# gas, oil, propane bill vs wood pellets



## woodsman23 (Apr 5, 2011)

After a long hard cold azz winter my total heating bill was 825.00 dollars (figuring in another 1/2 ton before the season ends). Now what would your gas/oil/propane  bill have been if you did not have a pellet stove and you were using gas/oil/propane. Mine would have been just about 1,700 clams using propane. So burning pellets seems like the way to go....


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## ChrisWNY (Apr 5, 2011)

I spent about $300 total on pellets this year since late December when I had my pellet furnace installed. The $300 paid for roughly 80 bags of pellets, I still have over 20 bags remaining from the batches I bought over December-February (stopped buying in mid February). Last Winter, which was milder, my propane bill ran me over $350 per month avg. throughout the heating season (Nov-Mar), LP gas was also cheaper last year ($2/gallon vs. $2.59/gallon this year). This year, I paid $280 total for propane since late December when I began burning through bags of pellets (my hot water, dryer, and oven are all LP, and we did occasionally use the LP furnace). 

I figure my bill would have been closer to $400 per month January-March, so $1200 total for 3 months w/o pellets subsidizing the cost, give or take $100. In 3 months, factoring in the cost of pellets and LP gas, I saved nearly $700. Next year I'll gain the 2 extra months of pellet furnace usage during the heating season, so I expect to save somewhere between $1200-$1500 per season savings in LP gas costs.

We also NEVER heated the house above 65Â°F on LP gas, it was simply too expensive. The pellet furnace heated our entire first floor to 73Â°F in a matter of a couple of hours, and heated the upstairs into the upper 60s. Had I heated to 72-73Â°F on LP gas, I would've been looking at $500/month propane bills (what my neighbors were paying to heat their smaller house to 70Â°F), so the savings are really significant.

(btw, I live not far from the Srn. Tier, I have family that live to the South of Jamestown, grew up in the area, so I know the Srn. Tier quite well   )


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## johnnycomelately (Apr 5, 2011)

I spent roughly$1520 (6 tons of the good ship) and about 160 galons of oil. Without pellets I would have burned about 1500-2000 gallons. (no exageration... 3200 sq ft and only 2 zones)
What the math fails to calculate into the mix is how much warmer we stay with pellets. I will keep the house at 67 with oil and we are always 72+ with pellets. 
Here's to the heat!


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## IHATEPROPANE (Apr 5, 2011)

I was spending $450 a month in November with propane keeping the house at 60-62 brrrr.  With the pellet stove it is a comfortable 68-72 in Jan and Feb at about 2 bags a day ( sometimes a little more ).  I figure worst case is 5 pallets a year or roughly $1250 with pellets.  I would be willing to bet about $1,000 a month to keep my house 70 with propane.


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## jtakeman (Apr 5, 2011)

woodsman23, 

Hey, you forgot about us and one of the most expensive heating methods. "ELECTRIC baseboard" 

I haven't heated with electric since December of '95' because of the high cost. I am too afraid to touch that! Even with this cold a$$ winter I am still under 4 tons. My total for the 4 tons was $778. I would have paid that for 2 months worth of electric baseboard(using "95" prices even) at a much cooler temp in the house. We much like the warmer 74ÂºF temps with the pellets. 

Got pellets? Yep, enough for next season too! Its like money in the bank for us! I'd say yeah, were pretty darn happy with our pellet stove and toasty too!


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## CJ-SR4ever (Apr 5, 2011)

With the price of propane so high in my area, I would have paid about $2700.  Paid about $750 for my 3 tons for this year.


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## Wood Heat Stoves (Apr 6, 2011)

I can't afford to heat my home with my propane forced air system, even if I didn't go above 60. I use my woodstove and cut all the wood myself off my own property. It's hard to figure the cost when you think about all the time spent cutting carrying, stacking, etc, but I'm sure it's still less expensive than LP. Here's a handy Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator that will help figure the relative costs-

http://woodheatstoves.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=26&zenid=a004a0acf00fdc5a34884840c4167923


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## will711 (Apr 6, 2011)

johnnycomelately said:
			
		

> I spent roughly$1520 (6 tons of the good ship) and about 160 galons of oil. Without pellets I would have burned about 1500-2000 gallons. (no exageration... 3200 sq ft and only 2 zones)
> What the math fails to calculate into the mix is how much warmer we stay with pellets. I will keep the house at 67 with oil and we are always 72+ with pellets.
> Here's to the heat!


Bottom line is we are all savings $$ over oil, electric, propane as Johnny says "how much warmer we stay with pellets" and how good does that make us feel.


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## DexterDay (Apr 6, 2011)

We went through 3-4 tanks of LP a year, about $1,000 a fill, depending on tank level..... The LP Bill before we started using pellets was an average of $330 a month (on the budget/pay the same every month/Jan-Dec) At the rate I am on now, a full tank will last 3 years before next fill up. Over a year and a half and still have about 50%. . Only use the propane for our cooking needs. Don't use the LP furnace for heat at all. Never plan to. Only keep it because of local codes.
Pellets cost about $1,000 a year. This year was cheaper, closer to $875. Pellets were cheap. So the savings is HUGE. A little over $2,000 a year in savings. 

((Also added new insulation in basement and put 5/8" drywall up over existing 1/2" throughout house, the same year the Quad was installed)) 
The insulation would have helped th LP bill. But have nothing else to compare to. Only after pellet stove.
Pellet consumption will rise (Tremendously) when the Fahrenheit gets used next winter. But will still be cheaper than LP.

EDIT: Forgot to add that I got Ferrel Gas to drop my "Rental Fee" for using there tank. Got the bill last week. 3/11/11-3/24/12 Amount due $20.28 for equipment rental


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## c_mantle (Apr 6, 2011)

If I might testify...
Had a Harman Accentra Insert installed 1st week of December, in the basement of a very standard colonial (2300 sq.ft) total.
Burned close to 4 tons of pellets so far, and used very little oil.
Returning home one night, the pellet stove was off,  I decided to turn the oil furnace on, for just a quick heat-up.  It wouldn't fire.
The burner ignition was dead and had been for several days (as many as 5?) we hadn't noticed until now.

I haven't calculated my total savings by burning pellets this year - but I can tell you that the oil company was not happy, when in the middle of February
they delivered only 37 gallons.  

Plus, as others have testified, we enjoy the heat so much more.  We heat the basement to 74, 1st floor to 70.  We actually use our basement when before - it was no man's land until spring.

Next year I plan to add some ducting to move more heat upstairs.


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## gengle (Apr 6, 2011)

Harmon P68 installed 12/08/10. Had a propane delivery 12/11 of 131 gallons @ 2.72/gal. Had another delivery 01/28/11 of 27.5 gallons. We're keeping the place at a cozy 72 and have gone through a little over three tons @ a cost of $680. I couldn't be happier about the decision and can't even imagine looking back!


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## woodsman23 (Apr 6, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> woodsman23,
> 
> Hey, you forgot about us and one of the most expensive heating methods. "ELECTRIC baseboard"
> 
> ...



Oh man i did forget electric!. I can't even imagine heating with electric our rates are over the top and we have niagara falls close to us but get nothing but high rates.. go figure....


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## nate379 (Apr 6, 2011)

I'd go in the poor house if I had to heat with pellets.  Can buy over 2 cords of wood for what 1 ton of pellets cost and wood is not much of a savings over natural gas.


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## arnash (Apr 6, 2011)

My thumbnail calculations say that with my heating practices of the past using an electric heat exchanger cost abut the same as this first year using a pellet stove for heat.  But the difference is that the stove gives me fast, direct significant heat while the exchanger was slow, indirect (ceiling) and barely detectible.  But the stove also gives me 5-8 degrees more heat, which is all the difference in the world.  Also, the only affordable way to use the exchanger was to wait until after about 2 PM when there was plenty of heat in the attic to draw from.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Apr 6, 2011)

One of the best things about this forum is, in general, we are all preaching to the choir. Listening to us all rave about our individual stoves and the money we save and blah, blah, blah only goes to prove the point that we are drinking the Kool-Aid and many, if not most of us are DRUNK. I have had a stove for 14 complete seasons now. I stopped calculating my savings. I completely enjoy the whole pellet stove experience and everything involved. My house is a toasty 72-74 degrees all winter. My wife is warm and toasty and when that happens, we all know that life is GOOD. For me, some of the savings can't be calculated and I don't try. Having said all of this, I am ready for Spring here in New England, so bring it on. Enjoy guys!


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## magsf11 (Apr 6, 2011)

I spent 630 for 3 ton this yr. started burning full time in oct. family and friends have said that their ng bill for some months were close to $300. 
i will gladly pay my $50 a month ng bill( cooking stove, hot water and the dryer)


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## vinny11950 (Apr 6, 2011)

Woodsman,

this year about 4 tons of pellets for about $1,000.  With toasty temperatures of 72+ degrees.  Last year was electric baseboard heating in Long Island NY.  21 cents a Kwh, or about $600-700 a month, for a frigid 62 degrees.  so $600 x 5 = $3000.  My stove will pay for itself in 2 years!


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## BDPVT (Apr 6, 2011)

I spent $1850 for 8 tons of pellets to heat my house for the entire winter. I do not use any oil anymore. In the past we used around 1500 gallons of fuel plus 2 cords of wood and were never as warm as we are now.  Fuel oil at today's prices would cost me around  $5600 per season. I figure im saving over $3700. thanks to my pellet stoves.


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## Boobo0 (Apr 6, 2011)

Hi All, first post here

I picked up a Harman Accentra Insert about mid January from an individual on Craigslist, he was in desperate need of $$.  The insert had never been installed, he had run it a couple of times in his garage with a pipe going out his window (yeah I know crazy).  But anyways, the damn thing was made in the end of 09 and could not have been any closer to being brand new.  He wanted $2400 and I ended up giving him $1800 for it (once I got it in my truck, I bolted.  just in case he changed his mind, lol).  

Had to order a zero clearance kit and a couple of other parts, finally got it running on March 1.  Wasn't quite sure how it would perform, but the first night was like a mid winter cold (high single digits).  Not only did it heat my downstairs to 75 but it got my upstairs (the entire thing) up to 70. And it did it with ease. 

The best part of the story, my LP gas furnace has not kicked on ONCE since I started using the Accentra.  No Eastern Propane, your not getting my $2500 bucks per winter anymore.  That initial feeling of knowing you are heat independent (to a point, I know pellets still cost money) from your fuel company was awesome  You will not hold me hostage anymore  

Pellets ROCK!!

Bob


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## Alternative Guy (Apr 7, 2011)

My local Quad dealer has a chart that compares Wood, Pellet, Coal, Gas, Oil.  I seem to recall that Pellet is about twice Wood, which is what I currently use.  I have become spoiled in that my wood is usually "free" for the labor.  So, in many years there is no money spent on heating.  However, we know how much work there is in moving wood OR pellets, plus the cutting.

I am getting older, so I have begun using my propane forced air backup more in the shoulder season.  There is something pleasing about hitting the thermostat - you pellet burners can relate to that.  I use just enough gas to make my minimum yearly required purchase, which I have adjusted to my new habit of increased furnace use.  That ends up being around $200.  My delivered wood is about $180/cord delivered, and I use 4 cords for a long winter.  So worse case, I am at $920 a year for a 1500 sq ft house.  I am at home full-time.


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## arnash (Apr 7, 2011)

Washington likes to give subsidies and tax breaks to non-fossil fuel industries but have blindly overlooked the industry that gives the best means of home heating.  "Best" being the warmest, most convenient and most affordable for the general population.  Maybe if they did something to bring down the price of propane and natural gas heating, the economy wouldn't be in the toilet because people have to spend and arm and a leg just to stay warm.  But since they're not doing that, why not promote pellet stoves?  Hell, many people, like me, never knew anything about pellet stoves until I bought one (for $50. -no way to loose) So they feel and are in a sense trapped by their conventional heating methods because no one is enlightening them about the benefits of pellet stoves.  Where's the so-called Dept of Energy when it's needed to promote something that most people need even though they may not be aware of it?


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## will711 (Apr 7, 2011)

Boobo0 said:
			
		

> Hi All, first post here
> 
> I picked up a Harman Accentra Insert about mid January from an individual on Craigslist, he was in desperate need of $$.  The insert had never been installed, he had run it a couple of times in his garage with a pipe going out his window (yeah I know crazy).  But anyways, the damn thing was made in the end of 09 and could not have been any closer to being brand new.  He wanted $2400 and I ended up giving him $1800 for it (once I got it in my truck, I bolted.  just in case he changed his mind, lol).
> 
> ...


 Welcome to the forum Bob, nice deal on the Harman keep her clean and she'll treat you right. Now you can keep your home nice and warm at a more affordable cost , it's a great feeling.


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## esuitt (Apr 7, 2011)

So far I have used 3 1/2 tons of pellets, about $700. 
I just found out last week my local oil delivery co. prices are $3.75 w/ a 100 gallon min if you do not have a contract with them; I did not re new since we installed the stove. But seeing as 200 gallons of oil would cost me the same as the pellets I have bought so far and only last 1/3 of the time. I am making out ok.


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## Don2222 (Apr 7, 2011)

Hello

Since I re-did the attic with insulation and went from R7 in the Attic floor to R53 I only used 300 gallons of oil for the winter season.
Now that is running the living room and kitchen at 66 degrees during the day with the bedrooms set to 55 during the day and vica versa at night!

So 300 x $3.50 per gallon is $1050.00

Last summer I got 3 tons of premium wood pellets Logic-e for $750.00 ($250.00) per ton.

So that is a nice savings of $300.00 dollars and now we heat the bedrooms, living room, Kitchen and the basement to 70+ degrees!!

Now this year I got Maine's choice wood pellets for $209 per ton for next winter! That is $627.00 for 3 tons of  heat for the whole season. 


So I cannot wait until next year to see what I save !


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## referee38 (Apr 9, 2011)

I will be getting a pellet stove this year so next winter will be my first. I am tired of paying the high price for oil. I am either getting a Harman Accentra or the P 43. Looking forward to saving money next winter.


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## Lousyweather (Apr 9, 2011)

This topic has come up ad nauseum in many forums, including here. So many things effect the cost of fuel, and some really arent quantifiable. The wood guys come in cheapest, as some of these guys get their product free, but upon closer inspection, noone really quantifies the cost of gas, chainsaw, pickup truck, loading and unloading, and time spent acquiring the product. For me, I am NOT at home all day, I work all week and weekends, and am a single father of multiple children, and I dont own a pickup truck. I simply do not have the time to drive around looking for deadfall, etc, to burn all winter, let alone cutting it up, loading it into the truck, then unloading, re-piling, etc. Time is the one item none of us can produce. Much easier for me to have 5 tons delivered outside my bulkhead, and take them into the house at my leisure, when I can fit it in, time-wise. 

With oil at $3.75/gallon, and pellets at $229/ton, and electric at god-knows-what, Im fairly certain of the polausible options for me, pellets certainly are the cheapest....go ahead....use those numbers, show me a calculator where pellets arent my cheapest option.

Natural gas? Unavailable where I live.


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## referee38 (Apr 9, 2011)

I just checked and from 10/2010 to today I have spent 2290.00 on oil this heating season.


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## Lousyweather (Apr 9, 2011)

referee38 said:
			
		

> I just checked and from 10/2010 to today I have spent 2290.00 on oil this heating season.



ouch!


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## jtakeman (Apr 9, 2011)

referee38 said:
			
		

> I just checked and from 10/2010 to today I have spent 2290.00 on oil this heating season.



Youch! What size house?


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## referee38 (Apr 9, 2011)

Oil heats my hot water also but 4 bedrooms , two bathrooms, basement and kitchen ,dinning room and foyer.  Will have a Harman pellet stove installed before winter. I should have done it last year and got the big tax credit.


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## heat seeker (Apr 9, 2011)

My oil bill would have been over $4000 for the full year. So far I have saved nearly $500! Next year will be even more.


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## STANG32 (Apr 10, 2011)

I bought my 2300sf colonial in july 08, electric heat, in december I got my first electric bill for heating season, 1000.00 bucks, I went around shutting doors, turning off t-stats,january & feb's bill were  900each, then 600, 500 & then normalled out to about 175 after the spring thaw.
I  was determined to do something about this, I was going to go broke @ this rate.
I got my breckwell insert in october of 09, my dec bill was 341, then jan was 386, then i had my attic foam insulated & my bill has not been over 250 a month in heating season.
the only rooms that the elect heat goes on is my daughters room ,because we close her door @ night & the great room/family room. too big & too far away from the stove to be affective.
the electric company changed my meter twice thinking there was a problem w/it.hehehe

this year i bought 6 tons of pellets, roughly $1200.00 in pellets,
my average electric bill is 267.00/month for 5 months.

so $2535 total to run this house for the winter.
$508/month pellets & electricity

compared to $4500 the winter of 08/09
$900/month, electricity only


so, yeah, i am quite happy with my choice.,


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## Snowy Rivers (Apr 10, 2011)

We live in a 2400 Sqft Ranch style home that is very open with basically Zero Hallway area.

Heating season starts around late September with a spot fire in the Pellet stove early in the morning and maybe late a night to take the chill off.

By mid/late October we are getting into full swing.

The season will last until possibly the first week of June, then the AC season is here.

The house has force air electric installed with the AC system in the air handler.

We installed an Earthstove WP-50 when we moved in and fed that stove Nut shells.
We also installed a Quadrafire at the same time and ran it on Pellets.

A normal winter would see us use about 3 -3-1/2 tons of Pellets and if the weather got really cold we would use the WP-50 on shells to keep things toasty

Sooooo during that time frame we would spend about $600 for a season (Oct-June)

Last winter I removed the WP-50 and remodeled the family room and installed a large Whitfield Pellet stove. At the same time I installed a very small Whitfield in the living room at the opposite end from the Quad.

NOW
This Winter we have been running the Whitfields in various combinations of Little one, Big one or both and feeding them Nut shells, the Quad has not been on once.

This winters total heating bill will come in at a Whoppping $165  for the entire season.
YESSS     One Hundred Sixty Five Buckos for the winter.

If we used the electric it would be in the neighborhood of $1000 a month or more, not sure as we have never used the electric.
The normal electric bill is nearly $300 for the rest of the household items (hot water and such)


Pellet stoves and alternative fuels ROCK

The Shells require more fooling about, clearing clinkers twice daily and such and have more ashes but the savings is worth every penny of it.

Snowy


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## referee38 (Apr 11, 2011)

I am planning on putting money down on a pellet stove on  Thursday on either a Accentra or a P43.


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## will711 (Apr 11, 2011)

referee38 said:
			
		

> I am planning on putting money down on a pellet stove on  Thursday on either a Accentra or a P43.


 Either one is a good choice, we went with the Accentra it fit our style better. This was our 1st year with pellets and the wife keeps saying BEST investment we made for our home. Welcome to the forum.


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## Snowy Rivers (Apr 11, 2011)

Been using pellet stoves since 1992 and its the best thing we ever did.

Snowy


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