Paying the heating bill

[British Red]

Most know we heat and cook on wood ( with propane backup)

This is our stove

Wood stove by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Today I was rendering a Willow tree into firewood

Willow logs by English Countrylife, on Flickr

It was big rounds so it was time to go old school

Log splitting tools by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Splitting wedge by English Countrylife, on Flickr


I thought it interesting, to work out what our year's heating and cooking "costs". Well, when we split wood, we season it in vegetable crates

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Each crate holds about 2 cubic metres of split wood up off the ground with room for the wind to blow through which is important for seasoning.

Log bin by English Countrylife, on Flickr


When full, we cover the crates with wriggly tin and let it season for two years

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr


Now that Willow filled one crate. A crate of 2m3 is half a cord (the standard measure of firewood). We burn three cords ( 6 crates or twelve cubic metres) of seasoned wood a year. Given that it takes two years to season, that's up to 36m3 of firewood in various states of drying.

How long this all takes is of course variable, but say a day to travel, fell, section and transport a big tree and another day to split, stack etc.

Let's say two weeks to prepare a Winter's worth of fuel. The wood is from dead, dieing and problem trees that are replaced and is very sustainable. With more land I would run a 10 year coppice cycle and produce the wood on site.

Rotten log by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Does it make sense?

I could go to work and make money to pay my heating bill - but does two weeks work cover heating?

I've certainly saved on gym fees, and honestly, although it's hard, sweaty work, it's still better than meetings

Red

 

[santaman2000]

For me the short answer is yes. Before I retired 2 weeks work would have been around $1600. Divide that by 12 and it comes to $133/month. That's within the range of my combined gas (home heating, clothes dryer heating, water heating, and cooking) and electric (lighting, air conditioning, and assorted appliances) bills both in winter when the heating (gas) is the higher of the two and in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn when the air conditioner is waaaay higher. That said, the wood option is by far the more satisfying.

 

[British Red]

It's an interesting thing to think about isn't it? I suppose the reality is, we all have to "pay the bills". Either we spend time producing food, fuel and equipment or we sell our labour and, using the money that we make, we "outsource" the production of these things. I do agree that I find the direct approach more satisfying in its tangible "effort produces outcome" simplicity.

 

[Broch]

It's 'honest' work - cutting, splitting, stacking

Though, I confess, I use an electric/hydraulic splitter these days; swinging a nice axe gets my sciatica

 

[British Red]

I have a hydraulic splitter and am not ashamed to use it! That said, with straight grained stuff that just "pops" I still go old school.

This Willow was dropped yesterday and is, literally, mostly water. When I slammed the maul into it, water would splatter my face. Fiona got some amazing slow motion footage of that

 

[Kadushu]

Willow has one of my favourite fragrances when it's burnt.

 

[British Red]

It's not my favourite firewood (Holly or ash for that) as it's heavy when green but dries light when seasoned. That said, I am very lucky in that a local tree surgeon friend just wants rid of lots of wood right now. I feel given that it's delivered felled and sectioned free, that it's not up to me to be picky!

 

[Le Loup]

Most know we heat and cook on wood ( with propane backup)

This is our stove

Wood stove by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Today I was rendering a Willow tree into firewood

Willow logs by English Countrylife, on Flickr

It was big rounds so it was time to go old school

Log splitting tools by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Splitting wedge by English Countrylife, on Flickr


I thought it interesting, to work out what our year's heating and cooking "costs". Well, when we split wood, we season it in vegetable crates

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Each crate holds about 2 cubic metres of split wood up off the ground with room for the wind to blow through which is important for seasoning.

Log bin by English Countrylife, on Flickr


When full, we cover the crates with wriggly tin and let it season for two years

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr


Now that Willow filled one crate. A crate of 2m3 is half a cord (the standard measure of firewood). We burn three cords ( 6 crates or twelve cubic metres) of seasoned wood a year. Given that it takes two years to season, that's up to 36m3 of firewood in various states of drying.

How long this all takes is of course variable, but say a day to travel, fell, section and transport a big tree and another day to split, stack etc.

Let's say two weeks to prepare a Winter's worth of fuel. The wood is from dead, dieing and problem trees that are replaced and is very sustainable. With more land I would run a 10 year coppice cycle and produce the wood on site.

Rotten log by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Does it make sense?

I could go to work and make money to pay my heating bill - but does two weeks work cover heating?

I've certainly saved on gym fees, and honestly, although it's hard, sweaty work, it's still better than meetings

Red

I am with you Red, I enjoy the hard work that will help sustain us through summer & winter. There is something wholesome & natural about producing firewood.
Keith.

We have stashes of logs throughout the forest. The dead dry wood we bring back to the woodsheds, the wood from dead or fallen trees not yet ready to burn we stack & let it mature. I enjoy the outside work Red.
Regards, Keith.

 

[British Red]

How many cords do you burn a year Keith?

 

[Le Loup]

How many cords do you burn a year Keith?

I have no idea Red, I don't keep track. There is probably a cord of wood in just the one woodshed, but we do not wait for it to get low, we try to keep the stack full at all times. We have the wood stove going all year round, & a wood heater for winter. The last drought here killed off a lot of our trees, so we have plenty of firewood, but it is sad to see so many dead trees.
Regards, Keith.

 

[British Red]

Just interested . There's so many factors in fuel. Earlier this Winter tree surgeon friend rang me and said;

"I'm dropping a dead ash. It's been dead years, dry as a bone - do you want it?"

It was 30" across and super dry. Cut into 18" lengths and split to 12" squares those logs burned for 12 hours! Right now I'm burning some Scot's pine - lucky to get 3 hours out of a log. No complaints, it all burns and keeps us warm

 

[Le Loup]

Just interested . There's so many factors in fuel. Earlier this Winter tree surgeon friend rang me and said;

"I'm dropping a dead ash. It's been dead years, dry as a bone - do you want it?"

It was 30" across and super dry. Cut into 18" lengths and split to 12" squares those logs burned for 12 hours! Right now I'm burning some Scot's pine - lucky to get 3 hours out of a log. No complaints, it all burns and keeps us warm

When I was a kid in West Sussex England I used to cut Elm down with a felling axe & had to drag the logs across fields which were sometimes flooded. My Father & I would then cut them into fire logs with a crosscut saw. I am getting old now, so try to make the work as easy as I can, but it is still hard work, & I still enjoy it
Regards, Keith.

 

[British Red]

When I was a kid in West Sussex England I used to cut Elm down with a felling axe & had to drag the logs across fields which were sometimes flooded. My Father & I would then cut them into fire logs with a crosscut saw. I am getting old now, so try to make the work as easy as I can, but it is still hard work, & I still enjoy it
Regards, Keith.

Almost no Elms left now - but I still have a couple of crosscut saws! Someone just gave me a sweet little 4' one to restore. I do need to find a saw setting spider at some point - have a jointer & a set but would love a spider

 

[Le Loup]

Almost no Elms left now - but I still have a couple of crosscut saws! Someone just gave me a sweet little 4' one to restore. I do need to find a saw setting spider at some point - have a jointer & a set but would love a spider

Good one Red I have a large crosscut saw hanging in the big woodshed. Good to have a back-up Obviously I still have a felling axe & I have several block busters for splitting the logs.
Keith.

 

[British Red]

Good one Red I have a large crosscut saw hanging in the big woodshed. Good to have a back-up Obviously I still have a felling axe & I have several block busters for splitting the logs.
Keith.

I've got a felling axe too

Axes by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Le Loup]

I've got a felling axe too

Axes by British Red, on Flickr

Brilliant mate! Excellent Love it.
Keith.

 

[Robson Valley]

I fuel the furnace of my central heating system with dyed diesel ( saves on several road taxes.) Had the outdoor tank filled December 01. Then we got a dreadful 18 day cold spell with daytime highs of -25C. Fortunately, when it's that cold here, there's no wind.

I just got the bill for a fill on Jan 14. That's 6 weeks. I burned through 800+ liters for a bottom line of $1,212. That's the fuel and delivery fees, taxes and so on. I've run electric heaters as supplement in a few rooms that I spend most of my time in. So I haven't seen the bill for that. But, we have hydroelectic power generation which is very economical.

Good to see that many of you have access to free fuel for just the sweat equity to get it into your stoves and heaters.

 

[British Red]

I fuel the furnace of my central heating system with dyed diesel ( saves on several road taxes.) Had the outdoor tank filled December 01. Then we got a dreadful 18 day cold spell with daytime highs of -25C. Fortunately, when it's that cold here, there's no wind.

I just got the bill for a fill on Jan 14. That's 6 weeks. I burned through 800+ liters for a bottom line of $1,212. That's the fuel and delivery fees, taxes and so on. I've run electric heaters as supplement in a few rooms that I spend most of my time in. So I haven't seen the bill for that. But, we have hydroelectic power generation which is very economical.

Good to see that many of you have access to free fuel for just the sweat equity to get it into your stoves and heaters.

Wow! So, unless I misunderstood, that's about $200 a week?. That's terrifying

 

[Le Loup]

Unfortunately Robson everyone, including those of us who are not burning fossil fuels, will pay the ultimate price. Todays children may not survive climate change. Society needs to change.
Keith.
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Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Food Supply | US EPA
How Climate Change Will Alter Our Food
http://www.fao.org/elearning/course/FCC/EN/pdf/learnernotes0854.pdf
Climate Change Threatens the World’s Food Supply, United Nations Warns (Published 2019)
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How climate change threatens food security (and why we're all at risk)

 

[Robson Valley]

I used to. Next best fuel option here is a compressed wood pellet stove. We have 18,000,000 ha standing dead/cracked junk pine from a super pine beetle infestation (Dendroctonus sp.) The pellet people can use that junk as ideal feed stock.
Pinnacle sells mile-long container trains all the way across Canada and the Atlantic to the Scandinavians. They know cheap fuel when they see it.

I ran a Harman P38++pellet stove for heat for more than 10 years. Fantastic appliance for soft gentle heat and warm floors.
Then my legs gave out (up and down the stairs to feed the stove.) Post Op 2019, I can't lift anything at all heavy to stay alive. So I recovered 70% of my capital cost when I sold the stove. Really hated to see that go.

I regret my current dependence on fossil fuels. No choice. I expect to fall off my perch in the next 10-15 years so I won't be a burden on Climate Change.