The Boston Globe is reporting what most of us are expecting, and that is that home heating costs are likely to escalate sharply this coming winter. From the Globe:
The increase will have an especially dramatic impact on the nearly 1 million households that are heated with oil, which now sells for about $4.70 a gallon, up from $2.59 a year ago, according to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
Heating costs are expected to keep rising, the report says. The state’s average household oil bill next year could top $3,000, according to the report by the UMass Donahue Institute, a university think tank. All told, consumers can expect to spend $4.45 billion for gas and oil heat in 2009 – a $469 million increase from 2008.
The implications of that for New England are obvious, and many people will not be able to heat their homes this winter. The Governor is requesting additional federal assistance for hard hit homeowners, but that is not likely to happen.
In anticipation of winter heating bills, Governor Deval Patrick and legislators last month created a “Winter Energy Costs” task force to figure out how to help residents cope. Patrick, along with lawmakers in several other New England states, has requested that the federal government boost the region’s home heating assistance to $1 billion, from $267 million last winter. Without the increase, which would provide the Commonwealth with up to $500 million in home heating assistance, the state will be hard-pressed to help even a fraction of those in need, said Lisa Capone, a spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
On top of the human suffering that this will cause we also continue to engage in the greatest transfer of wealth in history, while Washington fiddles. And as I have said before more drilling can be debated, but the idea that we can equate additional drilling rights for oil companies to a national energy policy is ludicrous. Do we need to see people freezing in their homes before this realization hits us?
Read the Globe story here.
Bill Manzi.com 
Wow, what a ‘nation of whiner’s’ we’ve become!
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And Nancy Pelosi “forbids” a vote on the solution, adjourns the congress for a vacation, shuts off the lights (to prevent Republican discussion), kills the microphone and TV (politburo method) and takes off declaring, “I saved the planet”.
Your Honor, I assume this is the Democrats finest hour.
The old will freeze while Pelosi vacation. (a little drama here)
Jules
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Jules, Jules, Jules, Sound bites are all good, but reality bites more.
If it’s the democrat’s finest hour, then the example was set by the republicans way back in the other ‘do nothing’ congress. I’m sure you remember this lock out:
“In one legendary incident, Rep. Charles Rangel went searching for a secret conference being held by Thomas. When he found the room where Republicans closeted themselves, he knocked and knocked on the door, but no one answered. A House aide compares the scene to the famous “Land Shark” skit from Saturday Night Live, with everyone hiding behind the door afraid to make a sound. “Rangel was the land shark, I guess,” the aide jokes. But the real punch line came when Thomas finally opened the door. “This meeting,” he informed Rangel, “is only open to the coalition of the willing.”
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12055360/cover_story_time_to_go_inside_the_worst_congress_ever/print
Notwithstanding, for another view as to why Pelosi gavelled the Congress to a close, you need look no farther than more Republican stonewalling (from the WSJ no less):
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121708960232287475.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_leftbox
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Jim,
I do not get your point regarding your second and third paragraphs. These are all old history and had nothing to do with the energy problem. In fact the energy issue has never been addressed by the congress except to restrict drilling and bringing us to where we are.
BOTH PARTIES ARE EQUALLY GUILTY.
The Republicans refused to vote for any bill that did not release the oil companies to find the oil where it is, and getting it the market as fast as possible. Appears to be 6 to 10 years if we drill tomorrow.
How would you solve the problem? Throw money at it, punish some? This appears to be the Democrat’s solution to everything.
Do you believe Barak can make us free of foreign oil in 10 years as he claims? Do you think alternative energy technologies will free us from oil in 10 ears?
Let me know and we can discuss it.
Jules
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Jules, I assumed the ‘democrats finest hour’ by your insinuation was that the dems turned out the lights and went home. The Rolling Stone article simply illustrates the parallel path of the Republican controlled Congress from shrub’s first term.What comes around, goea around I suppose. Rather immature, but hey, we elect them, right? er, well, maybe not in Georgia or Ohio…
However, it’s disingenuous to declare that because the democrats are anti-drilling that was the reason that no energy bill was passed.
Anyway, I’m at a loss to understand why there is such an outcry to drill when we are presently exporting a record 1.6M barrels a DAY of gas and diesel fuel TO OTHER COUNTRIES! Perhaps you can help me understand….
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Jules, Sadly I came across this gem after my last post. It seems that you and I are arguing for nothing, and that even drilling isn’t needed to lower gas prices. According to the republicans, all that’s needed is their bluster:
“House Republicans on Tuesday said their protest of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision not to allow a vote on expanded offshore oil drilling has helped lower gas prices.
Heading into a third day of speeches in the near-empty chamber, Republicans acknowledged that the average price of gas and oil has declined in recent weeks. But they claimed credit for part of that reduction.”
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Jim,
I have always blamed both parties for the energy problem we now face. Our elected lawmakers (both parties) have created the problem by enacting energy regulations that favor the environment lobby and activists.
Since oil is a commodity purchased on speculation, perceived future shortages encourages the purchase of oil based upon these future shortages.
Things began to change when president Bush canceled the administration’s ban on drilling and continues today due to the public acceptance of drilling and the discussion the debate going on in the congress. Oil prices have dropped from $145 a barrel to $118. Gas prices at the pump is now below $4.00 a gallon and should continue. All this without drilling a hole.
Now the congress has to lift the ban and Nancy Pelosi stands in the way.
Lifting the ban make the speculator less inclined see future shortages and prices could fall further.
As I have pointed out, alternative energy technologies will take years to become efficient and cost effective.
Jim, we are to be dependent on oil for years.
Now let’s put away our partisanship on this matter. The problem has been bipartisan by short sighted elected officials including Shrub, the Pedophile (Clinton), the Old man and his holiness.
Jules.
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Your Honor,
Oil costs coming down somewhat. Some relief. Could be more if the congress were to end the drilling ban. (psycological effect on speculation.)
But, Pilosi will fiddle while the “poor people” go cold. Nice touch.
Interesting to note that Harvard University is in the commodities speculation business.
Jules
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