Collateral damage: 71% increase in natural gas;40% increase-roof shingles

[Divernan]

Just two examples of the impact of increased oil prices. Bob Schieffer on CBS News tonight reported a projected 71 % increase in the price of natural gas used by many people to heat their homes. My carpenter told me that roofing shingles (in BIG demand to repair hurricane damage), which are made of tar - an oil product - were going up 40%. The heating costs for many past winters have been so high that many retired people had to choose between food or prescription meds and heat. Every winter there are stories around the nation of elderly people found frozen to death in their homes. But SEVENTY PERCENT!?!?!
Along with the increased costs of gasoline, and the increased cost of everything which has to be shipped - like all the food we buy - people will be rightly furious.

I suggest if you have elderly neighbors, or elderly parents living on their own, that you make sure they are not turning their thermostats down so low they put their health at risk. Talk to them directly about it and help them to apply for LIHEAP funds. There are never enough of these to go around (even though they are income based), so have them get applications in early.
Also, perhaps arrange to have your parents' gas company bills sent directly to you so you can keep an eye on usage and make sure they are actually heating their homes warm enough and don't get shut off if they fall behind in their bills. The utility companies used to be barred by law from disconnecting electricity or gas until April of each year, on the theory that by then people would not freeze to death. But they bribed/lobbied in Pennsylvania to get that changed - although they describe it as an action they took to keep deadbeats from ducking out on their bills and forcing other customers to make up the difference.

[FloridaPat]

1. When Reagan deregulated natural gas around 1980, my

heating bill in Syracuse went from 80 a month to $350 a month during the winter. Imagine how happy I was.

[CountAllVotes]

2. kick!!!!!!!!!!!!

:kick:

[phantom power]

3. Sonovabitch, we're planning to roof the house in about four weeks.

Maybe it's time to reschedule.

[skids]

4. Well, if you have a huge amount of cash...

http://www.solar-components.com/pvshingl.htm

(I am being facetious of course.)

[phantom power]

5. Those are cool. I've considered them before...

but if I could afford them, I wouldn't be worried about paying an extra 40% on regular shingles :-)

[amandabeech]

6. If they have a wood stove, make sure that they have plenty of

firewood. It might be easier for them to accept some firewood from adult children than just cash. You could do the same thing for any elderly neighbors.

If your parents have a fireplace, perhaps you and your siblings could buy them a fireplace insert. They make the fireplace give off as much heat as a wood stove.