Do I Burn Oil or Pellets

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UpStateNY

UpStateNY

Feeling the Heat
May 4, 2008
435
Catskill Mountains
I just filled up the oil tank with 174 gallons of #2 fuel oil at $1.709 a gallon and I have 154 bags of pellets. 3 tons of pellets plus 6 bags from last year minus 2 bags burned this year. Its great to have options.

If I burn oil I can hope to get another oil fill up at less than $2.00 a gallon. That would be awesome.

But if I burn pellets then I will have more room to buy more pellets in the spring on sale at $200 a ton because the BBS seem to have a very large supply with very low demand. If I don't burn the pellets I have now, I will have no room to store those cheap pellets that will go on sale in the spring. Decisions decisions.

I think I will keep burning the oil at $1.709 a gallon as long I can and worry about the cheap pellets in March if and when that ever happens. Maybe the BBS will offer free delivery of premium pellets for $150 a ton. That would be cool. I may have to build a shed if that happens ;).
 
With the spring like temps they will be giving pellets away in the spring lol. Oil who knows won't stay cheep forever that's for sure.
 
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$1.599 over here..now that's just crazy.
 
It isn't only about cost and savings. I don't burn fossil fuels if I can reasonably avoid it.
My heat comes primarily from pellets and my electricity is purchased from a company that generates 100% with renewable resources. I spend a bit more, but the peace of mind that comes with it is worth the expense.
 
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UpStateNY said:
I just filled up the oil tank with 174 gallons of #2 fuel oil at $1.709 a gallon and I have 154 bags of pellets. 3 tons of pellets plus 6 bags from last year minus 2 bags burned this year. Its great to have options.

If I burn oil I can hope to get another oil fill up at less than $2.00 a gallon. That would be awesome.

But if I burn pellets then I will have more room to buy more pellets in the spring on sale at $200 a ton because the BBS seem to have a very large supply with very low demand. If I don't burn the pellets I have now, I will have no room to store those cheap pellets that will go on sale in the spring. Decisions decisions.

I think I will keep burning the oil at $1.709 a gallon as long I can and worry about the cheap pellets in March if and when that ever happens. Maybe the BBS will offer free delivery of premium pellets for $150 a ton. That would be cool. I may have to build a shed if that happens ;).[/]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....how about a compromise...one week burn oil....one week burn pellets???
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As much as I hate to say it. Burn oil. BTU wise pellets are at a loss.


oil324.jpg
 
Redlightning said:
With the spring like temps they will be giving pellets away in the spring lol. Oil who knows won't stay cheep forever that's for sure.
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Here's another option: UHN a heating oil ETF, you can buy at current prices. If prices rise, so does your share price.
 
You should be looking around for dozens of oil tanks to be prepared to hoard oil at low prices this Spring too.

Build a garage this Winter to store tons and tons of pellets at bargain prices.
Drums of oil on one side, skids of pellets on the other.
Go broke saving money.
 
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billb3 said:
You should be looking around for dozens of oil tanks to be prepared to hoard oil at low prices this Spring too.

Build a garage this Winter to store tons and tons of pellets at bargain prices.
Drums of oil on one side, skids of pellets on the other.
Go broke saving money.
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For the record, I don't recommend this.
 
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You could have an even worse dilemma. ( dilemna if seeing it spelled right will unruin your day )

You could also own an electric car, which is supposed to be saving you gas money, which in Ma where electric costs 23¢ / kWh and therefor $6.90 to go 100 miles and if you also owned a similar sized gas fueled vehicle now costs less than $6 to go 100 miles.
On fuel cost basis alone you'd be leaving the electric car unplugged ?
 
I will stick to the gas car. I wouldn't make it to work on a single charge in an electric car.
 
billb3 said:
You could have an even worse dilemma. ( dilemna if seeing it spelled right will unruin your day )

You could also own an electric car, which is supposed to be saving you gas money, which in Ma where electric costs 23¢ / kWh and therefor $6.90 to go 100 miles and if you also owned a similar sized gas fueled vehicle now costs less than $6 to go 100 miles.
On fuel cost basis alone you'd be leaving the electric car unplugged ?
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Depends where in MA you are as far as electric rates. If you are lucky and buy from a local municipality, you don't get the raping that National Grid gives people.
 
SXIPro said:
Depends where in MA you are as far as electric rates. If you are lucky and buy from a local municipality, you don't get the raping that National Grid gives people.
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Its pretty simple in Mass with respect to electric rates, if you don't pay for solar and energy savings for your own home, you are paying for a neighbor to do it to their house. Unfortunately as the number or large rate payers put in their own generation and others cuts their usage, the remaining folks who have to by power will be paying more and more.
 
peakbagger said:
Its pretty simple in Mass with respect to electric rates, if you don't pay for solar and energy savings for your own home, you are paying for a neighbor to do it to their house. Unfortunately as the number or large rate payers put in their own generation and others cuts their usage, the remaining folks who have to by power will be paying more and more.
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I figure you subsidize your neighbors whether you personally partake or not. I'm in Eversource/Nstar country but the costs are pretty much the same as N Grid.
 
Eversource/Nstar are under the same pressure as NGrid to ramp up incentives to cut load and increase local renewable and industrial combined heat and power.
 
I doesn't pay to put up solar in most of Mass. The ROI is about 22 years. Lets see I am 57 now I seriously doubt I am going to still be in this house when I am 80. I cant see paying out 30k to put up panels on my house.
 
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I have been burning both oil and pellets this season (oil during the week and pellets on the weekend.) Oil just dropped to $1.399 per gallon here, which is crazy since last winter it was around $3.000. I, like others, am hoping pellet prices will see a drop come Spring and will gladly pick up another ton or two. With pellets, I really like that I can buy everything I need for the winter ahead of time. I could switch to burning exclusively oil this winter, but what if the next time I go to fill there is a price spike as it will be the middle of winter? In my case, since I use oil for hot water I can't just shut the boiler off and wait for a better price. With pellets, I know exactly what I am paying ahead of time and won't have to stress out in the middle of January about whether the next fuel bill will be insane or not.

Still, at $1.399 it seems like a crime to not burn at least some oil this winter beyond what I need for hot water.
 
Flammam said:
I doesn't pay to put up solar in most of Mass. The ROI is about 22 years. Lets see I am 57 now I seriously doubt I am going to still be in this house when I am 80. I cant see paying out 30k to put up panels on my house.
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Respectfully, I don't know where you got a ROI of 22 years unless its for a real marginal system. Typical ROI is 4 to 8 years for an owned system if Fed and local rebates are applied to the purchase cost. If Mass SRECS are sold, it drops the payback considerably. Obviously if interest rates rise then payback is extended but given basically zero interest rate on money these days its hard to beat an owned home solar system. On other hand the various lease/PPA/ other creative financing options are far more questionable and caveat emptor applies.
 
We're having a Christmas party this weekend. My plan is to start up the pellet boiler a day or so ahead for show and tell. :)
 
I have used 10 bags of pellets and 35 gallons of heating oil. I'm not complaining!!!

We had a Christmas Party at the house on Saturday. After dinner everyone ended up out side by the fire pit!
 
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velvetfoot said:
We're having a Christmas party this weekend. My plan is to start up the pellet boiler a day or so ahead for show and tell. :)
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You better hope for colder weather ;lol You also better have done the math because everyone is going to ask you "tell me again why your burning pellets when pellets are more expensive than oil and propane ? "
 
One of the attendees is in the HVAC business and has expressed an interest. But yeah, 1.99: pretty good.
 
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