And this is how different each area is. I changed their assumption for electric cost (0.20 from .017 - which it may go up 60% next month) and propane (from 3.25 to 5.50), wood pellets come out a winner over the heat pump (not by much). Propane boiler, which is what I have is 2nd most expensive method of heating this winter. I pay less per ton for pellets than their standard cost so what they show is high. I estimate I spend 1200-1500/year on heating with the stoves, depending on how many deals I find on CL/FBM (that cost includes the increase in electric use). What they show for use of the propane boiler is actually pretty close going by the costs I incurred the winter of 2013-2014 (why I got pellet stoves)
I keep thinking perhaps a pellet stove as a backup but not sure what to do. If I have to go into a hospital it could pose a problem as all I have is wood heat.
Snowing outside so a good day to make some black bear chili. My sister is visiting tomorrow and although we grew up on bear meat, venison and other wild game as a staple, she hasn't had any bear in probably over 40 years. She's looking forward to the chili and I'll hook her up with some packs of bear meat to take home. Just put the lightly browned bear meat in the crock pot along with some sautéed red onions and garlic. Now to add the rest of the ingredients.
Yesterday 1st thing I scrounged about 1/2 cord of maple. Jump in the truck to drive home and all of a sudden I'm seeing shadows out of 1 eye. Get home call the eye doc. Get an appointment like 2hrs later. Go right from there to a retinal specialist. Going to get detached retina repaired later today. Keep looking at 2 cords of maple I've scrounged in the last week sitting in the drive that I can't touch now for several weeks till I heal up. This is only day 1 and inactivity is getting to me. By day 10 I'm going to need a padded room.
Pellet stoves are really not a good back up. They use electricity and they need to be filled usually daily. I would think for emergency use while you are away that some electrical units would be OK to keep the place from freezing up. I think they are about the most safe methods to heat when the house has no one at home. Your out of pocket investment shouldn't be much, and your use is minimal. Plus there is little to no maintenance. Outside of a real furnace, I don't know what else would be back up.
Things not shown in your calculations. Your investment of time and cost of transporting the pellets. It has a value. Plus the cost of running the pellet stove, and every time fossil fuel goes up, pellets cost go up. Early on we were getting pellets for 150 a ton but when 2008 came, the price jumped right up and hasn't come back down. We were told cost of transportation, but when that went down, pellets cost stayed. We must have 10 places within as many mile of here to buy pellets but we are told there is very little profit from pellet sales. I'll accept that and know that we have to shop around just like for anything else.
My house has all types of heat. Circa 1980 in VT, well insulated, casement windows, 1600sf 1) originally electric baseboard, put in due to some discount that used to exist from Quebec power 2) mid 1990 someone installed a forced hot air oil furnace and cut in ducts in the basement (ranch house) 3) previous owner came in and installed two mini splits for AC that can heat too, they are not the most efficient and stop working at -5. 4) I installed a wood stove I came in and moved the big (actually too big) minis split to blow down the hall, unfortunately had to remove the oil tanks in the basement because they were looking like they were going to leak. As an engineer I like to optimize costs and it seems like for the first few years when I am overpaying for dry wood, the mini split is cheaper to 30 degrees then the wood stove wins. With green wood moved dried 2-3 years it seems to beat the mini splits but doesn’t take into account over heating the house when it’s 40-30. Ideally I would love a more efficient mini split that works to -15 but for now I turn on the electric baseboard when I am away from the house and there is a threat of it going below 0. I heated the house last year on 100% electric (mainly mini split, some baseboard) and spent $1200 with electric at $0.18/kw, oil was $1500 the year before but i filled at $2/gal. Oil blower used a surprisingly large amount of powers I think buying green wood and drying it I can get down to $700/year plus I don’t have to buy a generator.
I would go for a non central type heat that you don’t have to reload. Either a rannai wall unit propane unit, mini split for an ac bonus, or just a few runs if electric baseboard.
I hope you don't Dennis. Seeing all these charts and comparisons to heat pumps is interesting, huh? And how long a bag of pellets would last where the heat pump would not need it's hopper refilled.
That is serious. Follow orders on this one for sure. Of all your senses, I believe losing sight would be the worst.
Just the heat portion. I am usually $120 a month for basic electric, my water heater is an energy hog, have a heat pump water heater (great subsidies!)ready to install just haven’t found time.
