Some P.E.I. homeowners turning to wood as alternate heat source after cold snap, power outages

Some companies on P.E.I. that sell woodstoves, pellet stoves, fireplaces or propane units have seen an increase in inquiries since the extreme cold weather last weekend, and some as far back as post-tropical storm Fiona.

Both storms knocked out power to thousands of Maritime Electric customers, leaving people who rely on electric heat looking for ways to stay warm.

Even some who didn't lose electricity said their heat pumps didn't work as well in the extreme cold.

Blaine Morrison of Hearth and Ember Home Heating in Kensington said calls are up about 20 per cent since the cold snap. And he's already booked up for months installing stoves for wood, pellets and propane.

"I think the demand is going to be there for the next four or five years," he said.

"Heat pumps are not cutting it. Anybody that had to heat pump this past weekend knows that they're not the end to all, but you do need some sort of backup heat to help out."

Juanita Corrigan of Corrigan's Stove Centre said calls are up as well. She said many people ask about wood stoves, but the cost is higher if the homeowner doesn't already have a chimney. Pellet and propane stoves can be vented out the side of the house.

"It's really hard to give you a cost on it because everyone needs something different. If you're talking a wood stove, chances are they need a chimney. So you may be talking anywhere from $6,000 to say, a $10,000 install."

Amanda Jackson of Red Clay Construction said wood is reliable source of heat especially when there is a chance of a power outage. Like Morrison, she also predicts the demand will remain high for the foreseeable future. 

"People are converting back to wood-burning units, so maybe they already have an existing chimney that is ready for a wood-burning unit, but somewhere down the line somebody stopped using it," she said.

"I foresee our weather to be more erratic and extreme. I mean, it's been such a warm winter and then we had that really cold snap ... hurricanes are certainly going to become more common."