Most of us have already heard our share of horror stories about the potential cost of home heating oil this winter. They're stories we'd just as soon forget. Last year's prices were steep enough, but it's a pretty safe bet that this year's will surpass (perhaps far surpass) those of the 2007-2008 heating season.

Electricity could turn out to be the bargain of the season. That's hard to fathom for those of us who remember that the big push decades ago for electrically heated homes backfired years later, and many homeowners spent an arm and a leg to stay warm. Now, despite the increase in the cost of electrical power, it just may turn out to be a bargain after all, with electrical heaters pressed into use to keep certain areas of the home comfortable.

Meanwhile, those of us who use home heating oil will continue to be in denial until the real cold hits, and the delivery trucks stop out front all too often. It may bring a bit of resentment from some of us that this country has failed miserably to lead all Americans away from oil dependency. This failure can be attributed to many political leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, over several generations, who have ignored all of the warnings that we needed alternate sources of energy.

Every time the morning sun hits our living room, or the wind rakes down Linekin Bay, we wish that at some point in time, there had been a big push for affordable solar heat or wind power for homes. We don't mean to imply that the technology isn't out there, but you can probably count on your fingers how many homes in our area utilize alternate heat.

Maybe it sounds like whining, but we wish our government had made a bigger effort to provide us with more incentives for solar or wind power and had made sure every homeowner knew the options that exist, how much they cost, etc. New home construction seems to be the best place to start, but, unfortunately, many of us with older homes face an even greater challenge when it comes to affording oil heat.

For many, many years, government leaders have preached about the need to turn to solar power and alternate sources of energy. We all clap loudly and applaud their comments, but somehow, nothing positive ever comes of their remarks.

Most of try to take some of the known steps to cut home energy use, i.e. replacing or repairing windows, caulking, wrapping pipes, checking for drafty places, lowering the thermostat, etc., but we're convinced that as a nation of high-oil users, we could be doing so much more if we were given proper direction and incentives from our leaders. When will the United States make a real move to lessen our oil dependency?