Prices up for early buy!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

MCPO

Minister of Fire
At least from my usual supplier RK Miles lumberyard . Last year the Lignetics and Logik-E were $249 delivered. This year $269. I expect this will be the norm .
 
Last spring I bought 8 tons from woodpellets.com. I have half of those left but will buy more for next winter. The pre-buy prices going on right now are about $30/ton more than what I paid last spring (and a whopping $5 off per ton for pre-buy -- that's not much of a "sale"!).

I am thinking of waiting until the fall when my local Home Depot re-stocks -- even if their prices go up $20/ton from this past winter's prices (to $239/ton), that would be $40/ton cheaper than the current pre-buy price. Alas, though, HD's pellets seem to be hit or miss. (OTOH I have a Harman Accentra, which eats just about anything.)
 
Snowing here,no pellets around,except very nasty cheap ones.One stove dealer keeps some year round,$7.00 a bag,everybody else--wait till fall.Makes no sense in a state that is cold 9 months of the year,but has been this way a long time.No such thing as pre buy.First year I could not put in backstock,learned my lesson.Also by the time they get stock in,I have snow that stays,can be a real adventure getting them home.Have contacted 3 mills to see if I can buy direct(truckload) and store elsewhere!
 
I got some spring prices also today. Lg up to a month ago was $254. $260 today.
 
I just today ordered 4.5 tons (?) of Granule LG from Pellets.com at $269 per ton. I`m not sure why they offered the 4.5 ton amount . Maybe 55 bags on a skid?
Regardless, their early spring buy ends in 2 days . No bargain I know but I needed to get it done and over with.
I initially liked the Logik-E pellets but after burning 4 ton I concluded they were just too dusty .
I also wanted to give the softwood pellets a try.
 
I just today ordered 4.5 tons (?) of Granule LG from Pellets.com at $269 per ton. I`m not sure why they offered the 4.5 ton amount . Maybe 55 bags on a skid?
Regardless, their early spring buy ends in 2 days . No bargain I know but I needed to get it done and over with.
I initially liked the Logik-E pellets but after burning 4 ton I concluded they were just too dusty .
I also wanted to give the softwood pellets a try.

I like the Lg, they burn nice and easy to clean up after. Didn't like the Logics that much.
 
Pellets may go up, or have gone up for some, but one thing is for sure electricity is going way up and so is oil and gas. The difference is all relative at the end of the day.
 
We buy locally - Lignetics from Agway are still $209/ton, local stove store has Country Boys for $235/ton cash price. Same prices as when we started burning in 2012.
 
I just today ordered 4.5 tons (?) of Granule LG from Pellets.com at $269 per ton. I`m not sure why they offered the 4.5 ton amount . Maybe 55 bags on a skid?
Regardless, their early spring buy ends in 2 days . No bargain I know but I needed to get it done and over with.
I initially liked the Logik-E pellets but after burning 4 ton I concluded they were just too dusty .
I also wanted to give the softwood pellets a try.
$284.90 for LG WoodPellets.com in NH. Ugh.
 
Down to my last 14 bags of LG. Love em. However, I'm probably going to buy 6 tons of FSUs from HD in Sept. They're going to stock year-round from now on and currently have about 80 tons. HD Augusta Maine.
 
I got 6 tons of Okanagan Douglas Fir at $345 each.
 
I got 6 tons of Okanagan Douglas Fir at $345 each.
At $3.80 per gal of oil, that's 545 gals... 6x$345=2070/$3.80. what did you burn for oil before (assuming oil)?
 
I burn 3 - 4 tons of pellets per year. When using oil, I'd use 600 gallons over a typical winter.
 
$7 a bag is still cheaper than oil, though my oil company, AFC, just topped me up with 96 gallons a week ago. Oil is now $3.36, no contract.
 
Oil would have to drop below $2 per gallon for it to be more economical than $7 per bag pellets....for me anyways.
 
Oil would have to drop below $2 per gallon for it to be more economical than $7 per bag pellets....for me anyways.

Just curious, how did you arrive at that figure? Understanding there are lots of factors to consider, I've always though the rule of thumb is 1 bag of pellets produces roughly the same heat as 2.5 gallons of heating oil. With that calculation, at $2/gallon for oil, you'd have to pay $5/bag for pellets just to break even.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tjnamtiw
Just curious, how did you arrive at that figure? Understanding there are lots of factors to consider, I've always though the rule of thumb is 1 bag of pellets produces roughly the same heat as 2.5 gallons of heating oil. With that calculation, at $2/gallon for oil, you'd have to pay $5/bag for pellets just to break even.

When using oil, I'd go through about 600 gallons over the course of a typical winter.
600 * 3.50 = $2100

When using pellets, I burn about 3.5 tons
3.5 * 345 = $1207.50

To only spend $1207.50 on 600 gallons of oil, oil would need to cost $2.0125 per gallon
1207.50 / 600 = $2.0125
 
When using oil, I'd go through about 600 gallons over the course of a typical winter.
600 * 3.50 = $2100

When using pellets, I burn about 3.5 tons
3.5 * 345 = $1207.50

To only spend $1207.50 on 600 gallons of oil, oil would need to cost $2.0125 per gallon
1207.50 / 600 = $2.0125

The difference here is when using pellets you are using roughly a third less btus. Which means your house in general is cooler than if you were using oil. Directly comparing btus you break even around 2.75 for oil.
 
The difference here is when using pellets you are using roughly a third less btus. Which means your house in general is cooler than if you were using oil. Directly comparing btus you break even around 2.75 for oil.

My stove's thermostat is set to the same temperature as my oil thermostat used to be.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: pete7713
I heat my entire living space, just like I did with oil.

Same here. But parts of the house are cooler. The fact is you used about 84 mil btus with oil and only 63 mil with pellets. So that is 20 mil btus less. So you either insulated or your house is cooler. Doesn't really matter except it makes a more accurate depiction of what you are saving and why.
 
I am just as comfortable now as I was with oil for about $1000 less per season. Rationalize it anyway you like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Centurion
Status
Not open for further replies.