Across the country, the rising cost of fuel is changing the way we live, work and run our businesses.

There’s a run on wood stoves in several metropolitan areas. In Denver, more businesses are letting employees work from home. Cities across the country report increases in mass transit ridership. In New Jersey, there's a move to let businesses with auto fleets hedge their gasoline purchases. In Milwaukee, business owners say their top concern is no longer the rising cost of healthcare; it's the soaring price of fuel.

With shortages and price spikes expected for natural gas and heating oil, wood furnace manufacturers and dealers are having trouble keeping up with new demand, the Pittsburgh Business Times reports.

The Business Times reports sales of wood-burning stoves in its area have reached levels not seen since the 1970s energy crisis.