Pellet prices: How low will they go?

[lordgrinz]

I actually though we saw the low this spring time. But the stacks are still kind of high and the prices keep going lower. If were not at the bottom? We have to be close. Other fuels are starting to rise and pellet can't be far behind.

Just hoping they stay were there at til spring so I can restock at this seasons prices.

So a price of $249 for super premium(Okies, etc.) is considered a low? I was hoping for closer to $200 a ton.

$200 a ton for Okies? I don't think we'll see them that low. With trucking fees and the mark up of the dealers added. Mill direct maybe?

Don't count on it....will NOT happen at the retail level......unless we get free fiber, the railroads drops their prices a couple of grand and I can find a trucker that will work for free...it simply won't happen......the math won't allow it.

How much are they if I live only half a mile away from where you are storing these in Western MA? Hmmmm? LOL

 

[Fsappo]

Hopefully they will go so low that folks will have cheap pellets for a year and then the pellet mills start to go out of business one by one, because what we need here is a short term solution for a long term problem

 

[turbotech]

I still love cutting and splitting wood, but I like the pellets for the all night burn. Best thing I ever did was put the electric winch log lifter on the splitter to pick up the 300+ lb rounds.

 

[turbotech]

Hello

Since 1 - 40lb bag = 2.5 gals of oil = 3.75 gallons of propane

Wood Pellets Rule!!

Theoretically that is true. In the real world the machines that extract the energy are not 100% efficient of using the BTUs.
Pellet BTUs vary by wood type, bark, water content, etc. That equation uses top notch wood products.
It doesn't take into account that a decent gas burner is 95% efficient and a decent pellet stove is only 80% efficient.
It also neglects electricity usage. Of course the pellet stove wins in this area if the heating system is forced hot air.
Reduced that gallons of propane to 80/95 or .85 so it is really 3.75*.85 = 3.2 gallons.

I really don't think that most people get close to 80% efficiency out of their pellet stove. Any one here care to post actual measurements?

 

[save$]

Hello

Since 1 - 40lb bag = 2.5 gals of oil = 3.75 gallons of propane

Wood Pellets Rule!!

Theoretically that is true. In the real world the machines that extract the energy are not 100% efficient of using the BTUs.
Pellet BTUs vary by wood type, bark, water content, etc. That equation uses top notch wood products.
It doesn't take into account that a decent gas burner is 95% efficient and a decent pellet stove is only 80% efficient.
It also neglects electricity usage. Of course the pellet stove wins in this area if the heating system is forced hot air.
Reduced that gallons of propane to 80/95 or .85 so it is really 3.75*.85 = 3.2 gallons.

I really don't think that most people get close to 80% efficiency out of their pellet stove. Any one here care to post actual measurements?

I never was good wit the math, but can look at it this way. I know how much oil I was using before I installed the pellet stove (also includes Hot water)
I know how much pellets I am using with the oil back up.
I know how much warmer and more comfortable I am with the addition of the pellet stove.
I know how much I have have paid, and would have to pay for oil alone at today's prices.
So, Is my pellet stove 80% efficient? Don't know, but I am paying about one third less for heat for what I would have paid had I used oil alone. To me, that makes my stove one of the most efficient items I own. In terms of payback, even more efficient than my 401 k
I know there is a lot of discussion about how energy efficient are pellet stoves, and the same about different brands of pellets, (usually useful and important), but I truly think the most valuable equations to factor in is how energy efficient is the home and the home owner's habits.

 

[JoeS]

Green with envy at you guys sub $200. Best I can do here in the ATL is 264/ ton at Tractor Supply(Greenways). I called the guy at RockWood in The Rock Ga, He sells his "super premiums" at his Thomaston retail store for $270/ton.
Oh well it still beats electricity.

Wow, I was able to pick up Greenways at $189/ton in October.

 

[Rooscooter]

Up here in the great Northwest we are seeing pricing staying pretty flat.....at least for the last 3 years. We see prices in the $200.00/ton range in the early Fall moving to $225.00 or so in November back to around $200.00 in the late Winter for premium brands.

Locally I can find Westwood Premium Pellets, which I've been told are "re-branded" Okanagan's, for around $210.00/ton for pick-up and $235.00 delivered.

 

[Bank]

There are so many more facets than just the actual dollars. One has to consider a number of other issues:
Buying local and American.
Being able to buy pellets any time of the year and from many different vendors/suppliers. Most of us can only get oil at 275 gallons at a time.
Environmental issues.
Not being reliant on any one producer; such as, propane, oil or pellets.
With pellet stoves, you can crank that "bad boy" and not worry about the costs. I keep my 1st floor warm at 73 degrees on average; excluding really big Arctic blasts. I wouldn't dare do that with oil.
Exercise, yeah moving three tons into the garage burns a few calories.

As many have said, I'll keep my money, guns and pellets!! You keep the change.

 

[novah]

Hello

Just like Ludacris - How Low Can You Go??? How Low Can You Go???

My neighbor bought 14 bags on sale for $3.74 each at the new Lowes in Salem NH and used his $10 off coupon for $50 purchase and wound up paying $3.02 per 40lb bag

Since 1 - 40lb bag = 2.5 gals of oil = 3.75 gallons of propane

Wood Pellets Rule!!

Don - your signature says 45K BTU Avalon Astoria in Basement heating the split Entry with 3 Tons of Wood Pellets for the Winter Season. So doing the math 3 tons = 150 bags x 2.5gals of oil per bag = 375 gallons. Sure doesn't take much oil to heat your house for a year.

 

[esuitt]

Hello

Just like Ludacris - How Low Can You Go??? How Low Can You Go???

My neighbor bought 14 bags on sale for $3.74 each at the new Lowes in Salem NH and used his $10 off coupon for $50 purchase and wound up paying $3.02 per 40lb bag

Since 1 - 40lb bag = 2.5 gals of oil = 3.75 gallons of propane

Wood Pellets Rule!!

Don - your signature says 45K BTU Avalon Astoria in Basement heating the split Entry with 3 Tons of Wood Pellets for the Winter Season. So doing the math 3 tons = 150 bags x 2.5gals of oil per bag = 375 gallons. Sure doesn't take much oil to heat your house for a year.

I would be lucky to heat my house a full season on 375 gallons of oil/ forced air.
Still at $3.?? gal right now x 375 = $1125
150 bags x 4.00 = $600

I will keep the pellets and a half tank of oil on stand by, just in case.

 

[lordgrinz]

I actually though we saw the low this spring time. But the stacks are still kind of high and the prices keep going lower. If were not at the bottom? We have to be close. Other fuels are starting to rise and pellet can't be far behind.

Just hoping they stay were there at til spring so I can restock at this seasons prices.

So a price of $249 for super premium(Okies, etc.) is considered a low? I was hoping for closer to $200 a ton.

$200 a ton for Okies? I don't think we'll see them that low. With trucking fees and the mark up of the dealers added. Mill direct maybe?

Don't count on it....will NOT happen at the retail level......unless we get free fiber, the railroads drops their prices a couple of grand and I can find a trucker that will work for free...it simply won't happen......the math won't allow it.

How much are they if I live only half a mile away from where you are storing these in Western MA? Hmmmm? LOL

Squier Lumber has them for only $249 per ton......but I bet you already knew that didn't you?........... :cheese:

Thats where I bought them when I got the stove, but I meant the warehouse they come in on railcars from ;-)

 

[Lousyweather]

I'm holding out for O'kies at $150 ;-)

I don't think you'd see that unless you were a distributor! ;-)

Maybe if your shop is right next to the plant and you can send your forklift across the street to pickup......For the rest of you, probably not.........

well, my shop IS across from the street from the reload, and I CAN road a forklift there, but it STILL isnt that price....yet