How to Lower Your Power Bill With a Fireplace

Glass doors not only make your fireplace safer, they also increase its fuel efficiency.

Fireplaces are wonderful ways to create a sense of winter. With crackling fires, the unique scent of wood burning, and their radiating heat, fireplaces are a multi-sensory experience. With the rising cost of electricity in many areas, as well as the ever-present possibility of winter power outages, fireplaces can also be a practical source of heat. With a little planning, they can provide a cost-effective alternative to turning up the thermostat on the furnace.

Instructions

1. Hire a chimney sweep. Having your chimney professionally cleaned once a year will not only reduce the likelihood of chimney fires, it will also improve the heat efficiency of your fireplace. A clean chimney improves the exchange of air that is critical to properly burning a fire.

2. Consider upgrading an older fireplace using an insert. Open-style brick fireplaces are the least energy-efficient wood-burning appliances. Depending on the cost of wood in your area, you might trade the savings from your electric bill to feed your fireplace. Upgrading to a full metal fireplace, pellet insert or wood-burning stove insert can increase energy efficiency substantially.

3. Burn well-seasoned firewood. Firewood that has not had time for the moisture content to evaporate is called "green." While it might not look green, if cut wood has not been given enough time to properly dry out (or "season"), it will have a high moisture content. The higher the moisture content, the lower the fuel efficiency. Wood should be properly seasoned for at least nine months to a year before burning.

4. Select a combination of hard and soft woods. The specific varieties vary from region to region so you will need to do a little homework to determine what is available in your area. Harder woods burn hotter and slower, creating a much greater heat output. They are also more difficult to start, so use softer woods to create a base of coals before adding hardwoods.

5. Use fans to extend the reach of the heat from your fireplace. Small corner fans that can be positioned up higher are particularly useful since heat rises. Switching the directional flow of ceiling fans for the winter and keeping them on low will also help disperse heat.

References

• Univ. of Illinois Ext.; Firewood Selection for Safe Fireplace Operation; Steve Ayers; Jan. 2011
• Utah.gov Services: Fireplaces and Wood-burning Stoves
• U.S. Department of Energy; Wood and Pellet Heating; February 2011

Resources

• Utah State; Heating With Wood: Species Characteristics and Volumes; Michael Kuhns, et al.; Aug. 2003