We're building a house in the spring, so we've been looking at heating options quite seriously this past while.
The main floor is an open space, so we've settled on a wood stove (instead of a fireplace) for most heating, with electric back-up (we're in Quebec; electricity is cheaper than any other source of power). We're moving to the country and have a wood lot, so the wood won't cost anything other an fitness points. :)
Heating with wood alone is a nuisance, though, cause you can't ever let the fire go out or else the water pipes freeze and occasionally burst.
Also, a back-up is good when you're in a situation where the wood stove isn't keeping up (-30C for days on end...) or when you're in a physical state where wood heating is difficult (advanced pregnancy, broken leg, what have you). I remember my mom needing to wake up at 2am to put wood in the furnace while 8 months pregnant, and NOPE. Not happening to me.
Also, final point: a well-insulated house with insulated windows that face the sun and not the North wind needs a lot less heating than anything else! Also, zone heating: we can heat the office separately from the rest of the house (we both work from home), so we don't need to heat the entire house all day.