The Cost of Cold

Philip Richards says his electric boiler keeps costs low in his energy efficient home.

Lasse Holmes, from Homer, exclusively heats his home with wood, in a rocket mass heater.

As the Bering Strait becomes more accessible, the mayor of Nome says there’s an upside to less sea ice. 

“It’s something that you kind of hand down… I did it with my parents and… my grandfather. And… I guess I’m passing the torch as you would say to them,” Jeremy Eberhardt said.

Jeff Sanders exclusively heats his 3,000 square foot home in Bethel with wood he scavenges around town. He says he hasn’t used heating fuel since 1974.

In Homer heating oil is an expensive alternative to natural gas. That forces some residents to consider less conventional options, like coal.

Richard Parmelee warms his house with vegetable oil, donated by a local Chinese restaurant and McDonalds.

For The Cost of Cold, we profile Unalaska resident Travis Swangel, who heats his small home on the island with a Toyo stove.

There are a lot of heating options. Electricity, natural gas, wood, coal… even french fry oil. But in much of rural Alaska, and even some cities, the primary heating source is diesel.