I've gone along on an oil call or two -- and had a very little bit of hands on training. And I've got two certificates somewhere, Carlin and Riello.
Sounds like you'd be wise to move out of that house. Soon.
I've looked at kerosene and electric vs. natural gas and from what I can see kerosene is 2-3x (not accounting for a "cracked" window) the cost of gas and electric is 4-6 times as expensive. These numbers are for the Northeast US.
It quickly became apparent to me the cost-effective solution is to isolate a heated livingroom/diningroom/kitchen area from the rest of the house (installation of a weatherstripped door worked to keep the air from leaving and rising to the rest of the house), and to caulk, weatherstrip and otherwise tighten leaks generally. I keep the heated area at 62 degrees and dress warmly. My living area stays 20-30 degrees above the outside temperature just from the ordinary heat of televisions, computers, etc. With the heat on for a month of cold weather now I have used apprx. $3.50 in gas.
Since you're on a budget, you need to gain in one area what you lose in another. It might hurt, but the cost of extra warm clothing and the inconvenience of selective heating and sealing (caulk is cheap) can repay you many times the first winter.
Electric releases no fumes, so if this is a big worry you ight want to use electric selectively. If you burn anything, have a co2 detector under 5 years old (they deteriorate with age). My inlaws have used kerosene for years with no problem. They heat in an occupied room and vent into the rest of their large house. That setup solves both the area heat problem and the venting problem, so it's another way to look at the problem.
Most kerosene problems I've read about have been from someone refilling a hot heater. At room temperature, kerosene will put out a match tossed into it. But heat it up and it burns. Never fill a hot kerosene heater indoors or you will burn your house down.
Just a few ideas. Good luck with the heat!
If you burn anything, have a co2 detector under 5
Whoops, I mean a CO detector
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