Hi,
You can get some idea which elements of the house (walls, attic, crawl, furnace, ...) are the worst for heat loss, and what you might save by improving them using this home heat loss calculator:
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Calculators/HeatLoss/HeatLoss.htm
The calculator requires that you make some estimates of existing R values and infiltration that are hard to estimate accurately, but at least it gives you a start on knowing where the biggest holes are.
Before you get into doing this or that project, I would make a list of all the projects you might do to improve the energy efficiency of the house, and try to roughly estimate what each one would cost, and what it would save. You will find that some projects will have a payback of less than one heating season, and others will go a long long ways out. This is the plan we used to cut our energy use about 60% with a very good payback:
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Half/Half.htm
Some possibilities:
- Before you blow new insulation into the attic, carefully seal all the wire, plumbing, lighting fixture, chimney, ... penetrations from living space to attic. In most homes (with descent windows) this is the biggest source of air infiltration. Much easier to do b4 you insulate.
- If there are heat duct in the attic, insulate and seal with duct mastic.
- Blow loose fill cellulose in the attic -- lots of it.
- Work on sealing around doors, windows, ... to tighten up the house.
- If there is a crawl space, insulate it. Consider turning the crawl space into a conditioned space.
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Half/ProjectsConservation.htm#Crawl
- In that climate, you really need to control heat loss from windows. If the windows don't leak air, then you could consider inside thermal window treatments, otherwise some form of replacement window?
- You could consider blowing cellulose in the walls, but this may or may not pay well depending on how much insulation was added below the siding. Use this calculator to estimate saving:
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Calculators/InsulUpgrd/InsulUpgrade.htm
- More stuff here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/conservation.htm
I would get a copy of the book "Insulate and Weatherize" by Harley. Its really good, and very hands on.
On the wood heat, I would keep the insurance company in the loop. Many have rules on this. Another consideration here is would you be able to find renters who would want wood, and that you would trust with wood?
Gary