The wood manufacturing industry in Sweden is not very often the subject of academic research activities. In certain parts of Sweden, generally in rural areas, this industrial branch is of major importance as a local employer. If the companies could grow and prosper it would lead to a more vivid countryside and decrease migration to larger towns and cities. The council of the European Community has therefore introduced certain funds for research projects in such rural areas. This paper describes the use of electricity and heat in a carpentry factory. The result shows that energy conservation measures and load management might be of significant importance in order to make the company more profitable. Even small savings can be the difference between survival or bankruptcy. For the studied factory it is obvious that much equipment for heating purposes are in a poor state. The steam system which could be useful for decreasing the use of electricity heating suffers from leaking steam traps and other imperfections which lead to severe losses in both kilowatt-hours and money. The steam system is therefore not used in an optimal way.