Wood Pellets Vs. Natural Gas and Many other Fuel Prices???

[CaptSpiff]

...It's also clear that the installer prefere to sell you a bigger, more expensive appliance...

I changed from oil to NG in 2000. Had an old 140K btu input oil boiler and had significant pushback when I asked for the smaller 105K btu gas boiler. Guy actually made me sign a paper stating I would not complain in the future about too little heat. He didn't care that I was running a 0.7 gal/hr nozzle in the oil gun for years.

First winter I found the Gas Boiler cycling more than I liked, so I got smaller nozzels from Burnham that got me down to 90K btu input. I should have gotten their 90K unit to begin with.

 

[jfunk138]

I always end up somewhere between amused and disgusted when people argue over what fuel is cheaper. These are ALWAYS simply math equations. If you know just a small amount of rudimentary info about your home such as the very appproximate way it was built, you can get a good idea about what fuel works best for you.

If folks spent half as much time cleaning and tuning their Dinosaur burning system as they did cleaning and tuning their pellet system, there is a good chance they'd find burning the Dinosaurs (particularly the kind that comes as a gas) is cheaper this winter.

 

[Ranger72]

If folks spent half as much time cleaning and tuning their Dinosaur burning system as they did cleaning and tuning their pellet system, there is a good chance they'd find burning the Dinosaurs (particularly the kind that comes as a gas) is cheaper this winter.

Even better, spend some money on rolls of unfaced R30 or rent the blow-in machine and spend some time in the attic. True savings

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Even better, spend some money on rolls of unfaced R30 or rent the blow-in machine and spend some time in the attic. True savings

Agree. But air seal it first. Batt and blown in insulation do little to stop all the many air leaks caused by wires, pipes, etc., which collectively equal a big leak. Air seal, then insulate, then redo your heat source if needed or desired.

 

[RKS130]

Come to Suffolk or Nassau. I pay 10k a year in property tax. My property is 75' X 136'. I'm sure there is a hefty county tax on fuel oil as well, but I have NG.

When we moved here, to our roughly 1700 sq. ft. stone/brick home 21 years ago, property taxes ran about $6700/year and oil was (if I remember correctly) about .99/gallon. Unlike my income, they have both tripled since then with some significantly higher spikes in oil along the way (as I am sure everyone remembers).

I keep my house warmer with pellets than I did with oil once the price shot up, so BTUs and Therms are not the sole measure of value. Right now it's about 28° outside and 72° inside - higher closer to the stove. That is all.

 

[twodogs02]

Yup, ran my numbers last week with a propane delivery at $1.68/gallon and $269 that I paid in September for barefoot

$3.30 more for pellets right now. Would have never expected that. 4 tons in the basement, it's a sunk cost for this year (unless I choose to store them) until gas moves up but I would never get the house as warm as I do for the wife using gas. I also factor the level of comfort she needs relative to the cost per ass chewing I would otherwise receive. For me I don't blink when another bag goes in the hopper.

 

[Chitownhillbilly]

but I would never get the house as warm as I do for the wife using gas.

I keep seeing comments like this and I'm not sure I understand. It takes BTU's to make heat, and if it cost more per BTU for one fuel than another, why does the temperature you want to heat at matter? Are Gas furnaces less efficient above certain temps? Or is it just a mindset that you have to save gas and therefore are unwilling to turn up the temp on the Gas furnace?

 

[Husky]

I keep seeing comments like this and I'm not sure I understand. It takes BTU's to make heat, and if it cost more per BTU for one fuel than another, why does the temperature you want to heat at matter? Are Gas furnaces less efficient above certain temps? Or is it just a mindset that you have to save gas and therefore are unwilling to turn up the temp on the Gas furnace?

I think what people are saying is that in order to have the room their stove is in at 75 than their whole house would have to be 75. Most people can't zone off their rooms in their house to run the furnace just in the living space they want that warm heat. I know if I set my thermostat to 75 my whole house would be 75. Running my pellet stove, my upstairs is 67, the front of my house is 70 and my family room/Kitchen is 75. I think that is what they are saying.

 

[twodogs02]

Yes, exactly. Stoves are considered space heaters. I heat the south end of the house to 76 where the stove is, me and the kids stay on the north end where it's 68-70

 

[SidecarFlip]

When we moved here, to our roughly 1700 sq. ft. stone/brick home 21 years ago, property taxes ran about $6700/year and oil was (if I remember correctly) about .99/gallon. Unlike my income, they have both tripled since then with some significantly higher spikes in oil along the way (as I am sure everyone remembers).

I keep my house warmer with pellets than I did with oil once the price shot up, so BTUs and Therms are not the sole measure of value. Right now it's about 28° outside and 72° inside - higher closer to the stove. That is all.

Wowzer... I pay less for my entire farm (65 acres) and the house next to me that I own as well in property taxes.

I heard it was expensive to live out east. Now I know for sure. I'll stay right here in Michigan, thank you.