(ARA) - The first flakes haven't started flying yet, but the United States
energy department is already warning Americans to expect a 10 to 20 percent
increase in their energy costs this winter.
If their projections are right, it will cost users of natural gas -- the
heating source in 55 percent of U.S. homes -- 20 percent more or an average
of $1,049 to heat their homes during the winter season which lasts from October
through March. Heating oil customers' costs are expected to rise 10 percent
and propane users by 18 percent over last year. The government did not provide
estimates for electricity, which is used to heat 29 percent of U.S. homes.
"These are staggering numbers and a good reason for people to rethink
the way they are doing things," says Glenda Ervin, marketing director at
Lehman's, an old-time general store in Kidron, Ohio, which is about an hour
South of Cleveland. Ervin suspects rising fuel costs are the primary reason
sales of wood stoves are going through the roof.
Wood stoves have been around since the early 1700s when American inventor
Benjamin Franklin first put a patent on one. They haven't been the primary means
of heating a home in more than 100 years, but now with fuel prices rising, they
are making a comeback. The only fuel they require -- wood -- is easy to come
by.
"The nice thing about wood stoves is they are fueled by a renewable
energy source which also happens to be the cheapest heating source around,"
says Ervin. "We have an employee here with three kids who has a fairly
large home and it only costs him $100 to heat the house the entire winter."
Depending on the style, size and accessories you choose, a wood stove can
cost between $500 and $3,000. Accessories -- which include leather hand bellows
and pinecone starters to get the fire going, a heat-powered fan to pump warm
air through your home, and a fireplace tool set -- are easy to find and affordable;
and the fuel to run one -- fallen trees and chopped up logs -- is inexpensive
and readily available.
In addition to being cost-effective, today's wood stoves are environmentally
friendly. Their fuel is a renewable resource and catalytic converters and advanced
non-catalytic technology prevent their smoke from harming the environment. "They
are also more reliable than electricity, particularly during an ice storm,"
says Ervin. "Even if your power is out for days, a wood stove will keep
you warm while you're waiting for it to come back on."
There's also the emotional appeal to take into consideration. "My kids
won't have fond memories of sitting around the furnace, but they will remember
the stove we had set up in the family room and all the time we spent together
as a family enjoying its warmth," says Ervin.
To find out more about the wood stoves and accessories available at Lehman's,
call (888) 438-5346 for a free catalog, or log on to www.Lehmans.com. The store
is in Kidron, Ohio, but Lehman's ships to customers in all 50 states.
Courtesy of ARA Content |
