp differential between outside and inside. That, coupled with the high-efficiency furnace and extra ceiling insulation I installed, mean my heat bill is but a fraction of what it used to be, even with higher unit costs.

[benfrogg]

Higher prices change behavior.

In my opinion, I think we should do as Europe has. Increase the gasoline/diesel fuel tax so the price is much higher. This artificial raising of the prices would cause a shift in types of autos being made, types of transportation available, etc.
All of that would come without the price of making home heating fuel more expensive. In fact, lower demand for gas/diesel that would likely com as a result of higher prices, (over time of course, not in the short term) should in theory keep the heating oil prices lower for longer.
I think it would be far easier for us to start driving smaller cars and using better forms of transport than it would be for everyone to switch to some other kind of heat for their homes.

Anyway, just a thought.
I keep the heat at 65-68. The relative humidity here is low in winter so I use a "free heat" device on the dryer to help with that situation. I would keep the heat much lower if it weren't for the lady of the house. In spite of two sweaters, wool socks, insulated slippers, and her heat pad, she's always cold. Interestingly, last winter I did an experiment. I lowered the thermostat a degree each day for several days. I got it down to 52 before she noticed. Boy was she pissed! Since, she has a close eye on that thermostat.

I've found other ways to save, however. The bedroom is kept closer to 60. When we sleep, we sometimes use a small electric heater to get it warm. It shuts off on it's own after we get to sleep.
The bathroom is always cold, no matter what the thermostat is at. We've got a little space heater there too for taking a shower or getting ready in the morning.

In the transition months, I turn the thermostats off. We've got two oil filled radiators that we use instead. One downstairs and one up. Power isn't all that expensive here so it's far more efficient. (especially now with fuel prices going up)
B

[civic94]

I really dont think gas prices will change the things people drive in the long term, only the short term. Car makers are making 40 mpg small cars, and 30+mpg small suv's without hybrid technology. sooner or later as technology advances, cars and suv's will get better mpg. All you have to do is slap on a hybrid drivetrain or ecoboost into a suv, and someone will buy it over a small car.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Speaking of the elderly, I know for a fact that almost all of them like it to be about 90 degrees inside all winter (that goes for renters who have heat included in the rent too). No, don't put on another sweater or anything; just crank it up! Just sayin'.

My wife's grandmother keeps the heat low and bundles up.

Originally Posted by civic94

I really dont think gas prices will change the things people drive in the long term, only the short term. Car makers are making 40 mpg small cars, and 30+mpg small suv's without hybrid technology. sooner or later as technology advances, cars and suv's will get better mpg. All you have to do is slap on a hybrid drivetrain or ecoboost into a suv, and someone will buy it over a small car.

That makes sense as long as automakers care to use all the new technology for FE instead of power, acceleration, and hauling extra weight. We're still catching up to the 1980s and early 1990s in terms of fuel economy...some models are finally exceeding that era, but the average new vehicle buyer is almost certainly getting less fuel economy than they got back then. That's why on this site there's so much talk about the Civic VX and early Saturns rather than a couple models from 2002.