Heating with Wood

[debtfreecb]

We use oil as a primary source of fuel to heat our home. We also have a woodstove insert installed in the fireplace on the 1st floor. The stove throws off a ton of heat and can heat the first floor. Oil is now $3.00 a gallon and wood is $225 per cord. I am wondering if I will actually save any money supplementing the oil heat with wood given the price of a cord of wood?

I would note that I am able to bring the temperature of my first floor up to almost 80 degrees. If I didn't supplement with the wood, my thermostat would be set to roughly 67 degrees! Now that's cold.

[anonymous_saver]

To be honest, I can't offer helpful suggestions on your question.

However, I did laugh when you said that 67 degrees was cold. I come from MN, so I don't see that as cold at all.

[humandraydel]

The amount of energy in a cord of wood depends on the species. An average value is about 20 million BTU per cord of wood. This equates to $11 per million BTU. Of course, this depends on the species of wood. White cedar only provides 12.2 million BTU per cord, so it is about $18 per million BTU. On the other hand, White Oak provides 25.7 million BTU per cord, or about $8.75 per million BTU.

Heating oil contains 140,000 BTU (or 0.140 million BTU) per gallon. This equates to $21 per million BTU.

So to answer your question: Yes, wood is cheaper on a BTU basis. How much so depends on the species of wood you are using. Plus, wood is more flexible in that you can heat smaller areas only when needed. If you are heating the upstairs (with oil) when you are downstairs, that is wasted energy.

[Tree0164]

We keep our house in the winter at 64 degrees and with the price of heating oil going up it may not go over 62 degrees this winter. We will dress in layers drink lots of tea and hot coco to keep our insides warm.

DH wants to use the fireplace- I don't like that idea for safety reasons plus doesn't the heat just escape.

[PrincessPerky]

I would note that I am able to bring the temperature of my first floor up to almost 80 degrees. If I didn't supplement with the wood, my thermostat would be set to roughly 67 degrees! Now that's cold.

heh, our heat is set at 61 ...and I am quite comfortable in two pants, three shirts and socks...I might like a second pair of socks though....

oh yeah, as to using wood to heat, the biggest problem I see is that the room with the fire is usually HOT and the rest of the house not...so you never really get used to less than HOT...which is a waste of the human adaptability IMO..not to mention makes for less moving away from said fire.

however if it is a wood stove that has heat ducts to 'spread out' the heat...or if you don't mind staying in one room...I think wood is the best way to get a room to 80 degrees....just one room though.

[zakity]

If you look, you can get free wood off Craigslist and off freecycle. Most of the time you have to cut it up yourself, but it is free.

[boefixepa]

LOL...it's sweatshirt time at my house! It's 64 when we are home 55 at night and when we are not home! Love programable thermostats! Now I just have to remember to keep my arm under the blanket at night so it doesn't get cold!

[bjl584]

I would go with the wood option, but then again, wood is free for me. I own a lot of wooded property. You should look into getting wood for free. There is always someone around town that just had a tree cut down that needs to get rid of the wood. Also, you can contact the utility companies and ask for permission to gather the wood that they cut from their right of ways. They usually will allow you to do so, since they often just leave it lay on the ground. Of course, if you go this route you may need to invest in the proper equipment to do so. Truck, log splitter, saw, etc. You'll just have to crunch the numbers and see what the better option is.

[Snodog]

You people are crazy with your low thermostat settings lol! We have our house set at 74 and it is worth every penny.

[Nikki Sixx]

We have our set at 68 at night and 70 during the day...but I do expect that to change with the increases in heating costs.

[leggzz66]

We use propane, and you can prepurchase it in the summer at summer prices, half the price for winter, 99 cents a gallon vs 1.98 in the winter. no limits either, u want 600 budget, or even just a 100, up to you. we have mfa which is pretty much states wide. i fill up twice a year on my summer stock. need it cause our stove is propane as well and that was only a 10 dollar change from gas orbital valve. used to have electric, but after the bad ice storm in mo six years ago, ten days no power, we had to all cram in my dads single person home all those days cause he had propane and we had all electric. at least if the power goes out we can stay home and stay warm now, i had quit smoking til that ten days in dads closet like home, started smoking again. four kids, myself and a dog, it was pure h e double hockey sticks.

[Owe-joy]

Hi--New here.

We heat with wood very often to supplement the expensive #2 oil. We have a wood burning stove that gives off a ton of heat. We run a fan towards the stove that blows the heat through the house.

We don't buy our wood though. My Husband goes around to land developers or areas locally that are taking down trees and asks if he can help himself. Many don't care- it's less work they ahve to do. He brings home 9ft long pieces and chops and splits in the back yard.

I guess you have to decide if the physical labor is worth the cost saving.
(but in doing so, you are getting healthy too so it's a good trade-off I think!)

[herm4]

You people are crazy with your low thermostat settings lol! We have our house set at 74 and it is worth every penny.

Good grief! That has to be expensive! What is the sq. ft. of your home? What is the typical monthly bill for you? ( If you don't mind me asking!)

We are experimenting with heating our house solely by using our gas fireplace during the day and central heat at night.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

leggzz66, may I ask what kind of propane heating system you have that requires no electricity? Do you not have a furnace that requires an electrically powered blower? Is it a radiator system? I've never been in a house with propane for heating.

[mom-from-missouri]

I used to have propane at my old house, before we took it out and went all electric. The propane furnace I had had an electric blower, and if the power went out, the blower went out--but the heat itself stayed on--it just didn't circulate thru the vents as fast. So, when our power would go off, we would shut off all the heat vents to all rooms but one or two to stay warm. If it was bitterly cold, we could hook a generator up to the blower every couple of hours.