When is using your oil a better option than burning Pellets?

[rowerwet]

when is oil cheaper? when you don't have a pellet stove! or in my case always as I get my oil (jetA sumps from 4 fuel trucks and the tank farm at work) free.
My dad has gone to heating his whole house with a pellet stove in the basement, using the blower for his furnace to circulate the heat as there is a cold air return just above the pellet stove. My mom was shocked when their electric bill jumped almost $100, but by setting the stove to continuous and using gel to light it instead of the ignitor, the electric bill is back to about normal. His oil co. installed a second thermostat above the pellet stove to turn on the furnace blower when the room hits 70.

 

[LMPS]

I have been keeping track of my oil conception prior to burning pellets and after. Prior I was burning about 1,100 gallons of oil since I have had the stove 411 gallons per year on average over the last four years. Total average heating cost with oil and pellets over the last four years has been $2,000 per year. With an oil price of 3.59 a gallon and 1,100 gallons I would have been spending about $3,950. So based on that burning pellets is always cheaper and has been saving me money every year.

 

[Northwoodneil]

You are not comparing apples to apples. How much oil would it take to keep your house at 67? BTU's in oil are x amount as they are in pellets, about 2 gallons of oil equal 1 bag of pellets. By keeping your house 62 with pellets you would use less. Even at $320 a ton for pellets oil would have to be $3.20 a gallon to be cheaper.

 

[rwthomas1]

Seriously, some people keep their house at 62*F??? When I was using electric heat I kept the house at 67*F when we were home and 57*F at night or when we were at work. Digital programmable thermostats did the job. Now I keep the house at least 70*F, even when we are at work or at night. When we are home its 72-74*F. The difference is startling. Keeping a higher and more consistent temperature means that furniture like couches and beds are more comfortable. They never cool off. Even when I shut the pellet stove down it takes a lot longer for the house to cool off than it did before. I like 72-74*F and my wife LOVES it. The whole point of the pellet stove was to have these temps achievable at a reasonable price. Burn baby, burn! RT

 

[Don2222]

My house is well insulated so either I have the stove come on at 2 am or I turn it on manual before bed. I never use oil in the morning and either I shut the stove off manually or have it automatically turn off. Never use oil, never.

If I owned and Oil Company and got oil for free, that would be the only time I use oil. LOL

 

[Hoot23]

Ivebeen running my stove on manual at night also, and auto during the dayvwhen we're all gone. Only using oil to heat water. The stove set at 72 keeps the downstairs at 75-76 and upstairs at 71-72. With oil I kept all t-stats at 67 and was cold all winter. What a difference this stove makes.

 

[RidgeRunner56]

Im in Mass and hell would freeze over before i pay 320 a ton Its not that i dont have the money but compared to the average thats robbery

Still getting pellets here in central Pa. for $210/ton.

 

[hockeyfan]

All that being said, it's my 1st year and I'm still learning. My plan is to buy a trailer and see if I can use that to pick up the ton of pellets with my 4 runner. I saw a good post on the subject and it seems doable.

Also, you might consider buying a ton from a local supplier who would let you pick up the ton piecemeal (like a half a ton at a time, for example). Could you fit 25 bags in a 4 runner? With 2 short trips you could avoid the delivery charge altogether without having to deal with a trailer.