Seasoned firewood, air dried for at least six months while protected from precipitation, burns easily and efficiently. Freshly cut firewood contains so much moisture that half the heat from burning the wood is required to dry it so it can burn. A fire in the fireplace is relaxing, but you will be warm on one side only. Fireplaces deliver ten percent or less of the fire's heat to the room and will increase your heating bill in two ways. First, firewood costs more than the value of the delivered heat.
Fireplaces also require a large volume o air which.
The incoming air cools the rest of the house, causing the primary heater to operate more than if you had no fire. Airtight stoves operate at about 50 percent efficiency, and wood furnaces at about 70 percent efficiency. These can decrease your energy costs, but the firewood must cost less than about 100 dollars per cord for the airtight stove, and less than 130 dollars per cord for the furnace, to provide heat at costs comparable a heat pump. Green wood must cost less than one-half the figures shown to be cost effective. Get the most from your wood heater by using it to complement your primary heating system.