Also, the fear that the U,S. may start some conflict with Iran is causing some price rises.

Mr Bush has nothing to do with this, but lots of people want to blame him for everything.

Gasoline is refined from crude oil, as we all know. When you see a price for crude oil on the news, it’s a benchmark price, typically either WTI (West Texas Intermediate) or Brent crude oil prices. Why these prices? Because WTI is the best oil in the world for producing gasoline, because it’s lighter (less heavy gunk) and sweeter (less sulfur to refine out), with Brent a close second. These represent the highest cost flavors of crude in the world.

Other crudes cost less because of their relative heaviness and “sourness” to WTI. These produce less gasoline and are more costly to refine, increasing the cost to match WTI. The break in price happens to match the additional refining cost. So we’re no better off than when we started.

There’s no shortage of oil in the US. Refineries don’t just refine gasoline, they refine diesel fuel, home heating oil, jet fuel, chemical feedstocks, hundreds of petroleum derived products. As we demand more of each, straining the already overburdened refining network in the US, we make the value of refinery time that much greater, increasing production costs again.

EDIT: To answer the refinery issue brought up by another responder, it takes at least 10 years to bring a refinery from planning to turnkey. Billions of dollars have to be invested in a project that could fall flat on its face before it opens. Look at the ethanol situation. Plants were springing up all over the Midwest, now they’re idle and planned refineries are on hold. Towns that put all their eggs on the ethanol bandwagon are worse off than they were 5 years ago. Several refineries are undergoing expansions, my company has one started that will double the capacity, but it won’t be ready for 6-7 years.

You may not be interested in what gas prices are in other countries, however, what happens in other countries affects gas prices here at home. Oil has a global market, so when demand increases worldwide, that affects the prices everywhere. Right now the two largest countries in the world have economies that are growing by leaps and bounds. China & India are modernizing, and more of their citizens are driving automobiles now. This increases the world wide demand for oil. With very little change in supply, this raises the price of gas for everyone across the globe.

Caution: DO NOT PURCHASE A LENNOX FURNACE!!!

The equipment and installation are a small fraction of the total costs. Look at the operating costs closely before you just assume that getting rid of the gas bill is a good thing.

Plan on setting aside $1800 to $2400 for the furnace and installation. Plan on more if you decide to purchase a service contract, or have other services done simultaneously, such as duct cleaning.

Get at least 3 estimates before you decide on a contractor – prices can vary greatly. Sometimes you can save money by purchasing a ’scratch and dent’ model. Cosmetic defects won’t affect the operation of the unit – and since it is in a basement, or utility room, who will really care?

Research manufacturers in Consumer Reports, or a similar source. This will also help you decide when selecting a unit.

By installing a newer, more efficient unit – you can expect to save an average of 15-28% or more on your home heating costs.

Do some research to see if you might be eligible for up to a $500.00 tax credit for upgrading to an EnergyStar appliance.

Also with apartments, you have to pay for your water. At the apartment my water bill was about $23 a month. Some apartments include water in the rent so you have to ask about that too.

Also I did NOT have a washer/dryer at my apartment, so if yours does that will cause your light bill to go up.

Does it have an electric stove? Does it have central air or air conditioning? These things will affect the cost too. If you have air conditioning, and an electric stove, it will be about $48 dollars in the warmer weather, more if it is really hot. Same for the winter, her bills are higher in the winter because it gets cold here in Ohio, and not so hot to have to run the air all the time during the summer.

Also it depends on what floor the apartment is on. Second floor will be cheaper, because heat rises. Even better if the apartment has other apartments beside and below the one you’re looking at.

You can also call the gas/electric company and ask for an estimate on that apartment – as they will have that information in their system. They can give you a much better estimate on the cost, then we can – because the person living there before you had to pay for those things, so the company will have the best estimate for you.

Call the energy company serving your area, and give that address and apt number asking for an approximate cost. Good luck!

like i said…it all depends on what you are going to be using

You might be able to talk to the utility company and see past activity for the apartment you’re looking at. That would give you an estimate.

Good luck!

You are right, there comes a time when alternative energies are not cost efficient. We can only invest in so much research and development before we are loosing money and money that can be better spent in other places. Oil is underpriced relative to the cost of carbon emissions. The market is obviously not going to solve these problems without some government intervention. I say we should tax the heck out of oil and invest in other research and development (and Im not talking about ethanol).
Unfortunately, our current administration has decided that ethanol is the way for Americans to reduce their dependency on oil. Who are these people kidding? As the asker states above, this is not very efficient way of correcting the problem. We can further see this at the supermarket where our grocery bills are climbing as well as energy costs. Corn is in everything at the supermarket, from all the prepackaged foods, to the boxes they come in to the walls of the store that the goods are sold in. (There is a book about the US being a corn nation, but I forget the name of it or who it is written by) We are already a nation fueled with corn.

The end result is that demand for resources has soared. If supplies don’t keep pace, prices are likely to climb further, economic growth in rich and poor nations alike could suffer, and some fear violent conflicts could ensue. (The next big thing we need to take a serious look at is water. As there are no substitutes for water, and no easy alternatives to simple conservation)

The world has the ability to adjust to dwindling oil production by becoming more energy efficient and by moving (dare I say) to nuclear, and to wind and solar power (solar being my favorite). Unfortunately, these transitions are very slow and costly.

I also don’t mind spending a bit more to save Mother Earth.

I don’t think there are any easy answers, but for sure greed-driven policies have to go.

We should all take the responsibility to reduce our use of energy. And produce our own as much as possible. Including growing food instead of lawns and concrete and decking.

If people are happy to have satellite dishes on the fronts of their homes why not put a small wind turbine?

Walk more, cycle more, use public transport more.

Slow down our pace of life, give other people more thought and want less material and so called luxuries.

A 60 gallon water heater is for a family of 5 or 6. and is overkill.

Water heaters with large tanks do not save you money, they cost you more money, but letting you take longer showers… If you don’t use more hot water, it is a wash. But you will.

FYI: When you turn off a water heater for a season, it still has water in it, and can build up dangerous hydrogen gas inside, make sure the tank is full and and you run the water for a while to get any gas out before turning it back on.

Bottom line is that it isn’t simple at all.

Make sure to read the comments, too. There’s good discussion on boilers there.