Heat

Heat has been an interesting topic for me this winter. My house doesn't have central heating, it doesn't have a wood stove. In fact it really didn't have heating at all. We've been using an indoor Kerosine heater. I had seen in the LDS preparedness manual, Kerosine for storage. I have determined that my family goes through about 1 1/2 gallons per every 8 hours. I usually only run it for 8 hours a day unless it is really cold, using about 10 1/2 gallons a week. The average cost of Kerosine at the pump here is about $3.99 a gallon, with about 16-20 weeks of winter (210 gallons for 1 winter, and & about $838 in cost).
Things I've learned: The wick is really important, try to get an extra one when you purchase your heater. Make sure that your heater is large enough for the sq. footage that you want heated. Insulation in the house will help you retain the heat longer. I don't need to take the heater upstairs, when I have the heater in the kitchen (near the stairwell)the heat naturally travels to the upstairs, making that one of the warmest parts of the house. When the heater is in the living room the heat stays pretty much in that room and the office which comprise the front rooms of my 1st floor.
My hope is to install a wood burning stove before next winter. I had originally thought that I would put it in the living room, but am reconsidering that now because of how well the Kerosine heater worked in the kitchen. Part of the reason I didn't want to install an electric heater is in case of a power outage. We did have one power outage this winter, and I was really glad we had an alternative form of heating. I think it will be nice to have the Kerosine as a backup. Since my brother owns land eventually I'll be able to get fuel from it; the cost of wood will be significantly lower for me in the long run than using Kerosine. Here in my neck of the woods it seems most people are using wood to heat there homes, and I've yet to see an alternative for this area that would be as effective and inexpensive.