Calculate just how economical a switch will be:
• On average, a hearth appliance saves 20 to 40 percent on heating bills, according to the hearth association, although that varies depending on use.
• Prices for a ready-to-burn cord of wood -- about two full-sized pickup truckloads -- have climbed above $200 in many places and to more than $300 in some parts of the country.
• Several websites including the EIA's (www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls) and pelletheat.org offer fuel-comparison calculators.
