If it's cold where you live, what are you heating with and what is it costing?

[Oaktree]

I tend to agree with him. We've been burning wood for a bit over 10 years now. We do not save any money if I put a value on my time and a value on the wood that I burn. I ran the numbers several times.

Cost of stove, chimney, installation, saws, chains, splitter, fuel, etc.
Value of my time splitting wood VS taking a part time paying job.
Value of the wood I produce if I sold it.

I'd never break even, let alone save any money.

However, I enjoy the process and it gets me outside. I also enjoy the warmth of the fire. I get free wood off of our property and I get a lot of wind fall on our trails. I have to clear locust from our forest, and I might as well use it.

No different than raising a pig for slaughter, having chickens or even a garden. It has to be something you enjoy enough that you don't consider the value of your time in doing it. Like you, I enjoy the whole heating with wood experience. It's work, but it isn't.

 

[Oaktree]

Yes they are - just went from .22 to .34 in August due to cost of fuel

I don't know who your utility is, but I'm in the same state and ours is .22 (up from ~.10). Are you taking the entire bill (including delivery charges and other fees) and dividing by the kWh used to get that figure?

 

[Jstpssng]

No different than raising a pig for slaughter, having chickens or even a garden. It has to be something you enjoy enough that you don't consider the value of your time in doing it. Like you, I enjoy the whole heating with wood experience. It's work, but it isn't.

A lot of people pay gym fees to get the exercise you get while putting up firewood. I read once that was even part of Muhammed Ali's training regimen. That may or may not be true, yet it makes a good story...

 

[5030]

View attachment 772426

So that is you... A swing and a miss...lol

 

[groundcover]

OPEC Kiss my ash !
Lots of those shirts around when I sold wood stoves in the late '70s. People would be lined up Saturdays and couldn't part with their money fast enough . Then they would have to wait weeks for their stove to come in.
I have burned wood ever since. Never paid for any wood , only equipment, I should break even in another eighty years or so !
I added solar and mini splits so only touched off the stove on the 15th.
Burning wood, messing with chain saws , performing open heart surgery etc. isn't for everyone but a perfect fit for some.

 

[Jstpssng]

Burning wood, messing with chain saws , performing open heart surgery etc. isn't for everyone but a perfect fit for some.

You actually do THAT for a hobby?!?!?!? WE'RE not WORTHY!!!!

 

[groundcover]

I don't and probably shouldn't either !

 

[stumblinhorse]

Propane is just horribly inefficient at altitude. Something like a reduction of 10% per 1000ft over 4000-5000. I am at 8000. Solid fuels don’t lose like that, that is where at my place in the 90’s we were at 10300, and it used electric, propane almost wouldn’t cook stuff on the stove…

 

[RustyA]

Northern Wisconsin here...replaced our 20 year old builder grade propane furnace/ac with 18 seer air source heat pump and two stage propane furnace. .12 cents per kw but reduced to 6 cents for high seer heat pump. Programmed system to switch to propane at 30 degrees. We get AC and spring/fall heat at 6 cents per kWh. Pre buy for propane this year was $2.09.9 per gallon. Also installed blaze king catalyst stove for backup or use if propane gets stupid again. Super happy with system and only burn wood when we want to.

 

[Carl_NH]

I don't know who your utility is, but I'm in the same state and ours is .22 (up from ~.10). Are you taking the entire bill (including delivery charges and other fees) and dividing by the kWh used to get that figure?

Yes that's the total from supply and delivery from Eversource - here is our house total for last 12 months.

Read Date	Usage	Month Bll	Per KWH
11/4/2022	475	$162.65	$0.34
10/6/2022	417	$144.35	$0.35
9/8/2022	503	$171.27	$0.34
8/9/2022	582	$149.56	$0.26
7/8/2022	451	$104.92	$0.23
6/8/2022	449	$104.51	$0.23
5/9/2022	524	$119.20	$0.23
4/6/2022	487	$111.59	$0.23
3/8/2022	539	$121.44	$0.23
2/7/2022	679	$141.62	$0.21
1/6/2022	669	$138.52	$0.21
12/7/2021	642	$133.69	$0.21
Total Year	6417	$1,603.32