We're lucky here since we don't get unbearably cold or hot. We've always used woodstoves for heat and have grown enough of our own firewood to not need to buy any. We don't get many days over 100, so we're able to do okay with fans and no AC. Our main cost is the high cost of water. Our rates have gone up 60% in the last 4 years and most of the avocado groves in our area are being let die...terrible. Welive in this prime area for agriculture and the water costs will force everyone out of business. I'm pulling out planted areas and planting more and more to natives. When we think of moving, we have to take into consideration heating costs, AC costs in other areas.
I love snow and winter, of course, because we don't get much here...but someone from Jersey posted getting snow night before last and a friend in New Mexico posted that they got some last night and I'm not sure I would want it that early in the season. I'm normally jealous that someone else is getting snow, but I think I'm still in a Fall frame of mind.
The costs of heating the greenhouses...people come out here on vacation or whatever and rave about how cheap the plants are in the nurseries...well, the growers here are not paying those huge heating bills. Even without the highest heating bills, our propane guy said last winter that their business was much slower since a lot of the growers could not afford to heat the greenhouses. Our area here is prime nursery country...many large wholesale growers and many,many nurseries going out of business. The economy, plus the water costs and heating costs....too many businesses will never recover. I had a small nusery specializing in salvia and it just wasn't worth it right now. Nobody is planting.......
I hope you have a mild winter, Ferenc.
Alan, I hope you have a spectacular winter in Az...rain and all that...lol.
