Rising NY Electricity Prices — Can a Wood Stove Offset the Cost?

If you live in NY and you’ve opened your electric bill lately, you’ve probably noticed it.

Delivery charges are up. Some bills have doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.

So what can you do?

Let’s look at a real way to stay warm and not drain your wallet.

The Energy Demand of a Central NY Winter

A typical 1,800–2,200 sq ft home in CNY will require approximately:

60–80 million BTUs of heat over a full winter season.

That’s the energy demand we’re working with regardless of heat source.

So the real question becomes:

What does it cost in Central New York to produce 70 million BTUs of heat with electricity — versus wood?

⚡ What Electric Heat Actually Costs in CNY

Electric resistance heat is nearly 100% efficient.

But electricity in New York isn’t cheap.

Across much of Upstate New York in 2024–2025, residential electric rates have ranged roughly: $0.22–$0.28 per kWh

Lets take a blended rate of $0.25 per kWh, electric heat works out to roughly:

$64–$82 per million BTUs

Now apply that to a Central NY winter:

Electric Heat (70 million BTUs):

• Low rate example (70 × $64) ≈ $4,480

• Midpoint example (70 × $73) ≈ $5,110

• Higher rate example (70 × $82) ≈ $5,740

That’s one heating season.

🌲 What That Same Winter Looks Like Heating with Hardwood

Seasoned Central NY hardwood — maple, beech, ash, cherry, and occasional hickory — typically averages 20–24 million BTUs per full cord, depending on species mix and moisture content.

For conservative comparison, we’ll use 20 million BTUs per full cord equivalent.

If you were heating your home primarily with a wood stove or outdoor wood boiler, a typical 1,800–2,200 sq ft home in Central New York will use roughly:

4–5 full cords of hardwood per winter

At $85 per face cord
(Pricing shown assumes purchasing green wood in the spring and allowing it to properly season before the following winter.)
(Three face cords ≈ one full cord equivalent)

That equals: $255 per full cord equivalent

Over a full winter, that works out to approximately: $1,100–$1,300 in wood for the season

That estimate assumes:

• Wood is your primary heat source

• Average insulation

• A typical Central NY winter

If you're using wood only to supplement electric heat during the coldest months, many homeowners burn closer to: 2–3 full cords
With supplemental heat, the goal isn’t eliminating electric heat. It’s reducing the most expensive usage spikes in January and February — when rates and demand are highest. Even partial offsetting can significantly lower a winter electric bill.

Every home is different — insulation, layout, stove size, and burn habits all matter — but this provides a realistic Central NY range.

📊 The Bottom Line

For a typical winter in the Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas:

Electric heat: ~$4,500–$5,700
Wood heat: ~$1,200

Savings will depend on:

• Insulation

• Burn habits

• Properly seasoned hardwood

• Stove efficiency

🔎 If You’re Considering Wood Heat

Now that we know the cost savings, Here are a few things to know or consider

💸 NYS Wood Stove Tax Credits

In 2025, homeowners installing qualifying stoves were eligible for:

• Up to $2,000 NYS tax credit for qualifying high-efficiency wood stoves

• Federal biomass tax credit (30% of installed cost, capped annually)

Programs are typically guided by
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
alongside federal energy incentives.

Confirm eligibility with a qualified installer or tax professional.

🔧 Professional Installation Matters

Clearances. Draft. Chimney height. Insurance compliance.

For homeowners in Central New York, companies like
Countryside Stove & Chimney: https://www.countryside-stoves.com
specialize in proper, code-compliant installation.

If you're going to offset rising electric costs, the system must be installed correctly.

🔄 Move the Heat — Don’t Just Make It

If you’re heating with a stove, the warmest air naturally collects near the ceiling while cooler air stays lower.

A few simple adjustments can make a noticeable difference:

• Reverse your ceiling fan to winter mode (clockwise on low speed).
  This gently pushes warm air down without creating a draft.

• If you don’t have a ceiling fan, a small floor fan placed in a doorway can push cooler air toward the stove room — forcing warm air back into the rest of the house.

• In forced-air homes, running just the blower fan can help distribute stove heat more evenly. Sometimes even adding in a cold air return near the stove will help distribute the hear through your existing ductwork to your rooms.

You’re not creating more heat — you’re spreading the heat you already paid for.

🌲 Beyond Cost — Resilience & Comfort

Wood heat isn’t just about cost.

In Central New York, winter storms regularly bring ice, heavy snow, and wind. Power interruptions are not unusual.

During a winter storm briefing this season, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul reminded residents that if power is lost, families should gather together in a protected interior area to conserve heat.
📎 Source: Hochul declares winter storm state of emergency (Spectrum News)

That’s practical emergency guidance, but it also highlights something important:

When your only heat source depends on electricity, a power outage can quickly become more than an inconvenience.

A properly installed wood stove or outdoor boiler changes what a power outage means.

Instead of gathering the family away from windows to fight the freeze, and waiting for the power to kick back on, you’re maintaining heat.

Instead of worrying about pipes freezing, you can keeping the house warm enough to protect the plumbing.

You can still cook.
You can still boil water.
You can sit back with piece of mind that you saved the day creating a heat source.

Wood heat doesn’t rely on the grid.

In our CNY winters, that matters.

Cost savings may start the conversation. Resilience is often why people decide it’s worth it.

🪵 Final Thoughts

As we learned, An upstate NY winter demands roughly 70 million BTUs of heat in an average home.

In the Utica/Rome area, the heating season typically runs from October through April — roughly six to seven months of consistent demand.

How you generate that heat determines your seasonal cost.

Wood heat isn’t about replacing your system.

It’s about:

• Reducing peak electric demand

• Controlling heating costs

• Adding resilience

• Using a renewable, locally sourced fuel

• The comfort and conversation to be had near warm fire on a cold day.

If you’re planning to burn wood next winter, buy early and let it season properly. Save money by ordering your wood green for spring delivery.

📞 Call: (315) 725-8587
📧 Email: info@grabeldingerfirewood.com