Is it cheaper to heat your house with wood or with gas?
In Swannanoa, a lot of homes are being rebuilt and renovated after the storm, and the question we hear most is not just which fuel is cheapest, but which heat still works when the power is out. Natural gas off the mains is the cheapest gas heat; cut-your-own wood is cheaper still and fully grid-independent.
Rebuilding with backup heat in mind
Recovery from the storm damage has homeowners here specifying new fireplaces and stoves as they rebuild, and many now want heat that does not depend on the grid after living through days without it. A wood stove or a millivolt or battery-backup gas unit keeps throwing warmth with the power down; electric goes dead in an outage, so we say that plainly rather than sell you something that quits when you need it most. Since you are already opening walls, it is the right moment to run the gas line and vent correctly. Our [backup heat for a power outage in WNC](/guides/backup-heat-power-outage-wnc) guide covers power-optional setups.
Old Grovemont masonry
The 1940s-to-60s homes around Grovemont came with original masonry fireboxes that are inefficient by today's standards, and the river-valley fog and cold-air pooling here are hard on masonry over time. A sealed insert turns a leaky old firebox into a real, cheaper-to-run heater at 70% efficiency or better, which does more for your fuel bill than switching fuels would. As homes come back around Grovemont and Bee Tree, we are seeing owners choose a sealed wood stove or a power-optional gas insert on purpose, dropped into a firebox rebuilt to do real work this time, so the next long outage does not mean a cold house. The rebuild is the one chance to get the venting, the gas line, and the appliance all right at once.
Buncombe permit, 15 minutes east
We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, which matters especially on rebuilt homes and protects your insurance and resale. Swannanoa is 15 minutes east of the showroom, and the in-home assessment is free. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
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