The houses I grew up in had coal fires, and those fires were the sole source of heating for the entire house, and the only source of heating hot water bar a kettle.
Later on my Dad fitted an electric immerser hot water tank. It was considered both expensive to install and very expensive to run, but we didn't need to light the fire in Summer just to have hot water for baths.
Folks think it's practical to have an alternative, to be 'self sufficient', to be somehow the sole provider of their heating.
In reality it means tedious work, dirty skies, filthy chimneys and fires/stoves that need cleaned pretty much every day in life.
Been there, done that, not doing it again.
Wake up to a frozen house, have to light the fire to get any warmth going. Come home from work in the dark in Winter and the house is frozen and you have to light the fire to get any heat, or hot water.
Time and place.
I like fires as much as any of us, but the reality is that most of us live a suburban kind of life and open fires and stoves aren't tenable, not for everyone for everyday use.
Our towns and cities were filthy when I was little. They were black with coal smoke, people suffered hellishly with lung problems, and if your lungs don't work well then your heart struggles.
The very rain was dirty, washing left out in rain had to be re-washed because of black streaks.
Rightly, folks complain about particulate matter being the cause of ill health.
The amazing transformation of our country around every village and town, the vast re-greening of trees, etc., is simply because folks no longer forage and gather every stick they can for the fire.
I know the production of electricty isn't without problems, but we are getting very much better at the technology and at much more efficient at our usage.
