Wood Heat is on the Rise in Massachusetts

27 January 2012      

With the cost of heating oil showing no signs of decreasing, many homeowners, particularly in the Northeast, are dusting off their hearths and relying on wood to heat their homes during the winter.

Because of the escalating cost of home heating oil, an increasing number of homeowners are turning to their wood burning fireplace inserts and wood stoves to heat their homes during the winter months.

What is surprising is that a bulk of homeowners aren’t leaving oil and using wood as a supplementary, special-occasions-only heating source but as a primary method of heating their homes.
 
According the U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the number of U.S. households using wood as a primary heating source grew from 1.6 percent (1.8 million households) in 2000 to 2.1 percent (2.4 million households) in 2010.
 
Statewide, the number of households relying primarily on wood doubled in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
 
Recent rates for residential heating oil in the Northeast stood at $3.97 per gallon, a 58 cent increase from around this time last year. A decade ago, the cost was $1.19 a gallon.
 
Many homeowners are turning to wood as a primarily source of home heating fuel because it’s renewable, locally sourced, and often free. The shift away from oil is under the radar. It’s more a popular movement. It's driven by individuals.
 
Have you switched from oil to wood as a primary heating source at home? Have you invested in a new, EPA-approved wood stove over the past several years? If you are interested in doing so, contact Fireplace Showcase.

Original Article – Boston.com