Having been a home improvement editor here for more than 20 years, I can make one prediction with uncanny accuracy: As cooler weather settles in, heating questions will arrive. It may seem obvious. Yet, there’s a specific skew for our readers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. They ask us which heat source is less expensive over the long haul–oil or natural gas. Based on past experience, these are oil-heat customers, and in the heating battleground that encompasses this region, they’re bombarded with claims about the benefits of both fuels. This year, the cost of natural gas for residential users is low–about where it was three years ago. When you adjust for inflation, its price has actually dropped. So I’m predicting an upswing in interest in this topic (an increase that will likely subside when the price of gas begins to rise). As gas remains competitive, deciding whether to use it becomes more complex.

See the checklist below to sort your way through. The more answers you check as “Yes,” the more likely that the switch from oil to gas may make sense. If you check “Yes” on only on 1 to 3 questions, your current setup works fine. Check more than four, however, and it’s worth investigating your options. Seven or more means it may be time to switch to gas.

Notice that I say, “may.” I’m not advocating one fuel over the other. The fact is, either can be burned cleanly and efficiently. Both have advantages and disadvantages, which can vary–consult your local fuel-oil and gas providers and mechanical contractors (the businesses that install heating and cooling equipment).

Finally, there’s the propane option, and many customers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic would do well to consider it. If you live in a competitive propane market, the more of the answers that you check as Yes, the more likely that propane could be a viable option as well.

As a side note, consider the Energy Information Administration’s unbiased comparison of heating-fuel costs. To get a sense of how this works in your market, plug local price figures into the cost calculator offered by Penn State’s engineering department.

Here’s the PM guide to heating-fuel options. Check all that apply.

1. Your oil-heat boiler or furnace is shot and needs to be replaced.

2. Your chimney is old and needs to be rebuilt or relined. Note: New oil or gas boilers and furnaces can be vented directly through the side of the house, bypassing the chimney entirely.

3. You have a natural gas line available and the utility company’s cost to run a lateral line from the street to your house is low.

4. The company that will run the gas lateral to your house can place the gas meter conveniently–for example, so that the existing gas line inside the house can access the meter without significant mechanical disruption or remodeling. Note: You need a heating/cooling contractor’s input to answer this question.

5. It appears that the gas lateral will create minimal disruption to your property and landscape.

6. Over the past ten years, you’ve tried several fuel oil providers in your area, at several different price and service plans. You’re dissatisfied–either the quality of service has been poor from a mechanical standpoint, or the company just seems unfriendly.

7. You want the fuel oil tank out of the basement. It’s either old, rusty and smelly, or you just want it out to free up space down there. Note: Getting an old fuel oil tank out of a basement, especially a crowded one, is a big job. Take some careful measurements of the tank and all stairs or exterior doors before proceeding. PM contributor Pat Porzio, a mechanical contractor, reminds us that some municipalities may require you to pull a special building permit just for the removal of the oil tank, regardless of whether it’s above or below ground, indoors or out.

8. The fuel tank is free-standing and located outdoors. Although it’s mechanically sound, you find its appearance unattractive and would like to be rid of it Note: See above, regarding tank-removal permits.

9. The oil-fired boiler or furnace is located in a utility closet somewhere in close proximity to the living space (not the basement or in a crawlspace) and it’s too loud. You’re hoping to reduce noise in the living space with gas-fired equipment. Note: 10. Oil-fired equipment tends to be noisier than gas-fired, though there are exceptions to this broad rule of thumb. If you’re replacing a furnace or boiler, speak to your oil-heat provider or mechanical contractor about noise reduction. If they know that this is an issue, they can better identify quieter equipment and noise-reduction measures (such as relocating equipment to a place where its sound will be less bothersome).

10. You have an electric water heater that needs to be replaced along with the heating equipment. You’re hoping to switch to a gas-fired water heater for better hot-water performance. Note: You can also get an oil-fired water heater. Oil-fired water heaters are generally more expensive than comparable gas-fired models, and they need to be tuned yearly, like an oil-fired boiler or furnace. On the other hand, they’re extremely potent hot-water producers–residential versions of these appliances are nearly as powerful as their commercial counterparts. If plentiful hot water is an issue, they’re hard to beat. Also, an oil-fired boiler can be equipped to produce sufficient hot water, as can a gas boiler. Again, investigate your options by talking to both your oil supplier and a heating/cooling contractor in order to make an informed decision.

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POUND RIDGE — Residents would see a 3.4 percent tax increase under the town’s preliminary budget.

The proposal would spend roughly $7.1 million for the general and highway funds, a $146,003 decrease from 2010, according to a town budget synopsis.

While spending is going down, the town is also decreasing the amount of surplus it has set aside in 2011 to help pay for town operations.
The 2010 budget appropriated $850,000 in surplus, while in the proposed 2011 budget, the amount of surplus used would drop to $500,000, said Steve Conti, the Pound Ridge finance director. The town’s goal in the coming years is to lower its reliance on surplus to fund expenditures, Conti said.

“At $850,000 a year, the fund balance would be zero in three to four years,” Conti said.

There are number of areas where the town will save money next year. The departure of a retiring highway department employee, for example, will save the town about $90,000, Conti said. The budget plan also calls for a wage freeze for town employees.

But the town faces rising expenses in other areas. The cost of providing health care to employees is expected to go up by $32,000 in 2011 and town contributions to workers’ pensions will increase $51,000, Conti said.

Deputy Supervisor Jonathan Powers said that amid a challenging budget environment, town officials have been scouring the budget lines looking for savings.

“It’s a modest tax increase,” Powers said. “Because we haven’t laid off any employees, there’s no reduction in services to the town.”
The tax rate for the general and highway funds is $11.81 per $1,000 of assessed value. For the owner of a home assessed at $179,629, the town average, the annual tax bill would be $2,121.44, or $69.86 more than 2010.

While the tax rate to pay for the general and highway funds is on the rise, the amount residents will pay for the land reserve tax will go down in 2011.

That’s because the land reserve tax temporarily declines for the next two years under a ballot initiative , passed this month, that renews the open-space levy for an additional 10 years.

The open-space tax is typically $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, but in 2011 it will be 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Town House, 179 Westchester Ave.

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A group of Pound Ridge residents want the town board to defer making decision on a plans by T-Mobile’s for building a cell tower in Scotts Corners until a task force can be established to develop a new strategy for the town’s cell tower placements.

The 29-Acre Preservation Association is leading a group of residents who are expected to make their case for the task force during tonight’s public hearing on T-Mobile’s tower construction.

Association member Melinda Avellino said Pound Ridge needs a committee that can create a town-wide cell service “overlay” and evaluate all “new and existing equipment sites or plans, and ensuring that all application and zoning requirements are met by the applicant.”

“We believe that taking a proactive approach is necessary to ensure the responsible placement of cell service equipment that best protects its citizens,” she said.

Tonight’s hearing, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the town house, gives the board, as well as the public, the opportunity to review and comment on T-Mobile’s application for the special use permit it needs to construct a 130′ tower at the Pound Ridge Lions Club Ambulance headquarters on Westchester Avenue in Scotts Corners.

Aside from engineering and construction details, T-Mobile’s presentation will include an overview of the criteria used to select the ambulance corps location from among the 20-plus sites it considered for the tower — a process that began in 2007.

“We’ve invested three years and a lot of money working with town planners, engineering and building consultants to get this project in front of the public,” said Jane Builder,  Senior Manager of External Affairs for T-Mobile’s northeast engineering division. “We’ve been sensitive to the various concerns throughout the entire process, and approval from the board will mean cell service for this part of town is finally close to becoming a reality.”

Tower Location Lacking Consensus

But all time and money spent did not keep the board from voicing concerns over the ambulance corps site at its regular meeting last month. According to Deputy Supervisor Jonathan Powers, those concerns center around the topographical features of the location.

“On the one hand it limits the height of the tower and consequently the amount of service coverage,” Mr. Powers said. “On the other, the location and height of the tower will have a definite visual impact.”

Mr. Powers said the board was concerned enough to request that T-Mobile further explore the possibility of building a tower on an alternative site, on a tract of land owned by Oceanus Navigation, located on the opposite side of Westchester Avenue, near the top of Hemlock Hill Road.

He said the Oceanus Navigation location had been on T-Mobile’s list of possible sites and because the property’s elevation was much higher, it could accommodate a 170′ tower and significantly greater service coverage.  The site had been eliminated from consideration because after a year trying, T-Mobile had not been able to secure an agreement to lease the land from its owner.

At the board’s insistence, however, T-Mobile agreed to conduct a balloon visualization test on the property.

The 29-Acre association members present at the meeting reacted by openly challenging the board’s ability to act in the best interests of its constituents.

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Eighty-five (85) Pound Ridge NY Homes are currently available. The Median Price for Pound Ridge NY Homes is currently $989,800. The low Pound Ridge NY Home for sale is $317,000 and the high is $10,000,000. The average home takes 132 days to sell. The average size for a Pound Ridge NY Home is 4090 square feet and is asking $344 per foot.

Over the last three (3) months the Pound Ridge NY Real Estate Market is up 27% compared to the same period in 2009. The current sold Median Price in Pound Ridge NY is $796,675. In 2009 the Median Price was $825,000. The average Pound Ridge NY Home selling is 3353 square feet, takes 165 days to sell and averages $271 per square foot. The average selling price to asking price in Pound Ridge is 92.55%.

In 2009 the average Pound Ridge NY Home was 3498 square feet, took 230 days to sell, and averages $267 per foot. The average Pound Ridge NY Home sold at 92.81% of asking price in 2009. (source: EAMLS.)

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1. Check for and correct errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and
   you could be paying for someone else’s poor financial management.
2. Pay down credit card bills. If possible, pay off the entire balance every
   month. However, transferring credit card debt from one card to another could
   lower your score.
3. Don’t charge your credit cards to the maximum limit.
4. Wait 12 months after credit difficulties to apply for a mortgage. You’re
   penalized less for problems after a year.
5. Don’t purchase big-ticket items for your new home on credit cards
   until after the loan is approved. The amounts will add to your debt.
6. Don’t open new credit card accounts before applying for a mortgage.
   Having too much available credit can lower your score.
7. Shop for mortgage rates all at once. Too many credit applications can lower
   your score, but multiple inquiries from the same type of lender are counted
   as one inquiry if submitted over a short period of time.
8. Avoid finance companies. Even if you pay the loan on time, the interest
   is high and it will probably be considered a sign of poor credit management.
9. This information is copyrighted by the Fannie Mae Foundation and is used with
   permission of the Fannie Mae Foundation. To obtain a complete copy of the publication,
   “Knowing and Understanding Your Credit,” visit Home Buying Guide.

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