Is it cheaper to heat your house with wood or with gas?
In Mills River, many homes on these rural large lots run on propane rather than a natural-gas main, so the cheapest gas heat costs more per unit here than it does along the Asheville mains. That tips the balance toward cut-your-own wood for anyone with land and a chainsaw, while newer developments closer in may have gas.
Propane and acreage
Spread out among the farmland and forest, a lot of Mills River homes are on propane, trucked in and priced higher per unit than pipeline gas, which erases the fuel-cost edge natural gas gives homeowners in town. Propane also burns hotter and needs the right orifices and pressures, which is licensed work in North Carolina. If you own wooded acreage, and many here do, wood is the cheapest fuel you can burn, cut and split from your own land. The pockets near newer subdivisions that reach natural gas get the cheaper gas option instead, so ask which side of that line your address falls on.
Open valley, outdoor fire
Mills River's open valley is made for outdoor living, and cool mountain evenings keep a gas fire pit or outdoor fireplace earning its keep most of the year. It is not a whole-house heating answer, but if you entertain, it is worth planning in late spring before the season gets going. On these big lots there is room to do it right, and gas keeps it clean. Our [choosing a fire pit](/guides/choosing-a-fire-pit) guide walks through gas versus wood for the patio. Inside, the calculus differs from town: with propane costing more per unit than an Asheville gas main, the households sitting on wooded acreage out toward Horse Shoe and the Mills River valley often land on wood for the primary heat and save the gas for the patio, where the convenience is worth the premium.
Henderson County permit
Whatever the fuel, we pull the permit with Henderson County and meet the inspector. The showroom is 25 minutes north in Asheville, and the estimate is free. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mills River
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mills River and the rest of Henderson County — just 25 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Should I get a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Which is cheaper to run, a gas fireplace or an electric fireplace?
- Is a gas fireplace or a pellet stove better for heating a home?
- Which heats a room better, a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Should I get a freestanding gas stove or a wood stove?