Electric Heat vs Gas Heat: Which is Cheaper? (2023 edition)

[waffleironhead]

I dunno how fast a wood burning stove burns through wood, but I've got half of the back of a 3 car garage seasoning some poplars that died on my property. Maybe 7 of them? and they each took maybe an hour to fell, cut, and transport. I could see just meandering through the forest next to my property and ripping apart fallen trees with my electric chainsaw. Could easily clear a few truckloads without blinking.

I heat a 2700 sq ft space with about 3 tons of wood pellets every season (upstate ny) so i'd wager if someone was in a 1500 sq ft place, 2 tons or so of hardwood in a wood burner would likely do it unless the BTU's are much worse. Doesn't take much tree to clear that.

Biomass is one of the better heating methods as long as old growth isn't touched. Or if it is it's done very selectively and sustainably... most forests will repopulate gaps exceedingly quickly. Bonus points if you know how to target dead/dying trees, ones with girdled roots, rotting branch sockets, supported by dead trees, etc. Hell you can even collar them in-place and let them season themselves where they stand for a year or two.

I was just going off my own experience. I heat with wood, and a wood burner is nowhere as efficient as a pellet stove. I use about 8-10 cords of wood each winter. Thats loggers cords. which comes out to about 20 pickup loads. I get it hauled in on a pulp truck and then cut and split it myself($100/cord). I just cant imagine the time and effort it would take to find people willing to let me scour their land to come up with that kind of wood supply each and every year. Thats why I asked if it was some sort of free for all, as yeah, there are forests around me and yeah there are dead and dying trees, but its all private land or state forest and that wood is definitely not free for the taking. Hell ive had people try coming onto my land to grab a downed tree. Thats trespass and theft.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah if you're going to take trees make sure you're on crown land first. At least here in Ontario there is a map online so just check the general area you plan to go to and mark off areas that are off limits in qgis or other gps app on your phone.

I'm in process of getting a harvest permit as well since I don't actually have pine tree rights on my own property, which is common thing here. So I'm hoping this permit will let me harvest a larger area in the same area as my property then I'll be set as far as lumber goes too when I get my mill setup. I think this permit allows me to even do it commercially. If I get to that point I want to also get setup so I can replant 2x what I cut. That may also be a requirement in the permit, I'll find out more once I hear back from the MNR.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Yeah if you're going to take trees make sure you're on crown land first. At least here in Ontario there is a map online so just check the general area you plan to go to and mark off areas that are off limits in qgis or other gps app on your phone.

I'm in process of getting a harvest permit as well since I don't actually have pine tree rights on my own property, which is common thing here. So I'm hoping this permit will let me harvest a larger area in the same area as my property then I'll be set as far as lumber goes too when I get my mill setup. I think this permit allows me to even do it commercially. If I get to that point I want to also get setup so I can replant 2x what I cut. That may also be a requirement in the permit, I'll find out more once I hear back from the MNR.

Oh Canada….