Massachusetts homeowners hoping to lower their winter heating bills by using their fireplace have been facing an expensive surprise: Firewood orders can cost $800 to $850.
While some cheaper options might be available, choosing the least expensive supplier could end up costing more in the long run.
Here's what to know
Higher energy prices have sparked greater interest in using firewood for heat, CBS News Boston reported.
Paul Fulmore, operator of Boston Firewood, told CBS News that his business has been seeing plenty of new customers looking for an alternative heating source. These have included people working from home, for whom using a fireplace in their workroom might mean being able to turn down the heat elsewhere in the house.
"It's a lot of people we have never heard from before," Fulmore said, per CBS News.
More background
According to Fulmore, some of these new customers have experienced sticker shock, expecting to spend about $100, far below the $800 to $850 prices he cited.
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"The new customers are ordering a Domino's pizza, and they expect it tomorrow morning," Fulmore said, per CBS News Boston, joking that "we have to call an ambulance for them" after they hear the price.
However, according to Fulmore, buying cheaper wood will result in higher home heating costs because the heat generated per dollar of cheaper wood is significantly less than with higher quality, dry wood.
The same went for wood pellets, another popular fuel for home heating, Fulmore said. Paying less for pellets likely means getting fuel that burns less effectively.
What can be done?
Higher upfront costs can still buy more heat per dollar when the wood is dry, Fulmore said, according to CBS News Boston. That is why he recommended well-dried, higher-grade firewood over cheaper, damp wood.
"You just can't go on social media, find who's the cheapest guy and bang that's going to be our guy because that wood may be outside for the last three months in a big pile," Fulmore warned, per CBS News Boston.
A distinctive, hard clack when a piece of wood is dropped is a sign that it is dry, Fulmore said. He suggested a simple sound test to determine wood's dryness.
"Sounds like two baseball bats when you clang them together," he explained of the sound that sufficiently dry firewood should make, per CBS News.
On the whole, Fulmore advised inexperienced firewood buyers to be aware that buying firewood is different than purchasing heating oil.
"They need to realize, it's not like buying a gallon of oil, all oil is basically the same," Fulmore said, as quoted by CBS News Boston. "Firewood is all over the place, it's like the Wild West."
Where can I learn more?
Choosing a source of heat is just one challenge facing cold-climate residents as winter approaches.
• A Pennsylvania wood-stove newcomer stacked winter firewood, then learned green wood poses risks.
• Massachusetts households faced a $2,627 heating-oil winter as Healey moved to ease bills.
• In Massachusetts, heating-aid demand jumped early while HVAC firms urged residents not to delay repairs.
• Massachusetts renters and homeowners can qualify for winter heating help under an income-based rule.
• A homeowner seeking lower oil-heating costs got advice to warm the bed, not the air.
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