The Psychology of Heating with Firewood

[ihookem]

I just got my gas bill for January. It was just under 15 bucks. I figure another 20 for the extra electric so I guess it is up to 35 bucks. It cost almost nothing for me to get the wood. Hard work and gettin harder. My dad still heats with wood at 78, I told him it ain't worth it anymore to cut wood. He said " not when your making it in July, but come January it will be."

 

[olyman]

Just an observation. Although the usual motivation for burning wood for heat is economical after reading this thread I would say that saving money isn't the true motivation. It really has to do with the love of being outside, gathering wood, cutting, splitting, stacking, loading and the satisfaction that comes with that accomplishment. If you put a dollar cost amount on all of the time that one spends in preparing and using wood heat you really didn't save much money. And if you have to buy wood you saved even less or maybe you've saved nothing at all.

from some of the replies before you--me thinks you dollar value is not equivalent to theirs--if i had the gas furnace running--which is 97% eff,,,,my gas bill a month would be over 400.00!!!! the saws are loooooong ago paid for,,and tho vehicle gas is rising--im nowhere near that amount of money,,for the full season of wood heat, for a 1 month gas bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Just an observation. Although the usual motivation for burning wood for heat is economical after reading this thread I would say that saving money isn't the true motivation. It really has to do with the love of being outside, gathering wood, cutting, splitting, stacking, loading and the satisfaction that comes with that accomplishment. If you put a dollar cost amount on all of the time that one spends in preparing and using wood heat you really didn't save much money. And if you have to buy wood you saved even less or maybe you've saved nothing at all.

Probably true for many.. For us, living in an all electric home in an area with very cheap rates ($.103 a Kwh, total, taxes and all) If we bought wood there would be almost no monetary savings, some but not a lot. But we get our wood from our 12 acres of hardwood, so it's mostly just time and a little gas/oil.. But we do it as much for the independence as anything else. Saving $650 or so a winter off the electric bill certainly is nice too.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Probably true for many.. For us, living in an all electric home in an area with very cheap rates ($.103 a Kwh, total, taxes and all) If we bought wood there would be almost no monetary savings, some but not a lot. But we get our wood from our 12 acres of hardwood, so it's mostly just time and a little gas/oil.. But we do it as much for the independence as anything else. Saving $650 or so a winter off the electric bill certainly is nice too.

That and having a second line of defense against cold when the power fails is always a plus. Where I live, the electrical service is never a guaranteed thing during icing conditions, or bad rain, or,.... Propane can be handy, but if there's no juice to power the furnace, then propane is no help. Self-reliance and independence are always traits exhibited by strong, intelligent, and resilient folks. There's nothing like having true friends to lean on when necessary, but ultimately it comes down to individual will and responsibility to your self and to your family. Firewood (self ginned) is one very good example of this, due to the labor required to bring it to fruition. If it were easy, or Highly profitable, everyone would do it.
-Bryan

 

[Hedgerow]

That and having a second line of defense against cold when the power fails is always a plus. Where I live, the electrical service is never a guaranteed thing during icing conditions, or bad rain, or,.... Propane can be handy, but if there's no juice to power the furnace, then propane is no help. Self-reliance and independence are always traits exhibited by strong, intelligent, and resilient folks. There's nothing like having true friends to lean on when necessary, but ultimately it comes down to individual will and responsibility to your self and to your family. Firewood (self ginned) is one very good example of this, due to the labor required to bring it to fruition. If it were easy, or Highly profitable, everyone would do it.
-Bryan

Yes... Rugged individualism... There are are those who have it, and those who don't understand it. But the more of it there is in this country, the better off EVERYONE is... Even if they don't know it... Yet... I'm teaching this to my brother in law. Slow student, but he's coming around.

 

[logbutcher]

RES IPSA LOQUITOR

Hey, don't ask me what it means.........................

All of you nailed it. Nothing tangible, although the $$$$ savings is enormous.
It is what it does for you---priceless.

 

[gwiley]

I know I save money by heating with wood, in spite of all the gear that I bought using wood as an excuse.....we spent $5000/year in propane before, now about $300/year! My tools/toys have paid themselves off.

Not only do i LOVE seeing the propane delivery truck on the road, knowing he isn't coming to my house, but I LOVE the look on their face when I tell them that I spent $80 last month on electricity and all the heat came from firewood! People just shake their heads and walk away mumbling.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Pay the Piper

I know I save money by heating with wood, in spite of all the gear that I bought using wood as an excuse.....we spent $5000/year in propane before, now about $300/year! My tools/toys have paid themselves off.

Not only do i LOVE seeing the propane delivery truck on the road, knowing he isn't coming to my house, but I LOVE the look on their face when I tell them that I spent $80 last month on electricity and all the heat came from firewood! People just shake their heads and walk away mumbling.

I often wonder why people shake their heads when they find out how much we save by burning firewood. Yet that is exactly what the reaction usually is. I never know if they do that because they think we belong in the nut house with the mentally insane or is it because they simply do not believe us?

Many men I know are short on money, but they will not make the effort to save money on their fuel bill. I guess they think they can do better by earning money elsewhere with the time spent. However, these men are also usually the same ones that complain a lot about the monthly fuel bill.

To which I say, "Pay the Piper."

 

[woodbooga]

RES IPSA LOQUITOR

Hey, don't ask me what it means.........................

No need. your poast speaks for itself.

 

[logbutcher]

No need. your poast speaks for itself.

Calling all moderators, calling all moderators------
SPELLCHECKER ?????

 

[tw40x81]

I enjoy the decorative piles of fuel in the yard.


Oh and moderators, moderators! Please consider slang verbiage before acting upon the most recent complaint about an alleged spelling error in this thread.

 

[Wood Doctor]

More Psychology...

I enjoy the decorative piles of fuel in the yard.

Oh and moderators, moderators! Please consider slang verbiage before acting upon the most recent complaint about an alleged spelling error in this thread.

Fear not, for the two parties involved are New Englanders. In Maine and New Hampshire, seldom does a word sound the way that it is spelled and vice versa. :msp_smile:

Meanwhile, back to the thread subject. I was ready to deliver another load of firewood to a customer that called up yesterday saying that he was running out.

Got the truck all loaded and ready to go this afternoon but before I could start the engine, LOML said I had a call from somebody on a cell phone. Same customer who ordered the load said, "Hey, Doc, I just heard that the weekend is supposed to be a lot warmer. Maybe I can make it with what I got left. Cancel my order. Is that OK?"

What was I supposed to say? :deadhorse:

 

[LumberjkChamp]

What was I supposed to say? :deadhorse:

Some really bad words........maybe a few?

 

[Wood Doctor]

The Truth?

I would have told them the truth! ......unless I had another delivery lined up.

Dan, wait a minute. If I had another delivery lined up, why would that preclude telling the truth.

Also, I'm not sure what the truth is. Please advise. opcorn:

 

[woodbooga]

Fear not, for the two parties involved are New Englanders. In Maine and New Hampshire, seldom does a word sound the way that it is spelled and vice versa. :msp_smile:

I take issue with this. We in the foothills speak and write a perfectly acceptable for of standard English, enhanced slightly and tastefully with the kind of colloquialisms that add richness and depth to our shared linguistic heritage. I have regular business dealings with individuals from Fla., Ill., Calif., and internatonally. We understand eachother just fine. But I travel 30 miles east over the border to Maine...

To wit...said poast by Messr. LB...for phonetical rendering see below

Calling all moderators, calling all moderators------
SPELLCHECKER ?????

[as uttered east of the Salmon Falls]

Cahlng oll muhdraiders. SPah'chukkah

 

[logbutcher]

I take issue with this. We in the foothills speak and write a perfectly acceptable for of standard English, enhanced slightly and tastefully with the kind of colloquialisms that add richness and depth to our shared linguistic heritage. I have regular business dealings with individuals from Fla., Ill., Calif., and internatonally. We understand eachother just fine. But I travel 30 miles east over the border to Maine...

To wit...said poast by Messr. LB...for phonetical rendering see below



[as uttered east of the Salmon Falls]

Cahlng oll muhdraiders. SPah'chukkah

Excellent example of thread highjacking by us oh so brilliant New Englanders once again. Apologies to our less fortunate bro's forced to live in other parts such as the great (sic) PNW.

Back to the O.P. : our place is 100% heated by wood. Has been since we bought woodlots and built following the famous Pee Rule. The most extreme Greens around believe (believe) that wood heat is polluting and destroys people. "Besides", they say, " we don't have the time to cut forests and lug this primitive fuel." It's that belief system that is impossible to rationalize. So we don't. When they visit, no explanation of the rationale of using an abundant resource for heating, managing woodlands, the exceptional feeling of warmth, or the little 'pollution' resulting from wood burning done right will satisfy their fundamentalist set of assumptions.

The accepted science of wood burning is a teleology of matter: burning basically does what the decomposition of a fallen tree does....just faster. Science.

Some of them will buy tiny amounts of 'clean' fireplace wood for ambiance fires. Some pay $$$ to join an "exercise" club. Most drool over the wonderful technologies of wind turbines or photovoltaic with no understanding of their utility, their manufacturing energy cost, or the large $$$$ for individuals.

RES IPSA LOQUITOR you all.

P.S. WTF is our spellchecker ?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Good information, Logbutcher, and thanks, TreeCo for the clarification. That's kind of what I figured you meant. In fact, I did explain to the customer that the truck was already loaded and he backed off and said, "Bring it on over. I'll scrape up the cash." Then he gave me a $10 tip for helping unload and stack.

LogButcher's report deserves an addendum. I've seen conservative estimates that forest fires burn 95% of all the biomass burned every year. Less than 5% is burned by residences and industry. The rest are prairie fires and controlled bonfires. The forest fires, prairie fires, and controlled bonfires are probably causing 98% of any air pollution due to biomass fires.

Citing data like this is one way to help rationalize what we are doing when heating with firewood. Rationalization tends to help my brain get through the criticism levied by others.

 

[Darin]

P.S. WTF is our spellchecker ?

It didn't come with the new software because all browsers have it built in and it's better than what vbulletin could build.

 

[logbutcher]

It didn't come with the new software because all browsers have it built in and it's better than what vbulletin could build.

Thx Darin. All the whining has gone. Good job.

 

[meatwagon45]

Just the other day, I was looking at Facebook and read a post by our new Probate Judge. He was complaining that he had to shell out $1000 to fill his oil tank. I've spent maybe $150 on chain, bar oil, gas, and mix and that will last me all winter.

Who is smarter now?

I heat my entire house with my wood stove insert. I had to close my business this year and we are relying on my wifes income. Thanks to the heavy snow in January, things have not been too bad thanks to plowing. I never tried to go with wood alone and have nothing in the oil tank if I run out of wood. Lately, I've picked up some oak skids to mix in with my wood to make sure I last until spring.