Hearth manufacturers say consumers want to save money on energy costs.

American consumers are so concerned with their rising energy bills that they are purchasing various types of wood-burning hearth products at an astounding rate for supplemental warmth and to help save money on energy.

A recent consumer survey by the Arlington, Va.-based Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) finds that more consumers are turning to efficient EPA-approved wood stoves, fireplace inserts, and pellet stoves and inserts to heat their homes. Shipments of pellet stoves and inserts for the first six months of 2008 increased by an amazing 212 percent as compared to the same period in 2007. Wood stoves and inserts increased 54 percent for the same period.

Unlike a fireplace, an EPA-approved freestanding wood stove performs an efficient, controlled burn that generates substantially less smoke than a traditional wood fireplace. These units, made of cast iron or soapstone, store heat, radiating it into the house. This allows the stove, depending on the size of the unit, to heat a space as large as 2,500 square feet. A pellet stove or insert accomplishes the same feat using a renewable, clean-burning fuel made from sawdust or other wood waste.

These hearth products are typically used for zone-style heating of the most frequently used rooms in a home, allowing homeowners to turn down the thermostat on the home's central furnace. This reduces fuel consumption, providing energy savings of up to 20 percent to 40 percent, HPBA says.

According to the HPBA survey, roughly 70 percent of buyers upgraded their fireplaces for energy efficiency; 51 percent did so to help save on heating costs. Additionally, consumers upgrading to an EPA-certified wood stove found that their wood use dropped by one-third because the units improved efficiency over older fireplaces, according to the survey.

Demand for stoves and inserts could continue into next year. Beginning in January 2009, homeowners can take advantage of a $300 federal tax credit to purchase a new pellet or 75-percent-efficient wood stove.

Nigel Maynard is senior editor, products, at BUILDER magazine.

Enviva LP currently has a biomass wood pellet manufacturing plant under construction in Ahoskie, N.C., and recently announced that it will soon be building another plant in Garysburg, N.C. According to a recent release, the Garysburg plant will create 62 green jobs, reimbursed at an average annual salary of $38,484, not including benefits, (as compared to the Northampton County average annual wage is $27,976). Enviva also expects to invest $60 million in the plant in the next three years. More

The town of Libby, Mont., is emerging as a model for how to clean the air by replacing old stoves with new ones. Like Chico, Calif., the town is in a valley where wood smoke can get trapped close to the ground during the winter. So, starting in 2005, the local health department replaced nearly 1,200 older stoves with new wood stoves, pellet stoves or gas or electric heat. They used money from the Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Montana, stove industry and other sources. More

There are benefits to installing a direct vent fireplace in your home over other types of fireplaces. One advantage over other fireplaces is that direct vent units do not require a complicated chimney installation, which makes installation much simpler. You just need a connection to a natural gas line, which can be run from underneath the floor, allowing flexibility in the placement of the fireplace.

Venting and Using a Direct Vent Fireplace is Not Complicated

Venting a direct vent fireplace, like you can find on our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply, only requires a direct vent out of an exterior wall on the same floor where the fireplace is installed. Once installed, using the fireplace is not complicated. In most installations, you have different switches which control different features on the fireplace. You turn one switch on to ignite the fireplace and then turn another one to start the blower motor, which forces the heated air into the room.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you install an EPA certified wood stove insert in place of your old brick fireplace to reduce smoke and increase efficiency of wood burned in your home. Due to the open nature of traditional fireplaces, much of the potential energy of your fuel is wasted; they also create smoke both indoors, and out. Abundant smoke is a health risk to everyone, affecting our friends outside our home and our family within.

Wood Stove Inserts can be Cheaper than Other Alternatives

When selecting an insert for your fireplace, it is wise to look at all of your options before deciding exactly what you would like. While gas, natural or propane, has become more accessible in recent times, it is still not free. Wood, on the other hand, can be free, short of a little manual labor that is. Many people still choose a wood stove insert because of this reason, and here at Copperfield Chimney Supply we offer the best in Majestic and Napoleon inserts to meet your needs.

With summer fast approaching, it's as good a time as any to make sure you have the best grill to meet your needs. The most common types of grill fuels are gas and charcoal. It is important to know the differences between the types of grills before you buy. "It's two different worlds," said Lu Dos Santos, owner of Alltown Gas Grills & Propane in Weymouth, Mass. "A gas grill is much easier to use, you just start the grill and go about your business." Charcoal grills, however, give more flavor to the meat and are usually less expensive than gas-fired grills. More