If the electric heat is mini splits, then the electric is pretty close to the cost of purchased firewood, more or less, even at high rates. In mild weather the heat pump is cheaper, in cold-ish weather (maybe down to 10F) close to even. In very cold weather, below maybe 5F, the heat pump starts to get way more expensive than wood pretty fast as the temperature drops, I guess depending on your heat requirement. For us, yep, ouch. (Though heat pumps are expensive and don’t last forever, got to take that into account too).
For me now it’s not so much an economic consideration so much as a winter comfort one, and also a mind set. (We do have mini splits and an oil boiler). Also I don’t at all like burning oil. Even if part of your power grid is green, electricity is a bit sketchy too. Here in Vermont our electricity is supposed to be, I think they say, 99% renewable. Though I don’t see how that really is, since we are on the New England Grid, which is pretty far from completely green if you look at
https://www.iso-ne.com/ say right now. Even worse in real cold. Not all that green. The hydro input to the grid is severely curtailed because of the prolonged severe drought we’ve been having.
It’s funny for me about paying for wood vs cutting my own. Some periods in the past, because I had better things to do or could earn money in that time or because my back hurt, I considered cut, split, and delivered at $280/cord to be a bargain compared to spending time cutting, splitting, hauling. And at times in the past I was definitely losing money if I spent the time messing with wood in any way instead of working. Though lately I’ve been all in on cutting my own and am getting years ahead. For some old man reason, I’m enjoying it immensely it’s all about cut my own. There are always other things I could be doing, but I’m compelled to cut wood and play forester. I expect if I don’t hurt my back or something, I’ll be at least 3 years ahead by June or so. In a period around 40 years ago I cut all of my wood, but I didn’t enjoy it so much. With the masonry stove I had back then I wanted it just-so. Also there were infinite poplar trees to cull.
Burning wood in this old house is the only way to keep comfortable in our “great room” (an 1860s one room school house). Without the stove going in cold weather, there is just no way to be comfortable in this room. Maybe cranking both the oil heat AND the mini split at the same time could get it warm in here below 20 degrees F. I’m going to find out in a couple of weeks when we do a cold swap of the Jotul for a Progress Hybrid, and the stove will be shut down for a time in late December. Shut down the Jotul to remove it, then the Progress will only get some break in fires (and probably open windows). Brr.
It’s in my blood. I’ve always wanted to burn wood, even in my little superinsulated house that didn’t need much heat at all, even in the big architect designed house with oil-boiler floor heat and (for those few years) plenty of money. (Alas, distant past.) Wood burning got in my blood, I guess when I was in college and had a chance to live for no rent in a barely insulated cabin with an antique wood stove, no running water one winter and spring was the start of it. And that was back when Vermont had cold winters. Burning wood triggered some genetic switch I guess. Done it ever since, just about every year. Now I won’t stop until I’m dead or hauled away. There is no alternative to keeping the stove going.
