Using Food For Fuel Could Save Money

Families are cranking up the heat as temperatures drop.

One local couple said they are using food as fuel. They're using corn to heat, not eat.

Not only is the method cheap, but it's good for local farmers and the environment, they said.

Ben Cramer loves his old farm house, but not its heating bills.

"The gas bills were killing us each year. We had $300 to $400 gas bills each month," said Cramer.

He and his wife kept the thermostat as low as they could tolerate, but it was too cold for their baby. So when she was born it was time to find a cheaper way to heat their house.

"Corn was attractive to us because it's readily available and it's renewable," said Cramer.

The Cramers settled on a corn burning furnace, paying about $3,800 to buy and install it.

In just three years, the furnace paid for itself, he said.

The Cramers are part of a growing number of local people turning to corn for heat.

Mike Griffin, the executive director of the Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, said that burning corn for heat can save money, but it's not for everyone.

"If you have any kind of pioneering spirit and you don't mind doing maintenance every day corn can be a wonderful way to reduce your heating costs," said Griffin.

Cramer said maintenance is minimal.

"I spend about five minutes each night working on the furnace just basically emptying the ash pan, topping off the hopper that holds corn," said Cramer.

Cramer also has to go to the mill about once a month to buy corn.

The corn then goes into the hopper, and a series of augers push the corn into the burn pot.

"From that point, it works very similar to a regular furnace. The heat goes up, heats up heat exchangers, triggers a fan when it reaches a certain temperature and forces air up through duct work and heats the house," said Cramer.

Last winter, the Cramers kept the house a toasty 75 degrees, spending only $120 a month for heat.

More Info:www.alternativeheating.netburncorn.cas.psu.edugdi.ce.cmu.edu