Homeowners who use heating oil seek alternatives

Mark Bancroft's new pellet-burning furnace hasn't been installed, but he's already counting how much money he'll save over his old oil-fired burner.
Instead of paying $5,000 for 1,100 gallons of heating oil in the coming year based on today's record prices, he'll spend $2,000 on about 8 tons of wood pellets. Even at a cost of more than $12,000, he thinks the new furnace will pay for itself within five years.
"How great is it if we make a move toward this type of heating that can boost the economy instead of sending money to foreign lands for oil?" said Bancroft, who plans to have the unit installed this summer....