Will Pellet Prices Go Down?

[F4jock]

I guess I should have worded it differently. I choose not to pay more for the same. My $ is too valuable to waste.
I "can" afford to "wipe my butt" with $100 bills but I choose not to! Its makes no difference to me if you choose to flush your $ and time down the toilet buying pellets.As I said before, people get rich off of people like you everyday. I was just stating "fact" to the original post. If people are crazy enough to pay more and work harder while gaining nothing, go for it! But prices wont come down. They will only go up.
If you are ever my way and want to throw your $ away, lets get together...

Oil here in NEPA is around $2.25 a gallon. Good pellets were around $256 a ton when I got them on prebuy. Almost a push. Pellet suppliers are starting to price themselves out of business, at least MY business

 

[bcarton]

All I can say to anyone trying to guess what the cheapest energy will be in next few years is "Good Luck."

I'm one of the guys who has electric heat. When electricity costs spiked 47% last fall, I was forced to take action. If I hadn't installed a pellet stove last year, it would have cost me over $1000/mo to keep the house in the low- mid 60s all winter. Instead I burned just 3 tons of pellets starting in December. My install paid for itself in less than a year. And our house was warmer than we've ever kept it in the last 19 years.

There are lots of things to think about here beyond the cost of the fuel itself. The cost to install a pellet stove is low compared to many heat systems. The cost to upgrade can be even lower, especially if you can keep using your existing vent. Compare that to the cost of converting to any other type of heat. And can you service your own oil burner or propane system?

And are you okay with depending on someone else to deliver your next load of fuel when you're running low and a blizzard is coming in? Could you do an emergency repair on your propane burner when it fails on a Friday night?

I love my pellet stove.

 

[Marina1327]

Lol! I can imagine! Did you make a mistake? Not necessarily. It all depends on why you did it. Did you do it because you have electric heat? Did you do it because your furnace is inefficient, broken etc? Don't know your demographics / oil pricing, heating equipment etc. In general, without knowing the above factors, if you did it solely to save money, it would be safe to say you probably won't save money anytime soon with pellets if things keep going the way they are going. Again, I don't know your particular circumstance.

I bought mine in the spring and this will be my first winter. I had a natural gas boiler which finally went kaput and after spending 1000 bucks to try and fix it, I decided to move on. The pellet stove is currently my only source of heat. I went with the pellet stove because I was spending 130 dollars (1560.00 yearly) a month for gas and that was the budget plan for 12 months. It has also been so cold in my house with the boiler that I had to supplement with electric space heaters which added a significant cost to my heating bill. I only have a 869 square foot house, but it is over 100 years old and not insulated. I paid 5 something a bag for pellets and currently have a ton stored. Not sure if I will go through 1 or 2 tons or not but even at 300 dollars a ton that's still less. The local pellet dealer charges 250 dollars to do an annual inspection/cleaning/maintenance...which doesn't seem bad. I paid 850.00 bucks for the stove and another 1400 to have it installed. I woke up this morning to a warm house for the first time in 8 years...I will probably eventually get a back up heater just to satisfy the homeowners ins etc..but for now I think I made a good choice...so, I would say the decision to buy a pellet stove has to depend on your circumstances.

 

[Michael6268]

I bought mine in the spring and this will be my first winter. I had a natural gas boiler which finally went kaput and after spending 1000 bucks to try and fix it, I decided to move on. The pellet stove is currently my only source of heat. I went with the pellet stove because I was spending 130 dollars (1560.00 yearly) a month for gas and that was the budget plan for 12 months. It has also been so cold in my house with the boiler that I had to supplement with electric space heaters which added a significant cost to my heating bill. I only have a 869 square foot house, but it is over 100 years old and not insulated. I paid 5 something a bag for pellets and currently have a ton stored. Not sure if I will go through 1 or 2 tons or not but even at 300 dollars a ton that's still less. The local pellet dealer charges 250 dollars to do an annual inspection/cleaning/maintenance...which doesn't seem bad. I paid 850.00 bucks for the stove and another 1400 to have it installed. I woke up this morning to a warm house for the first time in 8 years...I will probably eventually get a back up heater just to satisfy the homeowners ins etc..but for now I think I made a good choice...so, I would say the decision to buy a pellet stove has to depend on your circumstances.

1-2 tons for the season?
In your situation stated (no insulation) and location, it most likely will be more like 5-6 tons, maybe more a season.

 

[Marina1327]

1-2 tons for the season?
In your situation stated (no insulation) and location, it most likely will be more like 5-6 tons, maybe more a season.

Even if I have to buy that many....which I hope not...not because of the money but because I seriously will have a storage dilemma...I would still be happy with the kind of heat the stove seems to throw compared to the 8 years I have lived here freezing....my poor dogs last year learned how to stay in one spot with quilts over them...just to try and keep warm. My electric bill last year was 700 dollars a month-in the winter months trying to supplement my boiler...I am still trying to pay it off. I almost went with the NG heater that looks like a pellet stove...but wasn't sure...I might still do that later. I am slightly limited to the types of heaters I can put in because I live in an historic house and have to get approval.

 

[Michael6268]

I hear ya.
No fun freezing!
Just wanted to warn you on the usage.
2-3 bags a day during coldest months is common for some.

 

[ChandlerR]

I live in a 1800's farmhouse. I gutted and rehabbed it 7 years ago. I updated all the electrical and super insulated the house. I have never burned more than two and a half tons of pellets and that was last year. I have a Buderus furnace and I still have over a half tank of oil from the fill up I did 7 years ago. To me, there is no comparison to heating with oil VS heating with pellets. Because I have never heated this house with oil for a season, I have no idea how expensive it would be but even with the price of pellets as high as they are, I'm looking at a heating bill between $600 and $750 for the year. Not bad in my book.

 

[Pete Zahria]

All I can say to anyone trying to guess what the cheapest energy will be in next few years is "Good Luck

Absolutely...

 

[bogieb]

All I can say to anyone trying to guess what the cheapest energy will be in next few years is "Good Luck."

If I hadn't installed a pellet stove last year, it would have cost me over $1000/mo to keep the house in the low- mid 60s all winter. Instead I burned just 3 tons of pellets starting in December. My install paid for itself in less than a year. And our house was warmer than we've ever kept it in the last 19 years.

I love my pellet stove.

That is why I got my first pellet stove - the first 3 months after I moved in on a Thanksgiving weekend, I spent $3k in propane to keep just my main floor of 950 sq/ft at 64* - and the really cold weather hadn't moved in yet. Even going thru 4-5 tons (for both floors), it is cheaper and I stay much warmer.

I too love my pellet stoves.

 

[tonyd]

For most users the stove was an alternative for a more affordable source of heat AND a new cool power tool. Now its just a new power tool. No more threads about how much money you are saving. Just cool heat. Just like most cool stuff, the cool wears off.

 

[Bioburner]

With corn holding very low I just calculated that I am saving half a buck a day over burning 93 cent per gallon propane.
Still saving but way more hassle

 

[bogieb]

For most users the stove was an alternative for a more affordable source of heat AND a new cool power tool. Now its just a new power tool. No more threads about how much money you are saving. Just cool heat. Just like most cool stuff, the cool wears off.

In my case I am still saving $$, and heating both floors for less than heating one floor. Oh, and keeping it warmer. Propane is not cheap in my area like it is for many people - it would cost me $600/month to heat with it (assuming the same usage rate as a couple of years ago), the FHW system is only set up for the main floor, and the FHW has a very old, inefficient boiler.

 

[Pellet-King]

I bought mine in the spring and this will be my first winter. I had a natural gas boiler which finally went kaput and after spending 1000 bucks to try and fix it, I decided to move on. The pellet stove is currently my only source of heat. I went with the pellet stove because I was spending 130 dollars (1560.00 yearly) a month for gas and that was the budget plan for 12 months. It has also been so cold in my house with the boiler that I had to supplement with electric space heaters which added a significant cost to my heating bill. I only have a 869 square foot house, but it is over 100 years old and not insulated. I paid 5 something a bag for pellets and currently have a ton stored. Not sure if I will go through 1 or 2 tons or not but even at 300 dollars a ton that's still less. The local pellet dealer charges 250 dollars to do an annual inspection/cleaning/maintenance...which doesn't seem bad. I paid 850.00 bucks for the stove and another 1400 to have it installed. I woke up this morning to a warm house for the first time in 8 years...I will probably eventually get a back up heater just to satisfy the homeowners ins etc..but for now I think I made a good choice...so, I would say the decision to buy a pellet stove has to depend on your circumstances.

Now your going to spend $269 a ton per month for pellet's, $1400 for install, man you got burned!

 

[jbest1]

I love how we have this same discussion every year. And the same arguments are made. That being said..... my pellet stove is still cheaper than the baseboard electric heat that is in my house. Am I considering putting in a natural gas furmance, yes. That won't happen for a while though.

 

[Mike Fromme]

Oil would have to get down to 35 cents a gallon or so before I fire up the oil boiler.


Just saying

 

[tonyd]

Yes it is does still make sense to burn pellets in some households. When the savings out way the hassle, great. But if its a push, oil burner all the way. That picture hurts my back just looking at it. Have fun.

 

[Dpopps]

I put my stove in last year and it just about paid itself off in one winter. I will using a good amount of propane this year, but will also be roasting some pellets at times.

 

[TimfromMA]

The only reason I'm burning pellets this year is because I already bought them or I'd fire up the oil furnace.

 

[Old Spartan]

The Serenity paid for itself last year.

This year will burn pellets but also LP. Filled the tanks at 1.82 which for this area is a bargain. I figure as a rule of thumb a gallon of LP equals about 10 #'s of pellets - so 7.68 a bag - given the efficiency of my furnace and distribution system. I spent much less.

I have moved the furnace thermostat to our bedroom and will set it at 66 and leave it. Last year on cold days the bedroom would hover at 60-62 which is slightly below our sleeping comfort level, or at least my wife's.

Regardless of DINO prices I do not regret the pellet stove purchase. Formerly used a lot of wood and frankly we are just to old for the labor.

 

[tonyd]

Will be using the oil furnace more this year then I have in the past 6 yrs. But Ill always need a fire while watching my hockey and football. As a kid growing up, between the tree forts and underground forts, I smelled like smoke all the time. Not gonna stop now.

 

[NateB]

I would rather flip a switch and ride the couch in comfort spending less.

This mind set is why America will fail. Read this article and understand we are just pawns in a game until we decide to remove yourself from the game board. http://www.theblaze.com/contributio...e-in-the-middle-east-no-one-is-talking-about/

Invest in your neighbors and yourself, and strangle the tyrants that are buying your dependence.

Sorry if this is too political.

 

[Michael6268]

Only problem I have with that article is we are embedded in the Middle East with" this" administration, because of the "jackasses" in the last administration!

 

[Old Spartan]

The Saudi's get oil out of the ground for about 20 bucks a barrel not the 100 the article states.

Generally the Middle east has very low production costs.

 

[F4jock]

Only problem I have with that article is we are embedded in the Middle East with" this" administration, because of the "jackasses" in the last administration!

No. We're embedded in the Middle East because that's what the Republicrats and Democans want in order to maximize profit for the Military Industrial Complex and their donor-bases. Eisenhower was prescient and Jack Kennedy got offed for opposing them.

Don't kid yourself. They're all the same!

 

[Michael6268]

To some extent yes, they are the same in some aspects. But the Middle East sure as hell got more screwed up from the last administration than it has been in a long long long time.