Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- January 20, 2009
Even with a secondary heating system, be vigilant about climbing heating costs (:50)
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Suggested Intro:
AS CONSUMERS STRUGGLE WITH LOW TEMPERATURES AND HIGH ENERGY COSTS, MANY PEOPLE WONDER WHICH FUEL IS THE BEST HEATING VALUE. AN ENERGY EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS IT ALL DEPENDS ON CURRENT PRICES. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:17) HIGH HEATING-OIL COSTS HAVE PUSHED MANY HOMEOWNERS TO REPLACE OR SUPPLEMENT THEIR HEATING SYSTEMS WITH ELECTRIC, NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE SOURCES. BUT WHICH ALTERNATIVE IS THE BEST BUY? PENN STATE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER DENNIS BUFFINGTON EXPLAINS THAT PRICE VOLATILITY MEANS YOUR BEST OPTION CAN CHANGE FROM WEEK TO WEEK:
Buffington Actuality:
(:17) "RIGHT NOW IT'S PROBABLY CHEAPER TO BE BURNING PROPANE THAN IT IS TO BE USING ELECTRICITY FOR SPACE HEATING, BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS PAYING FOR ELECTRICITY. CERTAINLY, IN SOME MARKETS IN PENNSYLVANIA, PROPANE IS CHEAPER, RIGHT NOW, THAN ELECTRICITY FOR HEATING."(:16) BUFFINGTON SAYS HEATING-FUEL COSTS CHANGE RAPIDLY ENOUGH THAT HOMEOWNERS SHOULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEIR ACTUAL COST PER B-T-U. YOU CAN FIND A HEATING COST CALCULATOR ONLINE AT ENERGY DOT C-A-S DOT P-S-U DOT E-D-U. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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