There is a saying that handling your own firewood actually heats you three times: once while you are splitting it, once while you are stacking it, and once while you are burning it. I can attest that this is very true. It is also a good workout. For those of you who have yet to try it, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there with piles of wood just waiting to be split; it is doubtful they would turn you away if you asked if you could help.

I devoted much of the summer to felling, hand-splitting and stacking firewood; not just for this winter, but for next year, as well. Not only do I thoroughly enjoy the workout and time for reflection, but there is also a great sense of accomplishment. I do have a couple pieces of temperamental cherry sitting on the back lawn, which refused to split easily, but I will be persistent...it is a sad feeling when you realize that you’ve been beaten by a piece of cherry. Of course, it should be noted that the firewood I utilize is from trees that have fallen on their own due to storms, or from trees that are standing dead and creating a possible hazard.

"Try maintaining 68 degrees instead of 72 for a 5% decrease in fuel costs during the heating season; that is roughly $40 per 275 gallon oil fill-up."

For anyone interested in learning how to fell trees, I strongly recommend the Game of Logging courses. There are several levels of GOL, from beginner to professional, basic felling to advanced techniques and saw maintenance. Vermont Coverts and Vermont Family Forests offer such courses periodically throughout the year.

Having an analytical nature, and seeking to quantify and qualify actions with logical rationale, I attempted to compare the costs of burning wood with those of burning oil. This was a daunting task, as any economist would agree, due to the variables. It is easy to say that firewood costs between $150 and $200 per cord, split and delivered. Hard costs are significantly less if you purchase in log length, or if you fell your own trees, but then there is the time factor and manual labor. Fuel oil is currently between $2.649 and $2.729 per gallon delivered; no real manual labor on the purchaser’s part. The tricky part is to compare just how many gallons of oil equate to a cord of wood, or vice versa. Five cord of wood might heat a medium-sized home for the winter, but that same home could use 300-500 gallons of oil during the same period, depending on the temperature at which the thermostat is set, insulation in the house, and other factors. At this point, one’s mind is overloaded and a confused look appears on one’s face.

Speaking of thermostat settings for those who burn oil - for every degree cooler you maintain the thermostat, you could save on annual fuel use. Try maintaining 68 degrees instead of 72 for a 5% decrease in fuel costs during the heating season; that is roughly $40 per 275 gallon oil fill-up. However, decreasing the temperature too much while you are sleeping or away for a short time could eliminate any possible savings because the furnace will have to work harder to bring the house up to the desired temperature when you return. Other money-saving suggestions include having your furnace cleaned regularly, including replacing the filter, ensuring proper insulation in your home, keeping your chimney clean from creosote build-up, and reducing the temperature of circulating boiler water. Winter will be here before we know it, so now is a good time to start thinking about ways to save money and energy in your home.