Alternative Home Heating Options with Wood and Pellet Inserts

If your old, drafty fireplace hasn’t been used in years and sits in your living space collecting dust, bring it back to life with alternative heating options like wood and pellet fireplace inserts!

At AES Hearth & Patio, we offer a wide selection of wood-burning or pellet-burning inserts that bring warmth, comfort, and efficiency back to your living spaces. Now with the Biomass Tax Credit, you can receive money back for purchasing one of these for your home. (More on that later!)

First, we encourage you to consider the pros and cons of installing a wood or pellet fireplace insert.

Pros

In addition to the new tax credit, having a wood or pellet insert has many other benefits.

For the environment, wood heating is carbon neutral, meaning it does not emit more carbon than it would if the wood were to decay naturally. As for pellets, those are natural byproducts, such as sawdust or dried cherry pits, that have been processed into pellets. They are an environmentally sustainable option, because they use a product that would otherwise be discarded.

Because these appliances can utilize the existing hearth in your home, and the existing chimney (for venting) through a flue liner or other necessary modification, it eliminates the need for a home remodeling project saving you time and money.

Also, newer wood fireplace inserts emit fewer pollutants than older, less efficient models. This home improvement option is not only more efficient, it also comes with perks offered by the Biomass Tax Credit.

Cons

Conversely, you may feel inconvenienced by needing a constant supply of wood or pellets to keep burning, especially if this is something you will be utilizing often.

Ash cleanup is another consideration. These appliances will need to be cleaned regularly to avoid build-up, so we encourage you to consider your willingness to keep up with the cleaning.

It is also important to make sure your chimney and fireplace are inspected yearly. While this annual check-up can be easily forgotten, and it’s a maintenance service that comes with a price, AES can handle this for you! Lean on our team of experts to get the job done efficiently, affordably, and we will send you a reminder as the time draws near!
To ensure you can be serviced as soon as possible, we encourage you to schedule maintenance with us during non-heating months, late spring through summer.

Biomass Tax Credit

According to a new tax credit under Sec. 25(D) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that came into effect on January 1, 2021, tax filers can receive a 26 percent credit for qualifying purchases and installations for highly efficient wood or pellet stoves. This credit is for 2021 and 2022 and will go down to a 22 percent credit for 2023.

A qualified purchase must have a thermal efficiency of at least 75 percent per the higher heating value (HHV) of the fuel. With new models available, this type of efficiency is easily achieved.

Visit the FAQ page of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association website for more information, or just give our team at AES a call!

Call us today to install!

To further explore your options and get a quote today for a wood-burning or pellet-burning fireplace insert, contact us online or visit AES Hearth & Patio at one of our locations in Newville and Camp Hill, PA.