Wood banks emerge as vital source of heat while US gas bills still on the rise

(The Guardian, 20 Jan 2023) Wood banks distribute firewood to people in need as the average US gas bill goes up by 28% this winter.

Inflation may be going down in the US, dropping to 6.5% from last month’s 7.1%, but the cost of keeping a home warm this winter is still on the rise. The average gas bill will increase by 28% this winter compared to last, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration.

In some places across the country, people are returning to a surprising source of heat to keep costs down: wood. In areas where wood is more widely available and used for heating – such as forested parts of New England – wood banks are emerging as a vital way to stay warm this winter.

“You don’t know what you’re gonna do when the power goes out,” said Melanie Freethey of Brooklin, Maine.

Freethey is disabled and has been relying on volunteers at the Downeast Wood Bank in Surry, Maine, to bring a pickup truck load of wood. While she does use heating oil when the temperature outside hits zero, Freethey primarily relies on wood throughout the winter. “If you don’t have any wood then your pipes are going to freeze and so will you. That is one less worry that the wood bank takes away.”

External link

The Guardian, 20 Jan 2023: Wood banks emerge as vital source of heat while US gas bills still on the rise

More Related News

heating

22 Apr 2024: Report: Electric heat pumps will usually minimize costs; fuel backup could help in coldest climates

15 Apr 2024: ECB and cheap gas to blame for heat pump slump, says lobby group

12 Apr 2024: UK heat pump adopters open up homes to encourage others to ditch gas boilers

2 Apr 2024: Getting homeowners to invest in comprehensive retrofits is hard: Here’s how to do it

22 Mar 2024: Factcheck: 18 misleading myths about heat pumps

18 Mar 2024: UK heat pump rollout criticised as too slow by public spending watchdog

15 Mar 2024: UK scheme to spur take-up of heat pumps delayed after gas lobby pressure

5 Mar 2024: Mild winter pushes heating requirement in Germany to lowest level in 12 years

27 Feb 2024: First drop in sales: Honeymoon is over for Europe’s heat pump industry

23 Feb 2024: Germany's largest heating installer terminates sale of gas boilers, focuses on heat pumps

13 Feb 2024: US: Heat pump programs can’t keep leaving low-income households behind