Pellet stoves: temporary?

[MCPO]

In the world where I live, we use an expression like "10 minutes" as an exaggeration to make a point. My point is that oil has been "cheap" again, if you think $2.60 to $3 is cheap, for what, 2 or 3 weeks? I think the thread is a little premature because people are reacting as if the hey-day of cheap oil is back. Maybe it is, but I'd think I'd wait a little longer than 2 weeks before regretting that I switched to natural gas or replaced a pellet stove.

Oh yes, I agree and if I was contemplating a new pellet stove I`d think I would want to wait a little longer too before commiting to spend $4-$5K to burn pellets that are above $300 and in short supply.
And that`s basically my point , it`s a tough decision to make at the moment .

 

[MCPO]

I know alot of people such as myself have gone to pellet stoves because of the oil prices. Now that oil has decreased in price people have started to second guess themselves on their choice. I have not! OPEC and the big oil companies are worried that people are finally understanding that we do not need as much oil as we have been using.

The United States has plenty of resources to support all our fuel needs if we would just use them!(and I do not mean drilling for more oil.)

Yeah but none of em would cause our manufacturing output competativeness to improve ( we don`t compete so well anyway) when the rest of the world would be using the cheap oil we refused to buy. We would be at a profound economic disadvantage.
Oil is what makes the world economy run whether it`s booming or not and whether we like it or not.
We need to get at and use more of our oil period until we can come up with cost viable alternatives.

 

[micpman]

Gio,
It is a tough decision at the moment, and thats what the oil companies want us to do! They want us to depend on them, because its easy! You call the oil company and they just show up and fill your tank, and as soon as we all start doing that again the heating oil prices will be back at $4.00 a gallon or more.

 

[MCPO]

Gio,
It is a tough decision at the moment, and thats what the oil companies want us to do! They want us to depend on them, because its easy! You call the oil company and they just show up and fill your tank, and as soon as we all start doing that again the heating oil prices will be back at $4.00 a gallon or more.

Heh,heh,heh. That sounds exactly what the pellet industry has been doing to us for the past 6 months.
We can send our oil money to Arabia or send our pellet stove money to China and pellet fuel money to Canada. Take a pick.

 

[Panhandler]

Gio,
It is a tough decision at the moment, and thats what the oil companies want us to do! They want us to depend on them, because its easy! You call the oil company and they just show up and fill your tank, and as soon as we all start doing that again the heating oil prices will be back at $4.00 a gallon or more.

Heh,heh,heh. That sounds exactly what the pellet industry has been doing to us for the past 6 months.

We can send our oil money to Arabia or send our pellet stove money to China and pellet fuel money to Canada. Take a pick.

I get your point, but you do have a choice. My pellet stove money went to Virginia and my pellet money went to Kentucky. Like buying a Ford or a Kia.

 

[hoverfly]

My purchase of a pellet stove was purely economics and no other reason why. Now, oil has dropped I still plan to keep the stove as my hedge fund when oil prices raise again.

 

[hoverfly]

Gio,
It is a tough decision at the moment, and thats what the oil companies want us to do! They want us to depend on them, because its easy! You call the oil company and they just show up and fill your tank, and as soon as we all start doing that again the heating oil prices will be back at $4.00 a gallon or more.

Heh,heh,heh. That sounds exactly what the pellet industry has been doing to us for the past 6 months.

We can send our oil money to Arabia or send our pellet stove money to China and pellet fuel money to Canada. Take a pick.

I get your point, but you do have a choice. My pellet stove money went to Virginia and my pellet money went to Kentucky. Like buying a Ford or a Kia.

Like a Ford or a Kia, uhm lots of parts are made all over the world for the big three. Not many things are just "Made in the USA" any more. Pellets prices will drop as surplus evolves and/or people chose not to pay curent or higher prices.

 

[itworks]

Let me start by saying I've been heating my home with pellets since 2004, and at this point I'm kind of at the break-even point considering my initial investment in the stove. I truly hate to be dependent on the OPEC SOB's, but I've been reading on hearth.com what it cost for stoves and pellets this year, and have come to the realization that we are being taken advantage by these manufactures. It's just greed! They are know different than OPEC......they've been taking advantage of us. I know some of you will cut them some slack by saying it's just a matter of supply and demand. I say BS!. These companies will either have to offer their products at more competitive prices, or go out of business. I'm guessing their business models are based on greed, fear, and gouging and many of them won't be around for long. Pellets are relatively new in the marketplace and will probably always be a niche market, but pellet mills, distributors, and dealers must evolve to provide a product at a competitive price point to survive. By reading many threads on this site I've learned that many of you would burn pellets even if it cost more than an alternative fuel to heat your home. I respect these folks, but I truly believe most pellet users are trying to save $$$, and if they can't, they'll burn an alternative fuel. This market has grown recently, but I can see the whole industry disappearing.

 

[micpman]

I admit that if it hadn't been for the price of oil I probably would'nt have looked into alternatives, and thats a shame on me!
But I also believe that its much better to give the money to companies that are trying to advance the technology of alternative fuels then to just hand it over to the OPEC nations.

but I truly believe most pellet users are trying to save $$$, and if they can’t, they’ll burn an alternative fuel. This market has grown recently, but I can see the whole industry disappearing.

I do not see this industry disappearing, but I see the exact opposite, I think it will grow beyond anyones expectations.

 

[rap69ri]

I love the pellet stove, and my wife loves it even more. I will continue to burn pellets if the price is at least inline with oil, but in the end the almighty dollar has the final say. If oil goes down to less than $2/gal, and pellets stay where they are, it is financial stupidity to burn pellets no matter how nice it is.

 

[mbmm]

I am new here but have been lurking for months....I have a multi-fuel stove. As I have come to realize, the pellet manufacuters are not raising the prices needlessly...A pellet plant here raised their price per ton 20 bucks, because of increased production costs (oil/gas). The high price in the box stores is a result of frieght charges and greed. I can go to the plant and get a ton of pellets or 22 tons of pellets for $185.00 per ton....bagged, wrapped and palletized. Also, realize that burning pellets is now the norm in a lot of places in Europe. There is a huge market there and I don't believe that our plants will close because of low home heating oil costs here...Until we get up to speed in home heating with pellets, get onboard with the benifits and create more of a local demand, get people to appreciate the need to retail pellets to local people as a main product, we will see the gouging and lack of willingness to support the demand.....Just my two cents.....Happy burning...stay warm

 

[lessoil]

I put the pellet stove in this year when oil was shooting up. Now that I have it, even with oil dropping, it will save me money, just the ROI may stretch out a little further. Also the room that its in is the main room we use and has been the hardest to heat with oil (cathedral ceiling). I just asked my wife now the temps this morning in the low 30's , how is the house, she said its great, the main room is with the stove set to 72 is comfortable. :coolsmile: ys Yeah I'll keep it.

Same here!!
We are finally warm and not feeling guilty every time we turn it up a notch.
Love not hearing the furnace kick on.
When oil prices go up, the ROI will get smaller.
Even if we only save $500 the first year, I plan to keep burning pellets.

Warm in Maine!!

 

[itworks]

Hi Warm In Maine:

We ove our pellet stove too. I understand you would burn pellets if you only save $500 annually, would you continue to burn pellets at a break even, or forgive me at a loss compared to alternatives?

 

[sydney1963]

I just like having the option of both. Last year we kept the oil thermostat at 62 during the day and 65 when home and at night. With the pellet fire it is nice and toasty warm (72) and I love it. Nothing like wood or pellet heat.

 

[trogers]

I guess that I'm confused by all these posts. I just did a cost comparison of my $279.00 per ton pellets vs. $2.99 a gallon oil and see that the cost per btu is still lower for pellets. I actually have propane forced hot air for my main system, so I know that I am saving big. Add this to the fact that now that I have a pellet stove...I am in more control of what I pay for heat because now I have a choice. Think about it, the oil and propane companies don't want you to have choices because then they have full control over supply and demand. You can make an argument that they don't control both sides of the supply vs. demand. equation, but the way OPEC is set up ensures that they oil producing countries have us all by the "twigs & berries" because if prices drop...they just slow prodcution to even it out. Over the long term, they will beat the consumer at the game. In addition to the more comfortable heat that my stove produces ( not actualy sure why it feels better), I like having a flame in the living room.

It cracks me up that a few months ago when I first logged on to this board I was impressed by all the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonn take it anymore" retoric that I read. I know am seeing that the fossil fuel industries have programmed our country so effectively that we roll over and submit to their will as soon as the price drops to $2.99, whih by the way was considered to be a super high price not long ago. We as a country have to take back control of our collective destiny and commit to having a choice about how much we'll pay keep our families warm. I just got my stove in September...and, I have never thought about selling it or not using it. I have 4 tons in the basement and theirs nothing that the propane guy can do to me this winter.

Stay the course...

 

[sydney1963]

I just looked up price per gallon of oil for cash energy here in S. Maine $2.26 per gallon. I purchased 100 gallons less than a month ago for $3.26, to heat hot water. Makes me ill. I will still burn pellets no matter what. Screw OPEC.

 

[gw2kpro]

Pellet stoves survived when heating oil was less than a buck a gallon.

They'll survive when heating oil is less than 3 bucks a gallon.

They survived back then because pellets and stoves were reasonably cheap.
And they will again sit on the dealer floors if oil stays low.
Having the choice of both oil and pellets is good but the problem will be if both oil and pellets go up again.
Presently oil is down significantly but pellets went way up. There`s a good possibility that oil will go back up eventually but there`s not much chance the price of pellets will ever go back to $200 a ton? Wood byproducts have other uses that will prevent this from happening.

Pellets where I live, and there are a ton of burners here, range from $204 a ton to $289 a ton.

I would bet a very significant amount of money that I average $220 / ton next spring for next winter's supply.

Yes, wood byproducts have other uses but these uses can't hold a candle to the uses for oil. Oil manufacturers and big oil KNOW that we can pay $4-5 a gallon for oil, it's only a matter of time before they figure out how to get that again.

 

[kbjelka]

In the world where I live, we use an expression like "10 minutes" as an exaggeration to make a point. My point is that oil has been "cheap" again, if you think $2.60 to $3 is cheap, for what, 2 or 3 weeks? I think the thread is a little premature because people are reacting as if the hey-day of cheap oil is back. Maybe it is, but I'd think I'd wait a little longer than 2 weeks before regretting that I switched to natural gas or replaced a pellet stove.

I could not agree more. I think the definition of cheap is rising faster than the price of oil. One of the primary reasons for the drop in oil is a drop in demand. I believe alternatives will pay off in the long run. I for one have no regrets.

 

[gw2kpro]

No kidding. Another month or so of these "cheap" prices and forward-thinking people will again start buying 8 mile a gallon SUV's.

 

[sydney1963]

Who would have thunk it?

 

[rap69ri]

Isn't the saying, what goes up must come down. I can't say this is totally surprising, just like the stock market dopping like a rock, or housing prices falling off...It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[trogers]

Now, these are the type of posts that help convince me to buy a stove in the first place!

 

[Defiant]

I have been burning pellets since they were $1.20 a bag, that would be about 10 or 11 years. First stove was the first year of the Harman Advance that cost me $1,800 (used floor model). Sold the Advance last year for $2,000 and picked up a P-61 for $800 cleaned it up, changed the combustion motor and I love it because it fits my needs. Pellet stoves are here to stay for me as long as the pellet fuel supply is available and hopefully the price gouging stops or I might have to look into producing my own pellets.
:coolsmile:

 

[Shooter]

Heating oil?? What the heck is THAT?!

Most folk around these parts (out in the country) are on Pro-pain. Pellet stoves are the way to go. Let oil prices fluctuate because I highly doubt propane is going cheap anytime soon.

As for me and my house, we will enjoy the pellet stove heat. We're saving big bucks on heating as we no longer use the furnace and finding pellets for 169.00ton.

 

[rap69ri]

Heating oil?? What the heck is THAT?!

Most folk around these parts (out in the country) are on Pro-pain. Pellet stoves are the way to go. Let oil prices fluctuate because I highly doubt propane is going cheap anytime soon.

As for me and my house, we will enjoy the pellet stove heat. We're saving big bucks on heating as we no longer use the furnace and finding pellets for 169.00ton.

Would you mind delivering some pellets my way. I'll have a beer and a meal waiting for you . $160/ton is awesome, and I'm very jealous.