We all love a good fireplace. Especially in cold weather when all you want to do is get warm and cozy. Nothing beats it.
Except there’s research now that shows how old wood stoves are horrible for our health. The particles released from a dirty fire get into our lungs and hearts.
Is this frustrating news? For sure. Nothing feels safe anymore, not even a cozy wood stove.
But there’s a bright side. You can get a government rebate on a new wood stove, and there’s a group in NorthIsle who can help.
The North Island Wood Stove Exchange Program kicks off this week. It’s the first year the program is up and running. It’s being funded by the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Strategy and the BC Lung Association.
Grassroots and the North Island Climate Hub are helping folks with the process. In addition, you can qualify for a rebate if you trade in your old stove for a low-emissions stove, a pellet stove, or a heat pump.
Rebates range from $300-$750. That’s on top of other rebates you can get for making climate-friendly upgrades to your home. But the process can sometimes be tricky. The folks at Grassroots can help you figure things out.
You haven’t been able to buy an old high-emission stove since 1994. But we all know houses with stoves that are way older than that.
New stoves have a couple of benefits. First, they burn way less wood, so your woodpile goes a lot further. They also release fewer particles, and that’s good for your health and the climate.
They also burn hotter, so you can maximize your coziness.If you want to find out more about getting a new stove, you can reach out to Dawn Moorhead, the Executive Director of Grassroots, at organic9@telus.net.
