Well, it seems that my gas delivery company is not very well pleased with me. Back in June, they notified me that my budget payment was being increased another $11.00 a month. It was already very high, and I was not happy about this, but took no action at that time. It has never been made clear to me how it is that in June, they can predict what the price of gas is going to be next winter. If anyone understands this, please fill me in.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, after several other terrible storms, and more to come, there was a clamor of voices all clanging the same bell. Gas prices were going up again! Way up! Sometime in September, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to play this game. I turned the furnace OFF! Yes, I said off. I bought two small electric space heaters. One, from Walmart, blows hot air out from the bottom and is used most of the time. The other, from Lowe's, is an oil-filled heater that we also use when it gets really cold. Surprisingly, since we live in Michigan, we have only used both heaters together 3 or 4 times this winter.

We shut the heaters off completely at night. My son uses an electric blanket, but I just threw on an extra blanket, and we have done remarkably well with this arrangement. The heater is used in the living area where we spend all of our time when at home, and we are not wasting fuel by heating up areas of the house that are not even being used. Of course, we no longer run around the house wearing a little bit of nothing. We wear sweaters and slippers now instead of t shirts and barefoot.

If you had suggested an idea like this to me just a year or two ago, I would have thought you insane...or worse. But when they raised the gas pump prices so drastically in the fall and made their doom and gloom predictions about the rising home heating costs coming up for the winter, something just snapped in me. I said, "ENOUGH!" And so began my experiment with the neanderthal idea of turning off my furnace.

The gas delivery truck has been here twice since this all began, the first time delivering a little gas, the second time, rolling the hose back up without putting any in, because the tank is still full. I received a letter from the company saying that I was required to use a certain amount of gas during the year....or else. I have not dealt with that issue yet. Will keep you informed.

My electric bill has been raised about $10.00 a month since then. I gladly sign the check for that....with a smile on my face, even humming a little tune. I will gladly trade $10.00 for several hundred dollars...any day, any time. So what if we are a little inconvenienced at times.....hey, spring is just around the corner. Zippedy doo dah.....