Heating oil prices around me are currently at around $2.88/gal. I bought a few tons of what I think are mid grade pellets at $369 ton. At those prices, believe the oil is favorable based on a couple of the calculators I found on line. Local Tractor Supply is selling pellets for $309/ ton which at that price the pellet are a little more favorable.
Fuel vs pellets
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EbS-P
Minister of Fire
Here is the calculator I use.
www.efficiencymaine.com
From that calculator it’s a wash. Pellets shown to be about 3% cheaper. You pay sales tax on oil?
Residential Heating System Cost Calculator | Efficiency Maine
Our heating cost comparison calculator can help you estimate your annual home heating costs for different heating systems.
www.efficiencymaine.com
From that calculator it’s a wash. Pellets shown to be about 3% cheaper. You pay sales tax on oil?
That’s my opinion also. At 300 a little cheaper, at 400 a little more expensive. My house was built in 1800 and has a newer addition on the back with two entrances connecting it. The main house is oil, the addition is electric; thats where the pellet stove is. Depending on the price of fuel I bias the thermostat that controls the cheaper fuel a little higher and try and use less of the more expensive fuel. There have been years with big price differences.
There is no sales tax on residential heating oil.
There is no sales tax on residential heating oil.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
If you go by cost/BTU, wood pellets at $369/ton are cheaper than almost everything compared to the average prices of other fuels (holy cr*p, cord wood is expensive). We don't pay sales tax.
I could get GS from HD, or MWPs fromm TSC for right at $300/ton, so burning pellets may actually drop lower than using a heat pump (I refuse to do the math). At that rate, the only thing lower costing is NG - which most of the state (including me) does not have access to.
![[Hearth.com] Fuel vs pellets](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1729666848375-webp.331108/ "[Hearth.com] Fuel vs pellets")
![[Hearth.com] Fuel vs pellets](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1729666870329-webp.331109/ "[Hearth.com] Fuel vs pellets")
I could get GS from HD, or MWPs fromm TSC for right at $300/ton, so burning pellets may actually drop lower than using a heat pump (I refuse to do the math). At that rate, the only thing lower costing is NG - which most of the state (including me) does not have access to.
Wow wonder why your fuel oil is so expensive! Must be some other taxes in there. Possibly it’s NH is pricing #1 fuel oil and locally we’re still on #2
For the last couple of years it's really been about comfort. Point source heat is nice on cold days, especially in drafty houses. By the time you add in your labor and effort to get the pellets, burn oil if you are worried about the money. Just my opinion.
My main heat is cordwood I also have a pellet stove because my wife likes the family room toasty
first thing in the morning. We also have propane for ins. purposes don't use it don't like it but have to have it
My 3-ton of Cubix is 1200$ propane is no idea have not bought any since the first fill 4 years ago Firewood has its expenses
but I own a 200-acre bush lot my sons and I cut our firewood from it so Gas and Oil the skidder and a log truck to bring it home
and of course labour so the expenses are minimal except for the skidder see photo
first thing in the morning. We also have propane for ins. purposes don't use it don't like it but have to have it
My 3-ton of Cubix is 1200$ propane is no idea have not bought any since the first fill 4 years ago Firewood has its expenses
but I own a 200-acre bush lot my sons and I cut our firewood from it so Gas and Oil the skidder and a log truck to bring it home
and of course labour so the expenses are minimal except for the skidder see photo
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#2 heating oil is higher where I live in NY State. I haven't checked in the last couple weeks, but it was somewhere around $3.58 - $3.65. Honestly though, I would use my Harman P-43 even if the cost per gallon of oil was the same or even a little less than pellets.
For me the reasons are:
We like the main living area of our house nice and warm, but the bedroom cool. Yes, I could do that with the furnace, but it would require running the furnace a lot more to get the same warmth in the main living area, and we likely wouldn't keep it as warm using oil.
We also really like the ambience of the fire, a lot!
We prefer burning wood over oil in general.
My wife has a small, licensed family daycare here and we have to keep the house a minimum warmth every day all day. The pellet stove is in an area where the kids have zero access to, but the way our small house is laid out, it keeps the house plenty warm without the furnace running non-stop all day every day.
For me the reasons are:
We like the main living area of our house nice and warm, but the bedroom cool. Yes, I could do that with the furnace, but it would require running the furnace a lot more to get the same warmth in the main living area, and we likely wouldn't keep it as warm using oil.
We also really like the ambience of the fire, a lot!
We prefer burning wood over oil in general.
My wife has a small, licensed family daycare here and we have to keep the house a minimum warmth every day all day. The pellet stove is in an area where the kids have zero access to, but the way our small house is laid out, it keeps the house plenty warm without the furnace running non-stop all day every day.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
It may be #1, I have no idea. I don't use oil so don't really keep up with that. It does have to get trucked up a bit further than where you are at, so that adds cost. I do know that an independent oil delivery guy on one of my town's (unofficial) FB pages said oil prices are really volatile right now. But, at the same time, I remember seeing a couple of weeks ago that he was selling at $3.10/gal.
My house is propane FHW and I don't use that at all. For my main floor I use either the P43 or the minisplit. Last year pellets were pretty expensive compared to electric heat pump (even if it wasn't "free" from my solar credits). Combined with it being a mild winter, I used the mini split for the majority of my main floor heating.
The only source of heat for my basement is the P61a, so I always burn pellets to keep that, and by extension my main floor floor, warm.
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