The availability and the price of wood are also important factors in figuring the economic advantage of wood stoves. As a comparison, a cord of wood, which is a tightly stacked pile four feet by four feet by eight feet, or 128 cubic feet (3.6 m³), has about the same heating value as 200 gallons (757 L) of home heating oil. In some rural areas and small towns, wood is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. In New England, for example, up to 50 percent of the homes rely, in whole or in part, on wood as fuel. In large cities, however, wood prices and problems with availability and storage can make wood stoves impractical. In addition, there are usually stringent fire laws and safety codes that must be observed.

As more and more people turn to wood stoves, air pollution becomes an increasingly serious problem. In some villages in Vermont, it is reported that “you can barely see for all the smoke.” In Portland, Oregon, a test reveals that 36 percent of all inhalable particulate matter in the air is from wood smoke, which is similar in chemical composition to cigarette smoke​—a health hazard. Many states already have laws restricting the use of woodburning stoves, and the Clean Air Act in England prohibits the burning of wood in London and other cities.