How much $$ you save burning firewood / wood pellets

[Flatbedford]

I haven't run the numbers recently, but I know that the new Fireview paid for itself in November of the second heating season with it. I installed it myself and used the existing chimney. My house has a propane furnace and I save about $1500 per year with house in the mid 70s most of the time compared to in the mid 60s with the old smoke dragon stove. I still burn some propane for hot water, cooking, and to heat the far from the stove end of the house. My wood is scrounged. I have about $400 in my two used saws, and probably another $400 in other wood processing related tools that should last the rest of my life so i don't even count them as an expense. I would have a truck whether I burned wood or not. Combine many $'s saved, a more comfortable home, a hobby that I enjoy, and the enjoyment of sticking it to the man, I am pretty happy with wood burning. Oh yeah and I also get to hang with you all on this forum and talk about heating with wood.

 

[firecracker_77]

I am saving almost nothing as I pay for wood. However, I am enjoying 77 degrees at the moment and would be sitting at 70 or under for the same money in natural gas.

 

[ironworker]

Our first winter in our new home we we're getting filled up once a month and the bills were about $700-$850 a month and I was coming home to a cold house after freezing my butt off at work. That's when we decided to go for a stove, after an initial investment of about a years worth of oil, between stove,install and various wood processing tools, we are only spending about $1000 a year in oil and that is for hot water. I spend $600 a year for a truck load of logs, and enjoy cutting and splitting, it is time with the family, which is priceless, my son earns his allowance bringing a weeks worth of wood into the garage inturn teaching him work ethic, which is priceless, I take my time splitting so I can do half my wood by hand (only the easy stuff), which I enjoy, we spend a lot of time in our stove room in front of the fire, giving us plenty of family time instead of the tv, once again, priceless, and last and not least, I can come home to a nice warm house after freezing my butt off 200 feet up in the air and warm up in front of my stove. So as far as money we save about $4500 a year.

 

[Bub381]

$4000

 

[woodsmaster]

saves me around $3500 - $4500 / year. I've never heated my buildings with gas to Know the exact amount of savings. Right now i'm down about $12,000 in equipment. In 10 years it will have saved me about $21,000 Actually more. I cant really count all the expense of the equipment becouse I would have to have bought some kind of furnace for the house and shop any how so realisticly more like down $4,000 and save $29,000 in 10 years. Should add
that I'm using a boiler and also heating my hot water.

 

[KB007]

Somewhere around $2500-$3000 per year from our propane furnace days. Get a log load for $1000.00 that will last 2 winters. Wodd cost $500 per year. My labour - way too expensive to calculate, but keeps me out of trouble in the winter / spring bucking and splitting

That includes gas / oil for the saw/splitter, amortizing the saw/splitter over 120 years and a bunch of other accountant-like calculations that I did a while back - I used to be an accountant a million years ago (too lazy to go find the spreadsheet right now). What it doesn't include is the beer...

 

[argus66]

I'm at least $3000 i get all my wood for free and guys at work borrow my splitter pay me with cash or with firewood so the way i see it I'm turning a profit. and last yr i sold 3 cords for $200 each.

 

[Larry in OK]

I installed my stove the 2nd week of November last year.
Previously my 60+ year old house was heated with an older forced air NG furnace.
I get my wood for the cutting, some from my place and some from a buddy about 6-7 miles away. I already owned 2 chain saws and the truck(s) I haul wood in as well as axes, wedges, and mauls. I did buy a Fiskars X25 a couple days ago though.
I will likely be buying a hydro splitter before too long so that will be an additional cost to be factored into the cost and return equation.
My cost for the stove and miscellany to install was just about $1800.
I estimated a ROI of 2 seasons when we made the decision to put it in (one prolonged power failure would pay for it in my opinion). We went 6 days with out power after an ice storm several years ago and it was not pleasant. No electricity meant no furnace and no oven, with the wood stove we can still cook and We have done some cooking with it already.
So far this season I have saved about $700 off my gas bills compared to previous years but we have had a mild winter so far but winter ain't over yet.

There are quite a few non-monetary benefits to this wood heat game though.

The physical activity involved has been a over all benefit to my health (so far).
The temps in the house are more stable and I can keep it at a higher temp with no real additional expense.
My wife hasn't experienced her "allergies" like she did with running the furnace.
The grand kids get a kick out of watching me make Jiffy Pop popcorn on it.
And among other things I get a deep personal sense of satisfaction out of having the ability to heat my house regardless of what happens to "the grid".