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http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/07/27/sunday_in_depth/doc488c8fb30c099814383205.txt
Homeowners looking to offset high heating bills turning to wood, coal
More area residents will be heating their homes with wood pellets, coal and fireplaces next winter than anytime in the recent past, as they seek alternatives to skyrocketing fuel oil and natural gas costs.
But there's a hitch for anyone hoping to keep warm at a stable cost: The price of alternative fuels is also climbing as demand heats up.
Wood pellets, manufactured to be burned more easily than logs in wood stoves and furnaces, were selling for as little as $220 a ton last summer. This year, with more customers seeking to shift at least some of their heating needs to wood, area dealers are quoting prices in the $255 to $290 range, according to the Web site www.hearth.com.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/07/27/sunday_in_depth/doc488c8fb30c099814383205.txt
Homeowners looking to offset high heating bills turning to wood, coal
More area residents will be heating their homes with wood pellets, coal and fireplaces next winter than anytime in the recent past, as they seek alternatives to skyrocketing fuel oil and natural gas costs.
But there's a hitch for anyone hoping to keep warm at a stable cost: The price of alternative fuels is also climbing as demand heats up.
Wood pellets, manufactured to be burned more easily than logs in wood stoves and furnaces, were selling for as little as $220 a ton last summer. This year, with more customers seeking to shift at least some of their heating needs to wood, area dealers are quoting prices in the $255 to $290 range, according to the Web site www.hearth.com.
