The growing use of wood heat is under the public policy microscope because of the smoke produced. However, a recent home heating survey discovered an interesting and perhaps related phenomenon: Fairbanks homeowners have cut their fuel oil consumption by an astounding 25 percent in recent years.
Four years ago, the average homeowner burned 1,099 gallons per winter, according to the borough-sponsored survey. During the past winter, the average burned was 818 gallons.
More than anything, the drop probably demonstrates just how much price can affect our use of energy, even for so basic a product as fuel oil.
Saving 25 percent on fuel consumption requires a homeowner to do more than just dial down the thermostat a few degrees. Cutting usage by that much requires a more efficient furnace, a cheaper alternative heat source, more insulation, better windows, fewer air leaks or significant changes in behavior — or some combination of all of the above.
These are not easy or inexpensive changes to make. But Fairbanks residents apparently decided they were worth it.
The changes probably were driven by the price of fuel oil. In summer 2008, the price of fuel oil rose briefly to more than $4.30 per gallon. At that point, the average homeowner was looking at a heating oil bill of more than $4,000 annually.
Some borough residents responded by firing up the wood stove. In 2008, when oil prices were at their highest, wood heat was less than half the cost for the equivalent amount of energy.
Still, the number of wood heat users is up by only 7 percent since 2006, the survey found. So people here didn’t exactly stampede to this cheaper source. Instead, most seem to have responded by reducing their oil consumption in other ways.
The state offered a generous home energy retrofit program, but achieving a 25 percent reduction in fuel use probably required the expenditure substantial amount of cash from many people.
Whether the retrofits were worth their price in savings depends on each individual’s situation. But when a person is paying several thousand dollars per year for heating, a reduction of 25 percent can justify a nice little home improvement program.
Again and again Fairbanksans brings up the GOUGE. LtGov. candidate Jay Ramras says his Judicial Iinvestigation found big gouging, but he decided it was "good gouging and necessary" for Interior businesses! It was healthy for us.
Many Alaskans have given up and left. It is time for Mr. Walker to be elected. Like most of us he is through with thirty five years of State studies. To the rest -especially Parnell, -time to get off the pot. NOW!
Eliminate the preposterous idea of Chicago. Get N. Slope gas to port and put in a few spigots.
At least our Borough -hear this OUR BOROUGH not our STATE, cares enough to get something done!
They have cut the cost of home heating by between 2/3 s and 1/2 including domestic hot water.
One homeowner cut his his heating cost from $2,500 to between $520 and $560. Another, cut his cost from around $5,000 to $1,500! By using the heat from his yard.
Another, is taking the heat from the bottom of a lake! He cut his oil bill by 1/2.
Adding up the 3 examples mentioned the homeowners eliminated more than 5,000 gallons of oil consumption.
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What caused more wood usage is "heat or eat" by the state's hidden royally oil tax.
Now if you felling like your getting screwed by your "robber baron state government" enjoy the feeling! It's for the children! And public employee union members who do live better because they are living off of US.
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ycatx
A lot of people here use pellet stoves, but it's important to realize that pellet stoves are NOT really wood stoves. They're very efficient, but I've had friends report that -- where their old woodstove heated their entire house, their supposedly comparable pellet stove is leaving parts cold. So, it may be that they just don't put on the steady heat of wood. Or my friends may be critical, not feeling like what the pellet stove costs is worth it.
Pellets also have to be bought from a vendor, rather than gathered out in the wild, so the cost is higher and you're now dependent upon someone else for your fuel. We're supposed to have a pellet plant here locally, but it doesn't appear to be selling any pellets, so I'm leery of its availability.
Please don't let those anti wood people pass laws against wood, they own oil company stock.
Conservation is not saving 25% of the fuel. Switching to another heating method is the only thing that could cause such a change.