This is a great solution too. I have a wood 'heatilator' (or fireplace insert) and during the recent cold snap in the Midwest I went through about 1/4 face cord

This is a great solution too. I have a wood 'heatilator' (or fireplace insert) and during the recent cold snap in the Midwest I went through about 1/4 face cord of kiln-dried oak over 3 or 4 days (that's a lot by my standards). It kept the gas furnace mostly idling and the home warm (in the 80's by the fireplace actually, lol). Probably not exactly cost efficient with the cost of wood these days but I like being able to take some of the load off the gas furnace.