From: "Rod Speed" 
Newsgroups: misc.rural sci.energy misc.consumers.house alt.home.repair misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: Home Heating Options for Rural Midwest Residents?
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 13:21:38 +1000

Lou  wrote
> Jonathan Grobe  wrote

>> Currently I heat with heating oil with an old, inefficient
>> furnace and with the massive increase in energy prices
>> I am looking at alternatives. Natural gas is NOT available
>> in my small town. Any thoughts on the various alternatives
>> which are available and which is the best?

> If you're going to switch from oil, then you're going to need
> a new furnace. If you're considering buying a new furnace,
> you might as well consider a new, efficient oil furnace.

> The usual alternatives are oil, gas (propane or natural), electric
> resistance, electric heat pump, gas heat pump.  Heat pumps
> have the advantage of providing air conditioning in the summer,
> but probably will not be cheaper than an efficient oil furnace
> when it comes to providing heat in the winter.

That last is likely wrong with the higher oil prices.

They do however usually have higher maintenance costs,
and more variable in the sense that the outside conditions
make more difference to the cost of the heat. Not that hard
to have cheap solar for the outside heat collector tho which
can make quite a difference to the cost of the heat.