PO,
I agree with some of what you say, and disagree with others. I think part of this is because we are from two different areas. You're in Maine (I don't know where), and I'm in southern CT. Where you are it might be feasible for a tractor-trailer to deliver pellets in "residential" areas, but where I am it will just never happen as "residential" most likely has a totally different meaning. Also, there are no pellet mills around me (that I'm aware of). The closest one to me is probably in RI, and never mind that it couldn't come close to suppling the volume needed to sustain all of southern NE. OTOH, there are oil ports close by. Even if my local oil company ran out of oil tomorrow, they only have a 20 mile drive to the refueling port. And while they are out refueling my neighbors, it cost them very little extra to drive a 1/2 mile down the street to refuel me as well. And like yourself, I have (2) 275 gal oil tanks that will hold enough oil for me for an entire year if I chose to use only oil. Even if you look at the average guy, how many times do they deliver each year? 4 times maybe? Like I said, they are usually in the area anyway...
You're also making assumptions that people want a 4+ ton pellet hopper in their basement, or even have room for such a thing. Hell, some folks only have a crawl space, or no basement at all. There's no doubt oil is easier to package. And where I am at least, it's a lot more feasible to distribute...
Regarding oil prices, I think you've forgotten about all the speculators on Wall St. Since this market was recently deregulated, they've significantly impacted oil prices. And like like anything else, prices can, and will, be volatile until they rewrite the rules again. Right now it's just far to easy for anyone to risk hardly anything by only having to put up 6%... it's no wonder prices have skyrocketed. Keep in mind they could possibly drop just as fast.
Anyway, as a pellet stove owner, I'm all for pellet technology. I'm just not prepared to fully invest in buying a boiler given the infancy of this market and instability of all the fuel prices. I just don't think we'll see today's (fuel) price disparity remain in the future... at least not long enough for me to risk spending $10k+ to convert. To me pellet stove(s) are the way to go until the future becomes a little more clear. A lot less is invested, a lot less risk, and I still get the same savings today... plus I have flex-fuel options.
Just my 2 cents...
I agree with some of what you say, and disagree with others. I think part of this is because we are from two different areas. You're in Maine (I don't know where), and I'm in southern CT. Where you are it might be feasible for a tractor-trailer to deliver pellets in "residential" areas, but where I am it will just never happen as "residential" most likely has a totally different meaning. Also, there are no pellet mills around me (that I'm aware of). The closest one to me is probably in RI, and never mind that it couldn't come close to suppling the volume needed to sustain all of southern NE. OTOH, there are oil ports close by. Even if my local oil company ran out of oil tomorrow, they only have a 20 mile drive to the refueling port. And while they are out refueling my neighbors, it cost them very little extra to drive a 1/2 mile down the street to refuel me as well. And like yourself, I have (2) 275 gal oil tanks that will hold enough oil for me for an entire year if I chose to use only oil. Even if you look at the average guy, how many times do they deliver each year? 4 times maybe? Like I said, they are usually in the area anyway...
You're also making assumptions that people want a 4+ ton pellet hopper in their basement, or even have room for such a thing. Hell, some folks only have a crawl space, or no basement at all. There's no doubt oil is easier to package. And where I am at least, it's a lot more feasible to distribute...
Regarding oil prices, I think you've forgotten about all the speculators on Wall St. Since this market was recently deregulated, they've significantly impacted oil prices. And like like anything else, prices can, and will, be volatile until they rewrite the rules again. Right now it's just far to easy for anyone to risk hardly anything by only having to put up 6%... it's no wonder prices have skyrocketed. Keep in mind they could possibly drop just as fast.
Anyway, as a pellet stove owner, I'm all for pellet technology. I'm just not prepared to fully invest in buying a boiler given the infancy of this market and instability of all the fuel prices. I just don't think we'll see today's (fuel) price disparity remain in the future... at least not long enough for me to risk spending $10k+ to convert. To me pellet stove(s) are the way to go until the future becomes a little more clear. A lot less is invested, a lot less risk, and I still get the same savings today... plus I have flex-fuel options.
Just my 2 cents...