Firewood up $75/cord over last year in Maine

Is there some sort of information packet that Paul Wheaton can send to the govenors ( heating alliance department ),, uncertain of proper name...that makes funding available for Wood banks, like food banks, as they may run out of wood to share the advantages of a RMH?

I doubt that there is or will ever be such a thing.

This sounds like a plus to me, giving folks another reason to go with a rocket mass heater aka rmh.

The way to make a change would be to talk with friends, get a group together, then visit a City Council Meeting or a County Commissioner Court.

Spread the word about RMH using 80% to 90% less wood.

https://richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

https://permies.com/t/41635/Top-Questions-Rocket-Mass-Heaters

https://richsoil.com/wood-heat.jsp

Out west there is a program called Lieap (low-income energy assistance program.)
They will buy firewood, propane, or electricity for anyone who qualifies.
They also have a program to make your home more efficient.
They will replace windows and doors, and add insulation... it's quite a generous deal and not that hard to qualify.

Wow, Thomas

This is why I love this forum.

I never hear of this.

For folks in need:

https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/623

Sadly the powers that be in Maine do not really care about better ways to heat a home, instead they want to send us checks in the mail to pay for pitiful ways to heat.

Myself, I don’t have a RMH but have adapted many practices dispensed on this forum like window coverings, only heating occupied spaces, and dressing warmer; for that I will be rewarded with my Maine heating check soon that will pay for what it will cost me to heat my house for the entire year and then some.

thomas rubino wrote:Out west there is a program called Lieap (low-income energy assistance program.)
They will buy firewood, propane, or electricity for anyone who qualifies.
They also have a program to make your home more efficient.
They will replace windows and doors, and add insulation... it's quite a generous deal and not that hard to qualify.

I know there used to be something like this in IL (LEAP), and MI, and I'm pretty sure I remember something similar in KY, too. I know there are a bunch of churches in our area of MO, that collectively, will also assist with firewood. It seems the trick is knowing where to search for this type of assistance, more than anything else.

New York State has a program called HEAP to assist needy people with heating costs, including firewood. It does not deal with heating equipment, though there may be other programs that can do that. My wife used to work for the Otsego County Office for the Aging and routinely helped people get heating assistance.

Who is eligible for this program?

To be eligible for this benefit program, you must need financial assistance with home energy costs.

A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as SNAP, SSI, TANF, may be automatically eligible.

To be eligible, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

This is from the link I posted above and there is a search by size.

There is also where a person can search by an agency. category or benefit finder.

This seems like a wealth of information.

Steve, I do not understand why you think its is somebody else's job to improve heating systems.
Surely people are making a connection between wasteful heating and cash flow.
Sure some people do not have the capacity to do or undersatnd nything, but help must surely be available to them W<R< improvements.

John C Daley wrote:Surely people are making a connection between wasteful heating and cash flow.

I feel the folks here on the permies forum are working hard to do just that.

Here are some threads that might be of interest to you or others that show what is being done:

https://permies.com/wiki/204534/creating-heat-infographic

https://permies.com/wiki/207130/Ease-operation-types-heating-systems

https://permies.com/w/rmh-resources

John C Daley wrote:Steve, I do not understand why you think its is somebody else's job to improve heating systems.
Surely people are making a connection between wasteful heating and cash flow.
Sure some people do not have the capacity to do or undersatnd nything, but help must surely be available to them W<R< improvements.

I guess I was not clear in my thoughts because I agree 100% with you and tried to convey that.

I think the disconnect might be in failing to realize that the State of Maine is giving almost everyone $450 per person in the home for heat. There is NOTHING to sign up for. The money itself is coming from surplus, which is over-taxation, with the only people who are not getting it, are those who make over $100,000 per year.

I believe along the lines of you, and people like Dave Ramsey who say, a person who is driven to anger is a person who changes behaviors. It does not matter if it is personal finance, or how they heat thier home. When I paid $2800 to heat my house every year up to the year 2016, I decided I needed to change because I was upset at paying that much for heat. I found a way to reduce my overall heating costs per year to about $750 per year.

The current Maine does not suggest ways to reduce heating costs, nor do they suggest burning wood even though we are the heaviest forested state in the nation. What they suggest instead is, "we know there are high fuel prices this year, but don't worry, we'll take care of that for you". There is no suggestion as Anne says, to promote a means to heat more efficiently, or in ways like Paul says and "heat the person and not the entire house".

My reply was not boasting. Since last year I was married, and had two underage children as dependents, I will be getting $1350 for money I never asked for, for heating assistance I do not need because I found a better way. Since I spend only $750 a year to heat my 3400 square foot home, I make out fine fiscally, but that is not the point. How much better off would we be as a State if we used the forest resources Maine is swimming in?

Paul just released this new video showing the temps of the inside air, outside air, rmh and pipe exiting house.  The amount of wood is minimal which still lowers heating bills as we don't have to use as much wood.

I don't understand what's going on there.It seems like a dream that your getting so much heat from so little fuel.How is this possible ?How much area are you heating ?