Joyful - why do your posts always come across as a slam against the US?
I would suspect there are people everywhere in cold climates that are borrowing money to pay heating bills.
Our oil tank fillup has gone from $300 dry to almost $700 and that is twice a year (newer house and the thermostat is down).
Plus we are spending $80 a week on gasoline.
You will see a lot more house fires this year as people try to improvise ways to keep warm. There are people who always live on the edge of poverty and will do what they can to keep alive.
So far hubby and I are lucky and can pay the bills but money is tighter (and no one told him not to break a crown on his tooth and his car to break down).
We will charge the next tank of oil but it will be paid by the end of the month.
I don't know how growing families are doing it.
The oil goes to the highest bidder and right now that is China and other growing nations who don't pay the wages we demand. What needs done is for altenative energy sources to be developed. Maybe China will do that for us.
Kathy

Kathy, I'm sure you are misinterpreting Joyful's comments.

I'm certain if the article had said " Canadian families" he would have said " Canadian" instead of " U.S.".

I think all Northern States and all Canadian provinces are facing the same thing. Heat is very expensive, as are many other things.

I agree completely with you that alternative energy sources must be utilized as quicly as possible. It can be done!!

Have a great day.

ivamae

Isn't there an article like this every winter? In a world where people misuse their credit every day, I fail to see how this year should be any different. We all know that fuel prices have gone up, just like almost every other winter.

And I guess all is not rosy in Canada, either. In the interest of being fair and balanced, of course, I give you the following from a Canadian businessman.

Here is a link that might be useful: Interesting article from a Canadian from last March...

There is always government assistance for some. Too bad it doesn't help everyone in need. This Canadian is probably still waiting to make the list, he should be 64 now. Our own assistance program, LIHEAP, has a budget of over $2 billion dollars per year.

Singling out the US for a rise in heating costs and the inability to pay for it is not objective. It's like how our own media are reporting favorability numbers- They report the leader's UNfavorable rating (about 2/3) and the Congress's FAVORABLE rating (about 1/3) making it look like a huge discrepancy, where it's just the opposite (nearly even). Not fair, not balanced. Biased.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian gov assistance to some

Ivamae, usually when you look for something on the computer you find what you are looking for.
Do you ever see any of us "US families" posting on here what is wrong with Canada??
Want me to start a list?
Thanks Flamey. I have a feeling the hair on the back of your neck stood up a little this morning too.
Merry Christmas!
Kathy

It is sad that anyone anywhere would have to borrow money to pay for their heating bill. I'm glad that it doesn't get that cold in my part of the world or I would probably be keeping my heat cut down as low as possible. (and I'm cold natured!)

I'd like to add that I don't think OJ intended to slam the US. He has many friends on both sides of the border. He was simply citing an article that by chance specifically mentioned it.

In the month of November my WE Energies bill jumped $150. That is the gas and electric combined. In the coldest months i will pay between $300-$400. That is outragous! We also conserve as much as we can year round. I heard on the news someone say that when your energy bill is more then your car payment it is rough times. I dont have a car payment but i never thought i would see bills that high to heat a house. Why isnt something being done?

Yes, I agree with dirt, and of course with OJ.

I saw an elderly friends budget billing for natural gas double in one years time. Thankfully she is now warm, comfortable, and safe in an assisted living apartment.

Propane has gone up so much for me too, that it is no longer the most economical way for me to heat. I pile/layer on warm winter clothes, put on my new soft warm merino wool sox, (love them!) turn down the thermostat (or I might flash), and shut off the bedrooms. Shutting them off keeps them a lot more dust free too.

I wonder too, if the folks who 'charge' their heat, likely charge many unnecessary things as well, and then pay interest on those things as well.

The article stated;
More than two-thirds of the poll respondents (71 percent) say they will attempt to reduce heating costs by lowering their thermostats this winter.
I wonder if they too have thought of shutting off little used areas of living space.

I recently saw a documentary about the Mole people...now that is sad.

Sue...so glad to see the sun today and to have above avg temp.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mole people living in the Amtrak tunnel

My bill is the same as ninos, and I also conserve, but I have never heard of any relationship between car payments and home energy costs.
I know many people whose car payments are higher than home energy costs...depends on your home requirements vs. transporation costs.
Around here, people who heat with oil pay much, much more than those who heat with electric or gas.

hi all i know my mom and dad pd 671.00 in oct for 225 gal of kero and last week paid 6 something..cant remember..and they are seniors! theyll be out by january they dont qualify for heap or anything.!!! because my dads a logger...please hes a senior!! grr the prices drive me crazy and it so darned unfair!

I regret that some of you understood my post to be a slam against the U.S.

There was no way that such was part of my feeling.

I was doing some surfing on Yahoo and saw that headline, then followed it up and the message troubled me.

For years I have worked as a personal financial advisor, and one of my major purposes was to help people understand more of how money works, and to build up a cushion so that if their income were to be interrupted, they could float for some time without sweating blood.

So I came to make that post, meaning it as a warning to people to prepare ahead, and if caught short, to try to find less hurtful ways of meeting their current needs.

I did refer to what a shame it is that, in one of the world's richest nations - and Canada is in a very similar position, but the Yahoo article did not make any reference to that - such a large proportion of the population is living so close to the line that they cannot pay for a basic necessity from current (or former) income.

And following the course that was referred to would mean that they would have even greater difficulty in making ends meet in the near future, due to the high cost of the credit that many would be using, according to the report (whose source was credit card-related). Perhaps almost forced to use, lacking alternatives.

Canadians are in an even more difficult position, for it is colder here than in a large portion of the U.S.

It is the understanding of a number of us that we have made agreements with the U.S. that, if they are using, say, 60% of our oil production in times of sufficient supply, that in later years, as supplies run out, that we have agreed that we will continue to provide the same proportion of our total production to them.

Even if, due to our colder temperatures, some Canadians, unable to pay the higher prices in future years of scarcity, come close to freezing in the dark.

Not a pleasant prospect ... just ask some of our currently homeless people.

Also, to more or less put my head into the lion's mouth, do any of you believe that the U.S. would be willing to commit themselves to making such a generous agreement with a foreign country, whether regarding a strategic resource or one less so, even if it were to cause major difficulty for their own people?

Would it be fair to ask that you discuss the issues, in preference to shooting the messenger?

ole (most of the time) joyful

Anyone who thinks lack of alternative sources is the problem is sadly mistaken.

A family renting their home and just barely scraping by, paycheque to paycheque, who lack collateral to back a loan and go to a bank asking for one usually has very little possibility of success.

I don't like to see people backed into such a corner.

Even if they get such a loan with minimal collateral, the rate is usually substantial - though somewhat lower than that on most credit cards. And much lower than the punitive rates on payday loans.

If they are members of a credit union, are hard-working and have built a reputation for integrity, the probability may be somewhat better. And the rate probably lower.

Many, not spending frivolously, still find it difficult to save money ahead in late summer and fall, to help pay the fuel bill when winter comes.

On the other hand ... many were not very careful about the ways that they chose to spend their money, earlier.

But the dollars that were spent on items that many of us would consider of rather lower priority, in such circumstaces ... are gone. The family lacking money to pay the fuel bill have to deal with today's problem.

One hopes that they might have learned a lesson from last week's/month's/year's foolish spending: sometimes they do, sometimes not.

But it's their money to use as they please.

Sometimes the consequences of frivolous earlier spending can be painful.

As I said ... I encouraged my clients to build up a cushion to deal with future expected need, plus unexpected emergencies.

Some did - some didn't.

Dad used to say, "You can lead a horse to water ... but you can't make him drink".

ole joyful