Is burning worth it?

Here's a post that was a response to me on Facebook from a post I made of my first fire of the year. I made a comment that I wasn't even sure if it is worth burning these days. That it has become a hobby and something I do because I love the warmth but also the beautiful view of my Fireview.

Well I have a friend on FB who worked in the energy world all his life. So he posted this general costs of the wide variety of heating options. Have a look. Now I know I am saving money.

Check this out.

Residential Heating System Cost Calculator | Efficiency Maine

 

By using this app, and using the 3 year plan many of us use here, I buy my wood green and season it over the next 3 years so my costs of a cord is $250, not $350. That dropped my yearly cost of $1225 per year. Way below the other heating systems.

 

There are many online heating cost calculators similar to these.
Is it worth it is not only a factor of dollars, also the security of having heating when the power goes down, the enjoyment (as you mention) of having a fire, and the satisfaction of working for ones own heating needs. I look at my wood shed and think that I'm golden for three years.

My wood is dropped free, or I even get paid or having a log load dropped of at my place. So other than my chainsaws, axes (no splitter), and the cost of the stove and woodshed material, it only costs me sweat and blood (it happens that a split hits my shins). No tears though

Is it worth it? It sure is to me.

 

Be tough to calculate cord cost for me. I scrounge and never pay for wood. Factoring time/labor would be difficult. I typically cut on site, bring home then split and stack till needed.


Definitely worth it to me. As stated above, I’m years (6+) ahead and have zero fear of going cold should the electricity go out. There’s a lot of value in that. Also lots of value (to me) in the physical activity it takes to get that wood collected and prepared.
I have zero interest or stake in the fluctuating costs needed to heat homes. That’s huge.

 

Just monetarily, after any associated costs, it still saves just my house here $300+ a month on heating for 6 - 7 months full time burning, before all the rate increases the last few years. The kids have never not burned so we don’t know what it saves them since their furnace breakers have been off since they moved. My folks save $150ish a month.

The fun times, story telling and memories with the kiddos at 27 and 30 and my folks up in their 70’s still helping as much as they can. It would be still be worth it hands down without hesitation, even if there was no cost savings. Looking at all the full sheds and knowing you have heat through the 29/30 winter at 4 very important homes is a pretty good feeling.

Keep on hoarders.



Owl

 

We save 150-300 a month for usually 5-7 months depending on how cold it gets. It's not just about money though. I enjoy the peacefulness of wooding, exercise, knowing we have plenty of heat if the world goes to Then theres also just relaxing in front of the fire and falling asleep.

 

I like that no matter what happens in the economic or political world, I have 3 plus years of heat on site and paid for with no electricity needed.

 

Having a lifetime basically unlimited supply of wood means I will burn it until I can't make it anymore or they give electricity/gas away for free.

 

Regarding exercise and relaxing- Doing firewood is great exercise and I don't find many things more relaxing than at the end of a day drinking a beer or 5 and admiring my day's work.

 

Many of these sites allow you to put in the cost (per gallon, kWh, etc) that you have to pay. So inflated or not is then your own choice.

Use your own data and determine your own best approach...

 

#4 is always chalked up a a negative. I tend to think differently. Too many consider time spent watching a sportsball game (enter whatever distraction that doesn't help you a bit) on the TV to be more valuable than time spent making wood.

#1 I have woodlands with trails and kept yards...of course I will have a chainsaw (or a dozen) anyways.

#2 Have only willingly driven a car for four years of my life....when I was young.

#3 Many folks get by with a maul & wedges and have been doing so since before ICE engines were invented. Most equipment is luxury meaning one *can heat their home without. I'm sure we have members here getting by without a tractor or hydro. That's why I call them Luxuries.

 

We've had several long-term power outages here in NJ, the worst of which was Hurricane Sandy 10/28/2012. Temperatures plummeted after the storm and the wood stove kept our house as warm as we could ask for. It's comforting to know that the stove and dry firewood are on hand if the fit hits the shan weather-wise

 

I have enjoyed cutting, splitting, stacking, and heating with wood as long as I can remember.

Our primary source of heat in our first home was a free standing wood stove.

Now we are heating again at home. Our cabin is wood heat only. Between our home, cabin, the bunkhouse, the sauna, and fire pit we are definitely in the wood hoarding mindset.

The money savings is one thing, but the rigor/vigor of our 3 year plan, self-reliance and superior heat versus other options are the biggest factors for us.



The rigor/vigor


Home


Cabin


Bunkhouse


Sauna



Fire pit

 

We've saved at least 2,000 a year. That's buying green split wood too. We have solar panels, so when/if we go eletric we won't be so beholden to the utility company. Plus the reliability of wood heat. Nothing quite like coming in from the cold and warming up by the fire!

 

Now Dennis my grandfather taught me how to split wood.. his parents owned a farm on NH border; they (gramps and brothers) cut split and stacked 35 - 40 cord a year. House; Ma cook stove (smaller size) and sugar wood for maple syrup.
He didn’t have tractor (used horses) tractors then couldn’t handle steep hills and ledges
No chain saws; double bladed axes 2 mans draw saws etc
He was a splitting machine.

i am not 1/10 man he was; at 17 in best shape of my life I couldn’t keep up with him
Watched him literally take 16” round sugar maple hit it 1 time with splitting maul flick his wrist on impact and get 4 even splits with 1 swing over 50 times

granted his hands were 4 inches thick in his 80s
Old super 8 videos in 1950s him doing it.. some day I’ll get them digitized and post..

myself I have chainsaw tractor and splitter
Yeah for hydraulics

I have land and if I got to cut tree out might as well let it warm me again.

 

I like your spatula!

 

Complete noob to burning wood having only gotten into it back in 2016/17. Then in 2018 I put the insert in.

Quickly fell in love with all aspects, it's more of a hobby and even therapeutic. Keeps me moving and active, which is always good for health reasons.

On top of that having the insert is a game changer, never looked to save $$ per say but just be more efficient. And I can surely say it is much more efficient and we also save little $.

But besides that, the heat is 2nd to none, I'd spend so much $$$ keeping my house as warm as I can keep it with the insert, there no other heat like it.

I'll continue to process and split wood as long as my body and health allows me to, its fun especially when your ahead and you don't feel pressure to do so, can take your time.