Rising oil prices make wood-burning stoves a hot item

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Business-Economics

Rising oil prices make wood-burning stoves a hot item

Published on 08-07-2008

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Source: My Record Journal

Nick Sylvester is a father of two small children who uses wood pellets to heat his home.

"I am a fan of the pellets, I don't have the time to stoke," Sylvester said. "I want a thermostat and be able to walk away. There is no overheating, or it shuts down."

Sylvester is also the product manager for Superior Hearth, Spas & Leisure with stores in Southington and Avon.

With home heating oil expected to reach $4.75 to $5 per gallon, homeowners are flocking to get a closer look at fireplace inserts, pellet and wood burning stoves to heat their homes. According to Sylvester and others, the savings can pay for the stove in a single season.

"We're really getting hammered," Sylvester said. "We saw the weather changing and the price of oil, and we allocated 50 percent more than what we sold last year."

Sylvester has had one customer who turned over his deposit on a spa tub to put down on a pellet stove.

"This is about needs versus wants," he said.

Tim Colwick, vice president of After Glow Energy Center in Meriden, said traffic in his showroom looks more like October than July.

"I'm expecting pandemonium," Colwick said. "There is such a thing as being too busy. People are panicking."

Pellet stoves burn wood pellets of compressed sawdust. They are also the biggest sellers, local dealers said.

They burn more evenly, the burn time is longer, it's cleaner, the owner doesn't have to tend to it as much and it can be set to a desired temperature.

The only downside is it requires electricity to run its three motors. The electricity is equivalent to a 100-watt light bulb, but if you lose power, you can't use the stove.

Dean Michanczyk, owner of Dean's Stove & Spa, said his June sales were four times higher than last year, and he's warning homeowners to make a decision quickly before there is a decrease in supply and spikes in stove prices.

"It's automatic, I can see the average going up well over $5,000 by September," Michanczyk said.

Supply could become a problem.

As one of the largest retailers, Dean's has several manufacturers to choose from and has retrained more people and expanded services. But even so, manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand in the northeast and are rationing stoves. He is starting to see price increases of 8 to 10 percent.

Fuel supply is also uncertain this year. When Hurricane Katrina put the fear of an oil shortage in people's minds, manufacturers started putting in new plants to produce pellets from sawdust. Many of those are just getting up and running. But so far they don't have to cut down trees to get sawdust, Michanczyk said.

Sylvester said he over ordered to ensure he had three tons for every client this season.

Firewood may not be as hard to come by, but its price has also increased. Last year, a cord of seasoned wood-cut for more than six months cost about $185. This year, it's up to about $225 with local delivery.

Leslie Lavigne of Lavigne's Tree Service said she's expecting a shortage for the first time in 27 years.