LP prices?

Carl_NH · Jan 28, 2022

ovrszd said:
My numbers are with two separate buildings which tweaks the amount a little. Not sure if that applies to you.

Yes, two buildings are heat and AC - 3100 SF house, then 28x42 detached garage/office which 1000 SF is heated/conditioned. The third is the 24x36 barn and is unheated.

I've been tracking consumption a spreadsheet since 2008, for example adding mini splits increased our electric but solar covers most of this, and decreased oil consumption by 50-60 gallons on average each winter.

The biggest plus for me with mini splits was not having to muscle 4 window AC units in/out each summer and fall, as I pulled my back out and was down for a few weeks one year - can't put a $ on pain/injury.

ovrszd · Jan 29, 2022

ericm979 said:
At my propane price and accounting for the efficiency of our wood stove and propane furnace, I figure a cord of wood replaces about $850 worth of propane. That's valuing my time at zero of course. If my land didn't generate more wood that I need just from trees that fall or need to be cut, it'd pay for me to buy split and seasoned wood for $350 a cord and burn that instead of propane.

WOW, how much is propane there? A cord of good wood here is $125. How many cords do you burn a year?

ovrszd · Jan 29, 2022

Alan W. said:
Just had the tank filled at church. $2.319 gal tank held 570.3 gal. Thats from Danvilles Southern States.

That's what it costs here today if you don't have a contract.

ovrszd · Jan 29, 2022

RugerSAfan said:
With our co-op, this year it's $1.59 gal plus tax; no delivery fee; free tank.

It seems your area always has cheaper propane than most others. Why is that?

Oaktree · Jan 29, 2022

ovrszd said:
Then mix in burning wood. It gets really fuzzy then. I burned wood to heat my shop for 25 years. If I calculate what I could have sold the wood for I didn't save enough to justify the labor. Don't get me wrong. I like cutting firewood. I like sitting near the wood stove and drinking a Beer. But I would never say I saved a bunch of money. I did not. I would have gotten a better return on my investment by selling the wood and better insulating my buildings. But to each their own.

Not quite sure I follow the logic here. Do you figure your time into every DIY project you do vs hiring a pro? To me part of the beauty of heating with wood is the self-sufficiency...money you don't need to spend. The time I spend cutting/splitting wood isn't time that would otherwise be spent at a paying job.
To me it just doesn't make sense to cut wood, sell it then buy something else for heating, certainly not in a part of the country where it actually gets cold.

ovrszd · Jan 30, 2022

Oaktree said:
Not quite sure I follow the logic here. Do you figure your time into every DIY project you do vs hiring a pro? To me part of the beauty of heating with wood is the self-sufficiency...money you don't need to spend. The time I spend cutting/splitting wood isn't time that would otherwise be spent at a paying job.
To me it just doesn't make sense to cut wood, sell it then buy something else for heating, certainly not in a part of the country where it actually gets cold.

I was talking about the cost effectiveness of burning wood. In that context, yes, I place a dollar value on my labor. And on the equipment required to process the firewood. When I do that I see little financial gain.

I already quoted my heating costs. Quote yours.

Fxfymn413 · Jan 31, 2022

All this reminds me of the blurb that went around several years ago about how much money you save by burning "free" wood and then went on to list the cost of the truck, the splitter, the saws, the fuel, the time, etc. It was pretty hilarious.

I burn because I love the heat from the wood stove and I really enjoy processing the wood. I'm retired and have the time to mess with it which is not the case for everyone. I'm also fortunate to have a good friend who works with me in our wood gathering adventures and enough near by wood to keep us going.

Is it worth it money wise? Maybe not, but it does keep my heating bills lower since the central heat usually runs no more than once or twice each night. And when it's finally time to move on I can sell the splitter, saws, etc. to recover some of the cost.

ovrszd · Jan 31, 2022

Fxfymn413 said:
All this reminds me of the blurb that went around several years ago about how much money you save by burning "free" wood and then went on to list the cost of the truck, the splitter, the saws, the fuel, the time, etc. It was pretty hilarious.

I burn because I love the heat from the wood stove and I really enjoy processing the wood. I'm retired and have the time to mess with it which is not the case for everyone. I'm also fortunate to have a good friend who works with me in our wood gathering adventures and enough near by wood to keep us going.

Is it worth it money wise? Maybe not, but it does keep my heating bills lower since the central heat usually runs no more than once or twice each night. And when it's finally time to move on I can sell the splitter, saws, etc. to recover some of the cost.

Well stated. I burned wood for 25 years because I enjoyed doing it. As the years went by it became more of a chore. 3 years ago I quit relying on wood. I don't miss "needing" to cut wood. Now I cut wood when I "want" to.

A wise elderly gentleman told me years ago, "It doesn't matter what you heat a well insulated building with. And it doesn't matter what you heat a poorly insulated building with." Took me a couple decades to fully understand that statement.