I attended a gathering of family and friends and inevitably the conversation turned to the price of oil. I was stunned to hear that almost none at this gathering had plans to do anything in their personal lives to control their energy costs.

People need to realize that the cost of energy is a life changing event.

You can be proactive or you can have these changes shoved down your throat but they will occur. If you plan and adapt then it can have minimal damage to your life but those who refuse to make changes will suffer. This winter will be the first real test. The cost of heat will be a shock to many who have reached the point that they cannot simply write a check and call it good.

There are many who can burn wood. Some will convert to pellets or corn. Others will again start to use the baseboard electric they have ignored for years. All who do not produce their own energy will find the cost substantially higher and for some it will be beyond their ability to pay.

Those who think this is simply a bubble need to think again. What you pay now is cheap compared to what you will face in the future. It is time to change your life to cut your energy use.

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