In researching this week’s Holiday Retail Series press release on comparison shopping sites, I was surprised to find “pellet stoves” and “wood stoves” among the leading search terms sending visits to sites in that category. Upon on charting the terms, I found that there was a massive increase in searches on these terms in recent months compared to last year. Indeed, heating with wood is a viable and cost effective heating option, particularly in areas like rural New England where I grew up. With increased concern over fuel prices, as Bill mentioned in October, it’s not surprising that searches for alternative forms of home heating increased as homeowners prepared for winter.