| Many older homes have one or more fireplaces | | | | year, which is considerably less than gas or oil. |
| that might look nostalgic, but act as a tremendous | | | | Probably less than half the cost. If you buy |
| heat loss for the house. One easy solution is to | | | | seasoned firewood, you will pay up to double that |
| block off the chimney and stop the heat from | | | | amount. |
| disappearing into the atmosphere, but a better | | | | If you add on the cost of a shed and some other |
| one is to install a new or used fireplace wood | | | | accessories, the cost goes up, but not |
| stove insert. A good cast iron or steel stove will | | | | excessively, especially when amortized over a |
| do a great job of heating your house. | | | | period of years. There is a lot of manual work |
| You can now get high efficiency gas, solid wood | | | | involved as well, but generally this is not added in |
| or wood pellet inserts to provide clean and safe | | | | as an expense. |
| heat for your home. All of these have | | | | A gas chain saw can cost you $300, easily. An |
| advantages, as well as disadvantages. Assuming | | | | extra chain, sharpening file, hearing protection, and |
| you are comparing a wood stove with a pellet | | | | a splitting maul will add another $80. If you have |
| stove, it is a good idea to look at how much | | | | to buy a pickup just for firewood hauling, it is not |
| wood will be used. | | | | economically feasible. However, you can work out |
| A free standing wood stove or insert will require | | | | many different arrangements to get your |
| around 5 cords of wood for a typical Vermont | | | | firewood home. |
| winter. This will obviously vary widely, depending | | | | A pellet stove is much simpler. You install the |
| on where you live and what type of firewood | | | | fireplace pellet stove, or a free standing one, buy |
| you burn. In some areas hardwood is scarce and | | | | some pellets and thats it. You really should, |
| thus not really economically feasible. Other areas | | | | however, invest in a gas fired generator in the |
| have an abundance of wood that is simply rotting | | | | likely event that you lose power. A pellet stove |
| in the forest because nobody is cutting it. | | | | requires electricity to operate, and you will not be |
| If you cut your own wood, you need to have | | | | able to use it if the power goes out. |
| some basic accessories. A good gas chain saw, | | | | A pellet stove costs more than a typical cast iron |
| chains, sharpening tools, hearing protection, a | | | | wood stove. You can easily make up this |
| splitting maul, firewood shed, and hopefully a pick | | | | investment over time though. It is important to |
| up are some essentials. It is entirely possible to | | | | invest for the long term by getting a high quality |
| buy all of your firewood, but this takes some | | | | stove. |
| careful planning to make it affordable. | | | | Pellets can be delivered to your house and are |
| Say the cord of firewood costs $150 green, | | | | very easy to store. You can get bulk discounts as |
| delivered to your house. This equals $750 for one | | | | well and save even more money. |