Stay Warm, Save Money, and Help the Environment

If you are heating your home with wood this winter, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy has some smart wood burning tips. The department is also reminding homeowners that new wood pellet stoves and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified wood stoves qualify for a $200 rebate.

Energy Minister Bill Dooks said there are many things Nova Scotians can do to save money, burn wood safer, and cut pollutants from the air.

"As we approach fall, many Nova Scotians are gearing up for the upcoming heating season now, so it's important that if people are considering wood to heat their homes they learn how to burn it smart," said Mr. Dooks.

If burning wood, here are eight ways to cut emissions, while at the same time saving money:

• Upgrade to a high-efficiency wood stove. Don't forget that properly operating wood stoves don't produce smoke. An EPA certified wood stove will use up to one-third less wood to produce the same amount of heat and cut emissions by up to 90 per cent as one that is not certified. Until Aug. 31, 2007, a $200 rebate is available from the province under the Smart Energy Choices program

• Make sure the stove is the proper size for its location. An oversized stove wastes energy, is more expensive to buy and leads to uncomfortably warm conditions

• Make sure stoves are properly installed and inspected. Stoves should be installed by a professional, certified under the Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) program

• Avoid smoky, smouldering fires by using proper burning techniques

• Use only seasoned firewood that is split to the right size for the stove. Wood needs time to dry, so the best time to purchase wood is in the spring. Buy wood for this winter immediately to give it as much drying time as possible. Freshly cut, or green wood, is between 35 and 50 per cent water by weight. It should be dried to a moisture content below 20 per cent or much of its heating value will be wasted evaporating excess moisture

• Consider not using stoves during mild weather

• Reduce the need for fuel. Make houses more energy efficient by installing insulation and air sealing windows and doors. This will save money on wood fuel and reduce air emissions

• Have wood stoves inspected and cleaned once a year by a WETT-certified technician.

More information about the Smart Energy Choices $200 wood stove rebate and safe and efficient wood burning practices is available by calling the Department of Energy EnerInfo line at 1-800-670-4636 and on the department's website at www.gov.ns.ca/energy/woodstoves .