Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded to Category 1, and New Orleans was spared the worst as the heart of storm landed further west. Although it’s not over yet, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it doesn’t look as bad as it might have been. Thank goodness!
Kudos to CNN Money for making the connection between Gustav and heating our homes this winter. They were right to look at the two.
However, they missed the boat by focusing on what fuels you use to heat your home. Oil, natural gas, propane, wood, pellets, etc are all commodities, and the price goes up and down. Some are cheaper for a while, but they often change places. And the price of all fuels continues to climb. Further, as the story does mention, it can cost thousands of dollars to switch equipment. CNN should have read my earlier posts for a better answer! Efficiency is almost always a better place to start than switching fuels. Pick the fuel that makes the most sense for you, but invest in efficiency first.
Visit the GreenHomes Interactive Home to see what sort of savings you could expect from different home improvements.
-Mike
Tags: alternative heating, energy prices, energy saving, GreenHomes, Gustav, Hurricance
