By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

FARMERSTOWN, Ohio — That old, familiar Christmas carol says when the weather outside it frightful, a fire is so delightful. But the delicious warmth of a real-wood fire is not the only reason eco- and budget-friendly consumers may want to consider switching their homes to wood heat.

According to the websites of the Wood Heat Organization (WHO), a nonprofit based in Canada to support the public in responsible use of wood energy, unless one lives in a large city, wood is the cheapest heating fuel to use. And, saving money is on everyone’s mind, given the current economic situation.

Not only is wood an affordable heat source, spending locally by purchasing firewood is an investment in one’s community. As WHO puts it: “Spend a buck on oil, natural gas or electricity, and you feed a corporate giant. Spend a buck on firewood, and you feed a neighbor.”

Depending on one’s individual situation, heating one’s home with wood may not even require the purchase of firewood. Many farmers and other rural residents with wooded property may find they have all the firewood they need, free for the taking, just by cutting their own downed trees and thinning their existing woods.

Wood heat using a stove or fireplace also saves energy by focusing heat in the most used portions of the house, and that kind of well-planned space heating saves 25 percent of a home’s energy expenditure right off the top, according to WHO. Yes, the bedrooms and basement may be chilly, but the living room – where families actually spend most of their time – will be warm and cozy.

It may be hard to visualize energy usage when adjusting a thermostat or flipping a switch, but each armload of wood used to heat a home is a tangible reminder and measure of the environmental cost of keeping one’s family warm, according to WHO.

It may sound like a romance novel or movie, but there is something warm and inviting – not to mention downright comforting – about the glow of a fire. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from taking control of one’s own heating needs and severing dependence on a corporation to provide needed heat. And when the power goes out and the furnace no longer works, the warmth of a wood flame will continue to keep one warm and might even turn the power failure into a fun adventure.

Burning wood is not just good for one’s sense of self-reliance and pocketbook, it can also be good for the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, wood is a renewable energy source. Though it does release carbon dioxide, similar to fossil fuels, the difference is that burning fossil fuels releases carbon just one way: From the Earth to the atmosphere. The natural cycle of trees, however, whether they are burned in a forest fire or left to decay, also releases that same carbon.

Young trees absorb carbon dioxide, recycling the carbon released by burning wood back into that future fuel source. According to WHO, about half the weight of dried wood is absorbed carbon.
If you still harbor images of old-fashioned woodstoves or fireplaces from childhood, rest assured that things have changed a lot.

Today’s woodstoves utilize advanced technology to deliver up to 75 percent seasonal efficiency while emitting 90 percent less smoke than old “airtight” stoves, according to WHO. That means new stoves won’t pollute indoor air and require one-third less wood to heat the same home than their traditional counterparts.

Today’s stoves produce almost no smoke, minimal ash and require much less firewood than the stoves of years past, according to the EPA, and can be sized to fit individual needs, from heating the family room, to a small cottage or even a full-sized home.
The EPA also recommends “zone heating” for larger homes with an older, central furnace. By targeting specific areas of the home, one can reduce fuel consumption, which will conserve energy and save dollars while maintaining comfortable heat levels.

Whether you currently heat with wood or are considering a switch, it’s important to note that properly installed, correctly used woodstoves do not release smoke into the house – properly burning fires produce little or no smoke from the chimney. If you smell smoke in your home or see a lot of smoke coming from a chimney, those are warning signals that something is not right with the wood heating system.

In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends using an EPA-certified stove to reduce pollution, as well as having woodstoves cleaned and inspected annually. Additional safe wood-burning practices can be found online at www.epa.gov/woodstoves/efficiently.html#tips

For more information about using wood heat, visit WHO online at www.woodheat.org or visit the EPA site on wood stove homes at www.epa.gov/woodstoves