Historical Oil use vs. Wood Buying

[tsquini]

Below is a rough estimate on my heating cost over the past 5 years. I got my stove installed on 2009. We average about 100 gallons of oil per delivery. I have a 200 gallon oil tank. My wood buying, I split the cost and work with neighbors.

Heating Oil No Wood Stove
2008 - 10 deliveries - 1000 gallons year - $2,805 - $2.80 gallon

Heating Oil w/ Wood Stove
2009 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,255 -$2.51 gallon
2010 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,343 -$2.68 gallon
2011 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,737 -$3.47 gallon
2012 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $2,048 -$4.09 gallon
2013 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $2,010 - $4.02 gallon

My total Cost for heating oil 5 years: $8,393
Projected potential oil use without stove over 5 years: $16,770

Wood Buying
2009 - 2 delivery split - 4 cords - $950 - $237 cord
2010 - 1 delivery Grapple - 8 cords - $900 - $112 cord - split with neighbors
2011 - 1 delivery Grapple - 10 cords - $900 - $90 cord - split with neighbors
2012 - 1 delivery split - 3 cords - $750 - $250 cord
2013 - 2 deliveries Grapple - 16 cords - $1800 - $112 cord - split with neighbors

My total Cost for wood buying 5 years: $3,500
My total Grapple Cost: $1,800 - 17 cords
My total Split Cost: $1,700 - 7 cords

 

[mol1jb]

I'm in the same boat as you. I used to entirely on propane. Used approx 600-700 gal per winter. Last 2 years on wood heat suppliment, average around 200. Gotta love wood heat

 

[Doug MacIVER]

Below is a rough estimate on my heating cost over the past 5 years. I got my stove installed on 2009. We average about 100 gallons of oil per delivery. I have a 200 gallon oil tank. My wood buying, I split the cost and work with neighbors.

Heating Oil No Wood Stove
2008 - 10 deliveries - 1000 gallons year - $2,805 - $2.80 gallon

Heating Oil w/ Wood Stove
2009 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,255 -$2.51 gallon
2010 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,343 -$2.68 gallon
2011 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $1,737 -$3.47 gallon
2012 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $2,048 -$4.09 gallon
2013 - 5 deliveries - 500 gallons year - $2,010 - $4.02 gallon

My total Cost for heating oil 5 years: $8,393
Projected potential oil use without stove over 5 years: $16,770

Wood Buying
2009 - 2 delivery split - 4 cords - $950 - $237 cord
2010 - 1 delivery Grapple - 8 cords - $900 - $112 cord - split with neighbors
2011 - 1 delivery Grapple - 10 cords - $900 - $90 cord - split with neighbors
2012 - 1 delivery split - 3 cords - $750 - $250 cord
2013 - 2 deliveries Grapple - 16 cords - $1800 - $112 cord - split with neighbors
My total Cost for wood buying 5 years: $3,500
My total Grapple Cost: $1,800 - 17 cords
My total Split Cost: $1,700 - 7 cords

man, the closer to boston the more you get soaked. oil yesterday , advertised price yesterday hanover ma. $3.439/ gal, never paid more that 3.899 last year?

 

[btuser]

How much did you pay yourself to burn wood?

With the cost of equipment, a redundant heating system, space, chance of getting hurt, and TIME SPENT BURNING WOOD I'd say the money I save is much less than minimum wage, even when factoring the tax-free status of doing my own work.

 

[Doug MacIVER]

How much did you pay yourself to burn wood?

With the cost of equipment, a redundant heating system, space, chance of getting hurt, and TIME SPENT BURNING WOOD I'd say the money I save is much less than minimum wage, even when factoring the tax-free status of doing my own work.

. then there is all the time I use to admire the stacks, lugging in the bricks and splits. I used to play golf, don't throw clubs anymore just splits!I save on the gym membership, use the wood as my gym. true though I worry if there will be enough wood for the season so the burner doesn't run back up to 1400 gals.

 

[tsquini]

How much did you pay yourself to burn wood?

With the cost of equipment, a redundant heating system, space, chance of getting hurt, and TIME SPENT BURNING WOOD I'd say the money I save is much less than minimum wage, even when factoring the tax-free status of doing my own work.

Right, if I start to look into that it will be different. When it is single digits out and the house is 72* and I don't hear the furnace come on I'm happier.

 

[tsquini]

man, the closer to boston the more you get soaked. oil yesterday , advertised price yesterday hanover ma. $3.439/ gal, never paid more that 3.899 last year?

Here is a site with list oil prices. http://www.newenglandoil.com/massachusetts/zone9.asp?x=0

 

[mudr]

Here is a site with list oil prices. http://www.newenglandoil.com/massachusetts/zone9.asp?x=0

I haven't bought oil in a while ( ) so I had to look it up online. EIA says "NY" is around $4.25. I live in western NY between Buffalo and Rochester, so I'm not sure how representative that "NY" number is for me, or if it's influenced by downstate. Pretty sure I'd be around $4.

 

[elmoleaf]

Wow that's a lot of oil. Big house, uninsulated house, no programmable thermostat, or you like it at 80? Short money is to first air seal your house, then focus on insulation. If you do an energy audit with Mass save and don't have a programmable thermostat, they'll give you one for free.
You'd be amazed how much cold air can enter a house just under the sills, or through the conduit into your electrical panel.
A little effort on these things can add to both your wood and oil savings.

 

[Makers Mark]

Got 200 gals. of propane 1st of December , checked it this wk still have 160 gals in tank. Was $2.50 a gal then it's $2.99 now. Have a 1000 sq. ft living room we keep closed off with thermostat on 45 in it. It has been running some or wouldn't have used that much propane. Will have a freestanding stove in it before next winter.

 

[esox]

Without burning wood the oil consumption for my 1400sq ft ranch home is around 700 gallons a year give or take for temps. 200 gallons of that is for hot water, just the wife and I now so about 500 would be for heat. The stove is in the basement, a PE Summit and I'm keeping the upstairs comfortable even with cold outside temps. Basement 72 and upstairs 65 which we're comfortable with. Using less than 150 gallons to supplement the upstairs heat during really cold spells because we're not home. If I were here to control things I could eliminate the need for the boiler completely however I'd be using more wood of course. The 350 gallon savings translates into about $1200 per year. Don't pay for the wood so that's a big plus but were I to buy 3 cords uncut and unsplit I believe that would cost me about $450. Now the savings would be $750. Taking into consideration my splitter was $1700 and the new stove was $1900 its going to take about 5 years to break even if your cutting and splitting your own purchased wood. Consider the amount of time and effort involved from start to finish I'm probably worth about $10 an hour. Is it worth it? To me it certainly is. I'm outside, getting great exercise and getting something accomplished. To those of you that have more important things to do, especially you younger folks I'd have to question where I'm at with this program. Not trying by any means to sway people away from wood burning. I love it. Just trying to point out you shouldn't expect a trip to Barbados every year with your savings.

 

[bholler]

what is allot of oil? before putting in our coal furnace (wood stove going in in a couple weeks) we would easily go through 1500 gals a year. since that we have sealed up allot insulated the attic more so I am sure consumtion would be down now. our house is a 200 sq ft 1920 Victorian style house. coal furnace went out a month ago and we have burnt through a 275 gal tank in the last month.

 

[btuser]

My house is roughly 4200sqft built in 1994 with good windows and good insulation. First year we burned 1400 gallons easy. Five years later I'm burning less than 800 and I think that's about as low as we're likely to get. All I've got is an insert on one end of a very long house so 24/7 burning is not really an option. I'm happy with the ROI but have hit diminishing returns on more effort.