The ‘beauty’ of hyper expensive fuel is most will happily do that over the alternative - going bankrupt and/or freezing to death.

And those cabins were always a minority over folks in the cities. Being able to afford to hire someone to bring wood or coal is different from just going outside and chopping down whatever looks ready. (Though really you need to season it, and that takes time)

It certainly isn’t everyone that is so poor that it is a concern, but Dickens used the theme for a reason.

>Can you honestly see droves of people doing this by choice? I can't.

If it's either that or dying I can see most people choosing the former.