Energy Debate ---- and your own solutions

[buc]

Yes, I am driving less and combining trips as much as I can.

With summer in full swing I am wondering if any of you that don't already heat with wood are you thinking of it?

I know it is not for every one, but, for those of us that can it is my belief we should.

 

[spook]

We have wood furnace in the basement with Oil back up and a wood cook stove on the addition (that can be closed off from the house). We had already been doing the errands all at once, you have to think about it, but do errands on one side of the street, then turn around doing errands on the other side of the street, head home.
I keep an extra loaf of bread and oleo in the freezer so if we run low for any reason.
Also using a gas push lawn mower instead of the cub cadet. I need the exercise and letting the real gas hog rest for most of the summer, the chickens are penned in around the garden for insect and grass control.
We live in a town that recycles so that has been done for many years, avoid spray paints etc, use pump chemicals for the hair to be under control.
In the summer, we can or freeze all we can, example, tomatos are $2+ a can, we can buy (although we grow) tomatos by the bushel, 45 lbs for $6. That gives you a lot of tomatoes, generally 30ish quart jars. Yes you have to peel and cook, but its still cheaper.
When we find sales on canned items in the store, we purchase a few extra and it adds up and in the winter when you need to buy and pay for heat....
Instead of salted sand or chemicals to melt ice, I use used kitty litter (without the tootsie rolls) and stove ashes.
We do have a glass porch with lexan for the roof, hardening plants off, keeping plants longer in the fall is wonderful , also we recieve "free heat" days, spring and fall by opening a window and door, allowing the sun to warm and circulate the air.
Can't wait to see what others are doing to help keep the earth clean!

 

[dangerouschicken]

We rent and have DIESEL FUEL

My DH is looking for a used gas chain saw so he can go cut dead trees around the property for winter heating. We have a fireplace, which isn't as good as a wood stove (I grew in a house with only wood stove heat and I MISS IT!), but it is better than paying $5 a gallon for stupid DIESEL FUEL!

 

[buc]

Quote:
I have a wood burning furnace that is hooked up to our propane furnace ( the propane is the backup), we heat almost completely with wood. I do have to order some propane each year because we us it for hot water.

The DW put in her garden orders around Christmas - that means she told me what things she wanted me to grow a lot of this year so she can can, freeze and dehydrate.

I can never seem to grow enough beats. I am going to put in a wide row this fall that is 75 feet long.

 

[buc]

Quote:
May I suggest you look into a fireplace insert for your fireplace.

That should make the wood you burn provide you with more heat and less heat loss out the chimeny.

 

[MayberrySaint]

I live in a house that was built in 1870 and I think the windows dated to the 1920's...so I replaced them with new vinyl, double-paned windows and cut back on our fuel oil consumption by 25%. That was 2 years ago...
This year I refused to fill the fuel oil tank at such ridiculous prices, so I bought several small electric heaters and used those instead. Saved over $500 comparing the two options.

 

[spook]

Quote:
so true, people up here are looking into electric heaters where fule prices have gone through the roof! Pretty soon these prices will go up due to the fuel that is used to produce the electricity. Forbid we had wind turbines to mess up our view. That seems to be the big thing here, wind turbines look terrible and make noise (?). UGh. But if they could vote on Nuclear power, it would be fine- go figure.

 

[Davaroo]

Wood strikes me as a two edged sword. Yes it is renewable, but if everyone burned it, there wouldn't be any left and the smoke on the landscape, oy!
AS a short term, close to home alternative, it has appeal.

I'll just watch, for once.

:

 

[buc]

Quote:
so true, last year with the rise in the per gallon price of propane I made it a goal to heat with only wood, and I came very close. This year with the prepaid price being 2.15 a gallon I am going to buy less on contract and will heat with nothing but wood.

Working on a way to heat water with my existing wood burning furnace, some type of add-on, but not sure how to just yet.

 

[buc]

Quote:
Wood has a place in the overall energy picture, I don't think (Wish I could find a web site) many people in the US use it and many areas of the country it would not work, but, in those areas that it can work, we should.


I plant new trees every year, My little attempt at staying Cabon balanced.