Home Heating Oil Dropping to 2 year low - What about wood pellets? See Prices I found!

[Don2222]

Hello

Ok, Home Heating Oil around here is $3.29 per gallon as of today!

On 12-30-2011 Oil was $3.49 per gallon.

On 05-01-2012 Oil was $3.65 per gallon

When I purchased oil last summer on
07-13-2011 it was $3.47

Last time I paid less than the price of HHO today!
On 09-29-2010 Oil was $2.60 per gallon

As I reported the Wood Pellet Prices in the new area above, it seems the price of wood pellets only went down a little and Maine Woods has actually gone up $1.00 per ton since last Winter!
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/salem-nh.87382/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/nh-salem.86614/

DodgeGrain RT28 Salem NH
Prices from their web site > (broken link removed to http://www.dodgegrain.biz/content.aspx?cid=41)
GENEVA WOOD PELLETS
100% SUPER PREMIUM HARDWOOD
Last Winter
$243.00 per ton
Summer Special?
$242.00 per ton
LOGIK-E Pellets 100% SUPER PREMIUM HARDWOOD
Last Winter
$279.00 per ton
Summer Special
$255.00 per ton
MAINE WOOD PELLETSHardwood/Softwood blend
Last Winter
$241.00 per ton
Summer Special?
$242.00 per ton

1st Pic - HHO prices 12-30-2011
2nd Pic - HHO prices today 06-08-2012
3rd - 5th Pics - prices today 06-08-2012

 

[Salty]

Yep and watch oil go down even more...it's ELECTION YEAR......

 

[save$]

Thanks for putting that together. I know it takes time to organize a message with that kind of content.
Election years are interesting. I.e. they are the ones where we got a social security increase. We got zero in the prior two years. If oil continues to stabilize, the economy (as a whole) should be more stable.
If one could read a crystal ball, it might be the time to look toward putting a little more HHO and pellets in your own storage. At least then you wouldn't be compromised by wide swings.
It is going to be interesting to watch the box store do their pricing. I think that is going to play a huge role in the overall pricing of pellets. HD no longer gives the vets discount. Lowes decided to price up green team, and then charge contractor bundle prices so single bags bring more money in. WalMart sold MWP at really low prices, but the way they handle the pellets could render any pellet worthless unless you are there to get yours as they are receiving a shipment off the truck. We have SIB here so we can get good prices and good handling with delivery.

 

[smwilliamson]

Fuel BTU per Unit Unit Units Unit BTU's Cost per Unit Cost for Units
Oil 138,000 Gal 116 16008000 $3.49 $404.84
Pellets 8000 Lb 2000 16000000 $249.00 $249.00

 

[save$]

Fuel BTU per Unit Unit Units Unit BTU's Cost per Unit Cost for Units
Oil 138,000 Gal 116 16008000 $3.49 $404.84
Pellets 8000 Lb 2000 16000000 $249.00 $249.00

Sorry, I know it is my thick head, but could you restate that so I can catch what you are comparing. I've looked at it six times and still I am mixed up!

 

[midfielder]

I'd say that equates the btu content of a ton of 8000 btu/lb pellets with 116 gallons of fuel oil. If the ton of pellets cost $249, and the oil was priced at $3.49 per gallon, buying pellets would save you the difference between $404.84 for the oil and $249.00 for the pellets, or $155.84. Or, in terms of raw btus purchased, the pellets cost about 5/8 what the oil does. That's about how I figure it too. My oil burner is reasonably new and efficient and I guess it and my stove are about the same that way; however, my oil burner serves heat through air ducts that run through an unheated, though tight enough, crawl space where I can't reasonably get at them to wrap. So heat loss to a space I don't want to heat takes another bite out of the oil btus delivered to my living space. With the pellet stove releasing all of its realized btus directly into my living space, I figure my cost of pellets at just about half that of oil for my application. Though I haven't checked it, I'd also say that the pellet stove uses significantly less electricity than my burner's combustion blower and large squirrel cage air handling unit. Compared to what's on the stove, those are pretty big motors.

 

[Don2222]

Fuel BTU per Unit Unit Units Unit BTU's Cost per Unit Cost for Units
Oil 138,000 Gal 116 16008000 $3.49 $404.84
Pellets 8000 Lb 2000 16000000 $249.00 $249.00

Hi Scott
You must also take into consideration the efficiency of the appliance and what medium is being heated. From my experience I find Wood pellets are great for heating the air and the efficiency in doing that is very good and very cheap for the pellet fuel. However for heating hot water, On Demand Gas or a Heat Pump Electric may be more efficient and cheaper.

I have seen many different setups and experience people have in this forum.
So for my area in NE, it looks like a Wood Pellet stove basement install in a split entry home with a very efficient Heat Pump Electric hot water tank may be the absolute cheapest way to go! Since the HP electric pulls hot air from the basement then alot of the warm air not ducted upstairs created by the pellet stove would make some very cheap hot water this way! ! !

 

[Hoot23]

Saw oil pricev yesterday in Biddeford, Me for 3.25$ a gallon. Tryin to wait it out to see how low it gets. Got a 1/4 tank left. Just heating hot water. Will still stick with pellets till it's down to 2.50& a gallon.

 

[save$]

I like your optimism that oil will go to $2.50 However, any decrease is good news to the east coast and for the rest of the economy.

 

[BrotherBart]

Two words. Hurricane season.

 

[Hoot23]

I really need to proof read my post.

 

[mikefrommaine]

http://www.maineoil.com/zone5.asp?type=0

Cash price is down to 2.99 here

 

[smwilliamson]

Sorry, I know it is my thick head, but could you restate that so I can catch what you are comparing. I've looked at it six times and still I am mixed up!

Oil is $25.25 per million BTU and Pellets are $15.26 at those prices.

 

[save$]

Oil is $25.25 per million BTU and Pellets are $15.26 at those prices.

Thank you. The savings is huge. Well worth investing in a quality heating unit to maximize the savings, and minimize heating failures. I.e. a stove that has a history of being able to burn most any pellet without problems. Looking ahead, I would want a multi fuel stove.