EnergyMiser101

State Aids Removal of Underground Oil Tanks

     You may be noticing some large, deep holes in front yards around town and wondering what's going on. Well, don't panic. It's not some strange burial ritual, but rather a sign that many residents in Montclair and other New Jersey towns are taking advantage of financial incentives offered by the state for removing old, underground oil tanks before they start to leak because of rust and old age.

      Leaking underground heating oil tanks are a growing potential environmental problem for millions of homes in New Jersey and throughout the Northeast, because oil seeping from a tank can pollute the ground around your house and your neighbors' houses, and work its way into the water table, contaminating the drinking water supply.

      New Jersey has recognized the environmental threat and it's offering financial aid to homeowners to get those tanks out of the ground, hopefully before environmental damage occurs. That's important because an ounce of prevention in this case is worth a pound of cure.

      More than 6 million homes in the Northeast use heating oil, according to the U.S. Energy Department. It isn't known how many of those homes have their tanks underground, instead of, for example, in a basement. The number is undoubtedly in the millions, however, and for many homeowners, an underground tank can be a ticking time bomb.

Crock Pot Cooking Saves Energy

      If you want an energy efficient, convenient, and delicious dinner, try using a crock pot. I saved about 80 cents by using my slow cooker instead of the stove top to make a dinner recently, and everyone loved the results.

      There are tons of savory crock pot recipes on line. A few weeks ago we had a friend staying and I thought I'd drag out my old crock pot and put it to the test. On a cold, damp morning I found a recipe for an autumn stew that sounded really good. I've made many stews on the stove top, but they require being at home to watch the pot.

Oil Supply Is Plentiful, but Prices Rise Anyway

     If you notice higher gasoline prices at your local pump, don't think it's because there isn't enough oil to go around. Supplies of refined products, both gasoline and heating oil, are plentiful. Gasoline stocks rose this past week, but prices climbed higher anyway, which is contrary to what we all learned in Economics 101. In fact, there hasn't even been a significant hurricane, something that often causes refinery shutdowns and temporary refined-product shortages at this time of year.

     Oil prices (and that includes prices for gasoline and heating oil) are acting completely independently of supply/demand fundamentals. It's the recent rise in the stock market and the weakening of the U.S. dollar against other currencies that are making the fuels you consume more expensive. Traders believe that oil, just like gold, will hold its value as currencies decline.