A new study from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research highlights the high healthcare impacts and costs of wood heating.
“The study estimated that in Tasmania the average yearly health costs were $293 million for wood heater smoke. This translates into health costs equivalent to $4,232 per wood heater each year across the state.”
That is $4232 each and every year! It would be cheaper to buy everyone a heat pump or subsidize their baseboard heating costs. More importantly, it would save lives and improve well-being.
So when someone talks about the affordability of wood heat, ask them who is expected to pay for the resulting healthcare costs and impacts?