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[Ridgekid]

So you had an electric/heat pump before?  You install your boiler and only save 100? I'm not trying to be smart, don't get me wrong....   I just can't fathom you were heating your home on 100 bucks worth of electric

It's common here for heating to make up over 75-80% of a homes total use

We never expirianced a winter relying only on the heatpump.  We knew what we were getting into when we had a heat pump installed,but always had a indoor wood burner for supplemental heat. Now our OWF is our main heat and the heat pump is the backup. 

[Scott7m]

Well....  Without the woe burner I'm sure you'd been up around 400 or more

[chadley]

bill,

your advice was direct to my question.  Thanks.  I already have a splitter and saw and sell wood as a side job.  To me it makes no sense to do all that work and not even burn wood.   Especially when we could be saving money with an OWB.  I will take it slow and soak in all the info I get and relay it to the wife.  I'm going to have her read this thread...minus the running around half naked post   That may discourage her a little bit.

[merrellroofing]

   If you already do the wood part, then it's a no brainer.  Besides being warm and cozy at 70+, the free unlimited hot water is great.  It has already been said but you know what the price of your wood will be, you can't say that about fuel or electricity.

[slosh250]

I too am in the same boat as you, I am ALL electric and it drive me nuts driving around seeing these Hardy's chugging smoke and people walking around in t-shirts and shorts in their house. I keep mine( 2006 Double wide 32x80) at 67-68. Electric bill ranges from 250-375 depending on the weather here in southern MO. I have my wife talked into one but i can't get her to accept the price to well. But she is very understanding considering she wants it warmer and the savings on the electric bill . I also have a 30x40 shop and 3 children who love to take long showers.I'm thinking i could save about 1/3 of my electric bill or so by what i have read on this site and have heard from owners of OWB face to face. Now the problem lies in which furnace is going to offer me the most bang for my buck and last me the longest as we are only in our mid 20's. Thats getting off topic and i need to research that more on here. What i'm trying to say is i dont think you'll be sorry with getting a OWB even if it does take 5 to 6 years to pay for it, the next 10-15+ years will be free and clear, and also nice and toasty.

[Scott7m]

Hey slosh, with our electric rates it only takes 2-3 years to pay off, your home would run 550-650 here in the winter.

As far as what's the best, those hardys do chug smoke like a locomotive, there have been many advances in design since those were designed.

I know there popular in the south but the folks up north seem to know there stuff about keeping warm