We have recently witnessed firewood and wood stove sales rise dramatically in response to higher electrical bills and natural gas shortages.
Rising fuel costs spark rush to buy firewood and stoves for home heatingEarlier this year, National Grid, which supplies natural gas and electricity across much of the Capital Region and upstate New York, predicted that heating bills will rise 31 percent during the five-month winter heating period that starts in November. The average residential customer is expected to pay $651 over the five-month period, or an increase of $155. It’s the biggest increase in more than a decade.
Other forms of heating are going up as well.
Propane, derived from natural gas and which is popular in rural locations without gas line hookups, was selling for $3.46 a gallon in September, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency, NYSERDA. In 2020 it was $2.46 a gallon.
Electricity is up almost 46 percent year over year as of June, according to NYSERDA.
With high demand, wood costs are also rising. Some providers like Advantage Tree Service in Delmar, have held prices at $395 per cord delivered (within a five mile radius) for the past two years.
But others are charging more this year, although some charged under $300 in past years.
A cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, or 4-by-8 feet of 4-foot long split logs.
Homeowners also are shopping for more wood stoves.
Wood stoves are currently in short supply in part because of tougher EPA emissions rules that took effect in 2020. Stoves made prior to May 2020, when the new regulations took effect, had to be dismantled.
The newer stoves are far cleaner and more efficient than their older cousins, but the new regulations took tens of thousands of stoves, that had already been manufactured, off the market.
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Rising-fuel-costs-spark-rush-to-buy-firewood-and-17507751.php It appears fire wood and wood burning stoves could be the next bitcoin. These trends emphasize high price volatility which can occur in response to market trends and shifting demand. If it were possible to purchase crypto tokens pegged to the value of firewood and wood stoves, it would be profitable. Although not the most ethical financial move given the profits would come at some expense of negative consumer sentiment.
With war in ukraine and other crisis on the horizon. It is possible markets will witness other such fluctuations in the future. While we cannot necessarily prevent these large scale crisis from occurring. We can prepare for the future by investing in things that will be future profitable to reduce negative fallout from inflation and other market losses of efficiency.
In the past I covered agriculture and food being one potential market to HODL if food shortages occur. Are there other examples of good HODL content for future market trends?
Given how the cost of lumber and wood has increased. Perhaps raw materials are worth looking into. Rising fossil fuel prices could negatively impact offshore sources of raw materials, which might increase demand in local markets. If this occurs, could it be leveraged and invested in for HODL motives.
While precious metals are often emphasized as being good recession and inflation performing asets. Due to metals like gold having real world application in electronics and aerospace indutriess in addition to limited supply. There is an angle to precious metals HODL where we lack a sound infrastructure for using precious metals assets as a form of barter or trade. Perhaps this could become a larger issue in the future if rolling blackouts and similar issues intensify.
Long story short do we have good buy ins aside from firewood and wood stoves?
- I have to admit that this is perhaps one of the biggest pieces of nonsense you've written, although you never cease to amaze...
