NY: Consumers get cozy with wood

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By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer First published: Sunday, September 24, 2000

Consumers get cozy with wood Home heating oil prices prompt some to seek an alternative in stoves

With home heating oil prices rising faster in the Capital Region than any other part of the state, the Stufflebeams of Averill Park made a recent investment decision: buy a new wood stove.

They are part of an increasing number of people turning to alternative energy sources, particularly to wood stoves, as fuel prices rise and temperatures fall.

State statistics show the average price for oil to heat a home in the Capital Region has jumped by 59.2 percent over last year. That's the biggest jump in eight defined areas of the state, and well above the 50.9 percent statewide increase.

Furthermore, natural gas prices could cost 50 percent more this winter than last, according to an Energy Department forecast.

Perhaps in response to the increases, wood stove sales are also up -- by about 25 percent this year, according to the region's distributors.

On Saturday, the Stufflebeams shopped stoves at Best Fire in Colonie, knowing it won't be long until their 2,800-square-foot home will require heating.

"Do you want to pay $500 or $1,500 this winter?'' said Michael Stufflebeam about home heating costs when asked why he burned wood to heat the family home.

Firewood suppliers and stove dealers say worries over the increases in fuel prices have consumers returning to an energy source that may recall, to some, the 1970s: wood.

"We originally thought the spike was millennium-driven, but it never stopped,'' said Lou Faraone, co-owner of Seasoned Gourmet Firewood of Malta Ridge, who handles 600 firewood accounts in Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren counties.

"We've been doing this for a long time, but we've never seen anything like this. The normal customer that usually takes one load is ordering two or three now in anticipation of something. We're going to run out of firewood,'' Faraone said.

Stove distributors are already reporting strong increases in wood and pellet stove sales. Pellet stoves burn compressed sawdust.

"We've seen a 30 percent increase in wood (stove) sales over last year, and pellets are up 50 percent right now,'' said Nancy Koval, owner of Woodburning Warehouse Distributors of Watervliet.

Tim Fleming, a sales manager at Best Fire, estimated wood stove sales would increase by up to 20 percent this year.

"They come in looking for an alternative heat source because they say they've heard prices are going to double,'' Fleming said.

They may be right.

According to the state's latest statistics, average home heating oil prices in the Capital Region have increased from 90.1 cents a gallon last September to more than $1.43.1 a gallon now -- a 59.2 percent increase, the largest in the state.

The Capital Region also is paying for a bigger jump in propane gas prices than any part of the state, according to the numbers. Capital Region propane prices have risen 38.6 percent, compared to a 27.1 percent increase statewide.

Gasoline prices per gallon have risen 20.8 percent statewide, compared with 20.5 percent upstate.

The numbers are measured biweekly by the state Energy, Research and Development Authority, which foresees no end to the increases despite the fact that President Clinton ordered the release Friday of 30 million barrels of oil from the nation's emergency reserve.

"A lot will depend on the weather,'' said Gary Davidson, spokesman for the authority. "If it's a real cold winter, it could be worse than last year. Right now, prices are 50 percent above what they were last year, and that's one indication of what they'll pay.''

Some analysts predict heating oil prices will hit $2 a gallon this winter.

So what's causing the price hikes?

Basic economics, Davidson said.

"It's the way the market is working at this time. Supplies are lower, demand is greater,'' he said. "One logical way to combat high oil prices is to supplement heating by burning wood.''

Wood prices in the state have remained constant so far, according to buyers, but that may change as the weather does.

Faraone said firewood prices in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont already have doubled in some instances, even though he says his prices have remained the same -- $120 for a half cord of firewood (picked up) that's been seasoned for at least two years.

The Stufflebeams built a house with electric heating nine years ago. After receiving a monthly electric bill of $489 that winter, the family bought a wood-burning stove.

They recently purchased four cords of wood for $320 from a local lumber yard. The price has remained the same -- $80 per cord -- according to Kelley Stufflebeam.

"It works wonderful,'' she said. "Company comes over in shorts and T-shirts during the winter. We won't use the electric for heat all winter, unless we go away.''

As for the cost of the new stove, "In the long run, we're still saving,'' she said.

Fleming said more people are considering wood stoves for zone heating, or heating only certain parts of the house during the cold months to save money.

But Jim Osgood of Mechanicville had a more popular reason for shopping at Best Fire Saturday.

"With oil prices going up, you got to have a backup,'' he said. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyKey=42163&category=F

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 25, 2000


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