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What's New
 We now offer two financing options: No payments or interest for 6 months and affordable monthly payments
We are in the News! - Don't get left feeling cold this winter
Special prices on wood, pellet, gas and electric stoves and fireplaces
We are the top dealer in Atlantic Canada of Pacific Energy and Enviro Products (see below)
Save when installing an approved Gas, Wood or Pellet Stove or Fireplace, or a Ductless Heat Pump! (see below)
We are Greater Saint John's preferred fireplace dealer - based on Telegraph Journal Survey
The Decoflame Stainless Steel Mural with a flame that burns with out smoke or odor. And no chimney!
The Bio Flame Fireplace - No Chimney or Venting Systems - Put it Anywhere!
We now have a new line of gas fireplaces – Valor
We now have the award winning wood burning fireplace – The Renaissance Rumford
No Interest, No Payments for Six Months or affordable monthly payments
We are now pleased to offer a no interest and no payment option for 6 months. In addition we can offer an affordable monthly payment program to enable you to enjoy your new stove fire fireplace right away. Many of our products will save you money on heating costs such as wood and pellet stoves and fireplaces, and heat pumps. With these financing programs you will be able to enjoy the savings and pay for your unit over time.
We are Atlantic Canada's # 1 Pacific Energy and Enviro Dealer
We were recently recognized for our performance last year selling wood stoves by Pacific Energy and wood and pellet stoves by Enviro. These are two brand names that really sell themselves. We find most of our business with these manufacturer's comes from referrals.
The important thing to us is that we have satisfied customers that enjoy our quality products. But being recognized as the top dealer in Atlantic Canada with two of our lines is pretty good too!!
Special prices on wood, pellet, gas and electric stoves and fireplaces
Check out our Specials Page to see what was available as of February 4th. We update this page on a regular basis to move out demo models and previous year models.
Save when installing an approved Gas, Wood or Pellet Stove or Fireplace, or a Ductless Heat Pump!
The Provincial and Federal Governments have grant programs to encourage homeowners to reduce energy consumption and to provide for a cleaner environment. At Alternatives we sell a number of the approved products: Gas, Wood and Pellet Stoves and Fireplaces, and Ductless Heat Pumps. The assistance can be significant. For instance when you install an Energy Star approved heat pump you will qualify for $1,000 in grant assistance, $500 under the provincial program and $500 under the Federal Program.
We will provide highlights of the programs here and give you links to the two government web sites at the end of the section. Our preference would be to have you come to our store, see the products which qualify and let us explain the programs to you in detail.
Provincial Program
The Province of New Brunswick program provides $500 if you install an approved wood, gas or pellet stove or fireplace. The $500 grant also applies towards the purchase of an approved ductless heat pump.
Federal Program
The Federal program provides $500 towards the purchase of an approved ductless heat pump. It also provides $375 towards the installation of an EPA approved wood burning appliance or pellet burning appliance, but to qualify you must be replacing an existing wood burning system.
Both Programs require an Efficiency Assessment of your Home
To qualify for assistance you must have an Efficiency Assessment of your home. This assessment will give you valuable information on where you are losing heat and will provide suggestions on action you should consider. The Provincial Government provides assistance towards the cost of the assessment.
To learn more on the Provincial Program click here.
To learn more on the Federal Program click here.
The Telegraph Journal survey says we're the #1 Fireplace Dealer in Greater Saint John
We sell lots of fireplaces. Wood, Propane, Natural Gas, Pellet and Electric. We have great brand names like Pacific, Vermont, Valor, Majestic, Enviro and Dimplex and we use knowledgeable and certified installers. But above and beyond all of this we want our customers to be totally satisfiied. This is why we think customers in southern NB enjoy buying from us. We strive for long term customer satisfaction
The Decoflame Stainless Steel Mural with a flame that burns without smoke or odor. And no chimney!
These beautiful units provide a great focal point to any living space. They do not require a chimney and burn with up to 98.6% efficiency. They have been ULC-UL certified.
The secret to these marvelous products is that they burn environmentally friendly ethanol. The cost to operate is $1.00 to $1.20 per hour.
Learn more by going to the Decoflame Web Site (www.decoflame.ca)
The Bio Flame Fireplace - No Chimney or Venting Systems - Put it Anywhere!
This is a high tech product that will bring wonderful atmosphere and warmth to any room in your home or apartment.
The Bio Flame is a Bio Ethanol fireplace that brings together form and function to create a smokeless and ventless fireplace that can be easily matched with your interior design.
Seeing is believing! Go to the Bio Flame Fireplace Web Site (http://www.thebioflame.com/) or see them at our store.
We have added a new line of Gas Fireplaces – Valor
We now carry the Valor line of Radiant Gas Fireplaces. There were a number of features that attracted to us Valor, but perhaps none more significant than the great solutions they have for the heritage homes in the Greater Saint John area with old coal fireplaces. Two other reasons was the fact that they operate efficiently without power and they have an automatic pilot light.
Valor also has electric fireplaces which can be an excellent solution for those old coal fireplaces.
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We now have an award winning wood burning fireplace – the Renaissance Rumford™
The Renaissance Rumford™ is an open hearth wood fireplace designed to offer major advantages over a traditional open fireplace. The hideaway guillotine door allows you to enjoy your fireplace with the door open or closed - without altering your view of the flames.
When burned with the guillotine door open the Renaissance Rumford is an instant mood creator; the crackle of a beautiful fire, tall vibrant flames and the lowest emissions ever seen from an open fireplace. When the door is closed it transforms into a more efficient fireplace by preventing the loss of heated room air, and the open hearth is so clean burning it meets the toughest EPA fireplace emission standards.
We have one installed in our store so you can see first hand the wonderful advantages this product has to offer
Our recent News Release - Don't Get Left Feeling Cold This Winter
ATTN: News, Assignment and Lifestyle Editors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Don’t Get Left Feeling Cold This Winter in New Brunswick
Unpredictable economy and energy costs have residents looking for
supplemental heating alternatives
October 6, Saint John, NB – Winter may be a few months away, but economic uncertainty and the higher costs of home heating have many New Brunswick residents already looking for solutions to manage energy consumption and supplement home heating sources. Traditional methods of heating can be costly depending on the location, size and type of home. According to Alternatives, many customers are looking for cost-effective, environmentally friendly options to supplement their current heating method.
“Technology for home heating is always improving and providing homeowners with better ways to heat their homes more cost-effectively,” says Kathy Blair, manager of Alternatives in Saint John. “But with so many alternatives, it’s hard to know which option will best suit their needs. We have residents from St. Stephen to Sussex who come in to talk with us, so they can make sense of all the available choices and what will work with their existing heating source and budget.”
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for New Brunswick, energy prices rose 14.9 per cent during the 12 months to August. [i] This increase could signal higher energy costs for New Brunswick residents in the future, who mainly use electricity, fuel oil and natural gas to heat their homes. Supplementary heating sources that offer zone heating and greater efficiencies, as well as being environmentally friendly can provide some relief to cost-conscious consumers.
Understanding Heating Options and Ratings
Whole home heating using a home’s primary energy source can waste energy and money. Zone heating is one of the most effective means of controlling costs by allowing homeowners to heat only the rooms they use most by using wood, pellet, gas, or electric stoves or fire places. Some options also offer consumers the added confidence that they won’t be left feeling the cold during a power outage.
Technological advances in supplemental and zone heating can now provide more heat for larger areas using less energy. However, it is important to understand how a unit will perform and the different ratings each option offers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides certified ratings indicating the levels of emissions, efficiency and heat output.
EPA ratings mainly apply to wood and pellet stoves. Gas stoves and fireplace inserts have not traditionally required EPA certification because they burn very cleanly, although the industry is beginning to put standards in place. EPA ratings for wood and pellet stoves certify:
· Smoke emissions - are based on a scale of 0 - 8.5 grams per hour and indicate the amount of particulates a unit gives off; and
· Efficiency - is a percentage value based on a scale of 50 - 100 per cent and indicates the heat you benefit from versus heat that is wasted (e.g., smoke is a sign of inefficient energy use).
Canadian standards require a rating of less than 8.5 grams per hour for smoke emissions. Efficiency ratings can range from 80 – 90 per cent for wood or pellet stoves and 70 – 80 per cent for gas or propane. Consumers should also be aware of heat output measurements. Every manufacturer will indicate the number of BTU’s (British Thermal Units) per hour a unit generates. BTU’s will vary depending on the size of the unit and the type of fuel used to produce heat. The BTU/hour is used to determine the square footage that can be heated.
“A good rule of thumb is to look for a low emissions rate, in the range of 0.7 – 4.5 grams per hour for wood or pellet based units, and high efficiency and heat output values,” says Blair. “But whichever option is selected, consumers should always have the unit installed by a certified installer, which is a requirement of insurance companies, and ensures the unit works properly and safely. Also, October 9 – 15 is Provincial Fire Prevention Week, so it’s a good time for people to be thinking about the safety of heating alternatives.”
Using energy more efficiently by controlling heat usage through zone heating is a good solution for managing energy costs. Consumers can also take advantage of government programs to assist in installing efficient burning units. For instance, Efficiency NB will give 500 dollars towards the installation of an approved wood, pellet or gas burning unit.
About Alternatives™
Alternatives is a locally owned and operated Saint John retail store that has been serving customers in Southern New Brunswick since 1977. The store offers quality products that are well made, last a long time, deliver exceptional performance and are supported by manufacturers that stand behind their products with strong warranty programs. Familiar brand names include: Pacific Energy, Vermont Castings, Enviro, Jotul, Majestic, Dimplex and Valor. Alternatives is located at 621 Rothesay Avenue in Saint John. www.alternativesnb.com
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