It’s unlikely that many people are thinking about heating their home right now and understandably so. It’s almost uncomfortable to think about having a fire burning in your living room when it’s nearly 100 degrees outside. However, at Southern Chimney and Fireplace, we are stressing the importance of taking action now and here is why..

 Fuel prices have hit record highs and home heating fuel will also continue to increase later this year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that residents relying on natural gas will see prices increase by 27% between winter 2021 & winter 2022. Individuals relying on electricity will see a 7% rise. Households using propane will spend 54% more on propane this winter compared with last winter!!  The EIA also predicts that 8% of Americans will switch to wood burning as a primary heat source due to rising home heating prices. Not only are people switching because of prices, It’s also shown that individuals tend to turn to more self-reliant options during uncertain times. The greatest example of this is the 1970s Carter energy crisis which resulted in the U.S. having the greatest boom in wood heating usage ever recorded.

I’ll also add that with the current trends in U.S. policy towards oil and gas companies, it’s unlikely that we will ever see prices come back down to what we’ve been used to over the last couple of decades. And clean-burning, carbon-neutral options such as wood stoves will continue to rise in popularity. Especially here in the northeast Georgia mountains. Many people love that firewood is always cheap and available around here. Not to mention you can cook, heat water and even produce electricity with them now!

There’s no doubt that there will be very high demand this year for quality wood stoves, inserts, and high-efficiency fireplaces this winter, but most people in north Georgia will wait until the weather begins to cool off before ordering a new wood-burning heater. When everyone thinks about it at the same time (around October) it results in us being booked out weeks or sometimes months in advance!

On top of that, many wood stoves and fireplace inserts are on backorder already, some even more than a year. We are still waiting on some models to arrive that we ordered last fall! During the pandemic many factories producing steel shut down, and as in other U.S. industries, companies have struggled with labor and supply chain issues. Unfortunately, If you wait until October to order your wood stove or fireplace, it is likely that you will not receive it until the following year. This is precisely why we ask that you give us a call, or come take a look at our showroom, located in Clarkesville, Ga. We install and service wood and gas fireplaces, stoves, and inserts all over northeast Georgia from Athens to Blairsville and from Gainesville to Clayton, GA. The showroom is open Monday-Friday from 8:30-4:30! We’d be happy to have you come in and look around. We are always happy to talk via phone or email if you have any questions.

We are fortunate to have the largest selection of wood-burning appliances in North GA. We are incredibly well stocked right now with all the top brands including Buck Stove, Vermont Castings, Regency, Hearthstone, and many many more. You will not find a better price anywhere, guaranteed. But that won’t last.. We expect to be sold out sometime before winter hits and prices will likely rise on our products before this fall.

Again, NOW is the time to act if you are considering installing a new or replacing an old wood stove or any other wood-burning appliance this year.

We hope to hear from you soon!