BY BRYAN LA PLACA
With the ever-rising cost of energy, many people are turning to an ancient method of heating their homes this winter – burning wood.
In the past seven years, the price of home heating oil has doubled in New Jersey, costing about $1.60 per gallon in the winter of 2003 to over $3.25 as of the latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Propane too has experienced a similar price jump, averaging $3.60 per gallon in New Jersey as of Nov. 29. In this area where many residents live in almost-rural communities, natural gas hookups, usually a cheaper source of heat, are not available.
While the effect of residential wood burning is certainly not beneficial for local air quality, its bargain cost when compared to other heat sources is attracting homeowners.
For those unwilling to split their own firewood, they can buy it in cords, which vary in price depending on the quality of the wood but cost around $150-$200 from local private sellers. A cord is the amount of wood that, when neatly stacked, takes up volume of 128 cubic feet. This corresponds to a woodpile 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 8 feet long.
The energy content depends on the wood being burned. Harder woods emit more Btus when burned, but are pricier than softer woods.
According to New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry (DPF) statistics, one cord of burned wood emits the same amount of heat as about 135 gallons of heating oil, 200 gallons of propane or 4,275 KWh worth of electricity. With heating oil and propane costing over $3 per gallon and electricity costing about 14 cents per KWh, the cost savings of wood becomes obvious. In real terms, 135 gallons of heating oil would cost about $440, 200 gallons of propane would cost about $720, and 4,275 KWh of electricity would cost $305.
Homeowners can expect to burn through about four to 10 cords per winter, more or less, depending on personal tastes and other factors, such as if the wood burning supplements another heating system like oil, or if it is the home’s only source of heat, according to the DPF.
For homeowners willing to sweat a little for their heat, there are a variety of places to find their own wood at cheaper prices. The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry allows firewood cutting for personal use in five participating state parks and forests. The wood is sold for $20 per cord, for up to a maximum of five cords during the cutting season. Permit holders can cut and remove their firewood from standing timber in designated areas. And, if homeowners do a little digging, there are also ways to find free wood to burn.
But before homeowners take the plunge and install a wood burning stove in their homes, John Wurdemann Jr., manager of North Jersey Stone & Stoves at 99 Marshall Hill Road in West Milford, cautions them that it is not a decision to be taken lightly, and requires research and a high initial investment.
He’s seen an uptick in prospective customers stopping into his store lately with the especially cold recent weather.
"Whenever there’s a cold snap and you get a raw day and a little bit of snow flying, more people definitely come and look at the information on all the different appliances that we sell," said Wurdemann. "We start with educating them on all the different appliances. What they do, how they work, and what they as consumers need to do to run it efficiently."
Wurdemann said it is important to impart the facts of owning a wood burning stove to customers so they can decide if one would be appropriate for their home, or if they would be better off trying a different means of burning wood, such as pellet stoves or fireplace inserts.
"Education is what we really do first," said Wurdemann. "People need to do their homework before they make the investment because it is a pretty substantial investment, about $4,000-$6,000. It’s a big chunk of money."
But with the costs of oil, propane and electricity continuing to climb and the savings that can be realized by burning wood, Wurdemann said that a wood-burning stove can pay for itself in about two to three years.
President Obama’s stimulus plan also offers a tax credit of up to $1,500 to cover 30 percent of the cost and installation of federal Environmental Protection Agency-approved wood-burning and pellet stoves or fireplace inserts.
