Pellet Shortage

The local ace hardware just got 22 tons this morning and they had 5 tons left at 330pm.. it's not even cold here yet people are just buying everything as soon as a store has them in stock.

Ok. The burn season is well under way and shortages abound. Anyone want to buy some of my surplus at an obscene mark up?

TimfromMA said:

Ok. The burn season is well under way and shortages abound. Anyone want to buy some of my surplus at an obscene mark up?

Click to expand...

I will wait for your BOGO offer.

TimfromMA said:

Ok. The burn season is well under way and shortages abound. Anyone want to buy some of my surplus at an obscene mark up?

Click to expand...

I'm waiting to see how many dozens of free eggs are thrown in with every bag. I mean, with all that crowing you'd think something productive would be part of the deal...

Peterfield said:

I will wait for your BOGO offer.

Click to expand...

Ill sell you 2 for double the price of 1.

I knew if I held out long enough you'd cave.

MommyOf4 said:

Wow, what is with this year's pellet shortage? All the stores near me have a 10 bag limit and won't sell by the ton. I'm in Southern MD (Northern Calvert County) and most stores are sold out within a couple days of receiving shipment.

Click to expand...

was just on a road behind the Middletown NY HD at least 30 or more pallets of pellets out back many were Heat'rs and there were a dozen or so in dark green outter wrappers that I could not make out the brand. TSC stores around here have supply as do a few of the independent hardware stores, most dealer \ installers reserve pellets for their customers, and they have supply also

LordmetalZ28 said:

This is how every hd and tsc looks up here in the hudson valley. The only shortage here is lowes dropping the ball. Home depot has a steady supply of junk gs coming in weekley. There gonna be choking on these pellets come spring

Click to expand...

a lot of Heater's at that HD today

Oil is at 2.63/gal yesterday. I'll save my 2 tons of okies for later in the season if the price goes up. if not than I've already got pellets do next year.

lagger said:

a lot of Heater's at that HD today

Click to expand...

Its all heat, rs green supreme or north american around us. I got lucky and ran Into the last 2 bags of lignetics at a true value. lowes has a few pre bought pallets of green team and somersets around here. Some big heats and agri, s at tsc. Yuck

LordmetalZ28 said:

This is how every hd and tsc looks up here in the hudson valley. The only shortage here is lowes dropping the ball. Home depot has a steady supply of junk gs coming in weekley. There gonna be choking on these pellets come spring

Click to expand...

I can 100% guarantee you they will not. Even the worst kind of pellets I have ever brought into my store will sell if it's all we have. It's a combination of a couple things - 1. People get desperate. 2. The average or typical customer buying pellets at Lowes and Home Depot honestly do not care. I've asked plenty of customers in the past who came in and simply asked "can I buy a ton of pellets?" and when I asked them "what kind do you want" they simply reply "I don't care they're all the same, pellets are pellets". At least 50% of people say that - and that's only the people I talk to. Plenty of people come in, see the kind of pellets we have available for individual bag purchase and just grab - they simply don't care.

Leftovers? That does not add up. Why put a limit on product when you don't want to have any of it in the spring?

Click to expand...

Pellets are a commodity. Leftovers aren't something that are quite of concern like other products. Last year at my store, we were still trying to buy pellets right into the last week of April. I don't know what my competitors are like - but where I work each year shipments of pellets come March or so become store choice. If a store still has a high enough demand and wants more... all they have to do is call and ask and if a truck is available an order will be placed. And we received our first shipment for the current season in June of this year and immediately started sell them. I had people asking for them in May as well. So the whole "stores don't want leftovers" thing is true... but they aren't going to stop stocking in December because "they don't want leftovers". Commodities like pellets are treated a little bit different.

The many factors I think are.

1. More people getting pellets stoves
2. last years nasty cold winter
3. people hoarding and over stocking, I am not talking about a ton or two extra. The people that have next years supply and then some.
4. Sounds like the pellet mills are having a hard time keeping up. It's almost December and some of the stores around me will not be getting anymore shipments from the pellets factory's for rest of season. Why? Seems like they should be able to make more in January and February?

Click to expand...

We have a winner. Pellet stoves users over the last 3 years has doubled at a minimum. Plus with industrial sized pellet burners becoming popular there is a much larger demand for pellets. Now, factor in last years frigid temps that had people burning more than usual and those people being afraid of not having any, and yes, there is a shortage. Planning may be part of it, but there is still a limited supply. Just to give you an idea, I was told our sales of pellets is already 60% above what we were at last year at the same time. So if you don't think that contributes to a smaller supply I don't know what else to tell you. More people are buying early - and buying a lot.

Darn pellet pigs, causing problems still. I buy by the trailer load direct from Somerset, 22 tons at a time.

MommyOf4 said:

I was able to get a ton, but that was the limit for each customer at Sneades in Owings.

Click to expand...

Brand?

MommyOf4 said:

Wow, what is with this year's pellet shortage? All the stores near me have a 10 bag limit and won't sell by the ton. I'm in Southern MD (Northern Calvert County) and most stores are sold out within a couple days of receiving shipment.

Click to expand...

I live a wee bit north of you (PG County), haven't been out looking for pellets in awhile but planning too -- this does not bode well.

MommyOf4 said:

Where in PG? R & D Cross in Upper Marlboro had some.

Click to expand...

That's our source for bird seed, etc. I guess I won't try there. We're further North, in Seabrook.

MommyOf4 said:

Where in PG? R & D Cross in Upper Marlboro had some but I think they are sold out now. Home Depot and Lowes are usually sold out the day they get some in.

Click to expand...

That's who we bought our stove from and they did the install. Professional group of guys up there. Rich was a pleasure to do business with. We went in a few weeks back and they had AWF ultra premium pine pellets. I picked up 10 bags but haven't started to burn them yet. Heard good things though. Might be worth a call to see if they have any in stock still.

Had a sale on Marth products pellets last weekend at Fleet Farm for $180ton. Well stocked it seems around here. May not be very good product but still plenty.

Wilbur Feral said:

I'm waiting to see how many dozens of free eggs are thrown in with every bag. I mean, with all that crowing you'd think something productive would be part of the deal...

Click to expand...

Except aren't your hens slowing down this time of year as well? I've been saving eggs for a couple months now. The morning light can only help so much.

Now if it was August, maybe people could give away a ton of zucchini with every ton of pellets!