Currently burning pellets only saves $25-$30 per month in the NE - Why bother?

[treehackers]

Here in south central MA oil is currently 2.64 gal and good pellets are an average $250 a ton. According to a cost of heating worksheet found here - http://www.travisindustries.com/CostOfHeating_WkSht.asp I'll only save about $26 a month burning pellets at 8 million BTUs. I think i may just hold on to my 5.5 tons in the garage and just burn the oil - no mess to clean every week.

Anyone else with this dilemma?

 

[Trickyrick]

Not really here my pellets were $220 per ton. Electric is still up there and my house was built with Electric heat. At the same time with Electric we keep the house at 68* and with pellets 72*. My lovely wife, whom I moved here from South Carolina, has informed me that the pellet stove stays going or I get going..... Basically hated our first 2 years up here without the stove.

She loves reading in the formal living room with the stove basting and that room at 78*....

 

[iron stove]

While I dont believe in " Global Warming" or climate change ( mlimate is alway in flux), I want to be a bit more envromentaly green. I also would rather my heating CASH go into a Americans hands than some oil country that hates us ! Sometimes the best option isnt the easiest.

 

[pelletdude]

I agree that the dollar savings is not much, however - on oil my wife kept the house 64 and with the pellet stove we are a toasty 72. No blankets and sweatshirts.

 

[newf lover]

House with oil, low 60s, house with pellets, low 70s. I like 70s better.

 

[imacman]

Here in south central MA oil is currently 2.64 gal and good pellets are an average $250 a ton. According to a cost of heating worksheet found here - http://www.travisindustries.com/CostOfHeating_WkSht.asp I'll only save about $26 a month burning pellets at 8 million BTUs. I think i may just hold on to my 5.5 tons in the garage and just burn the oil - no mess to clean every week.

Anyone else with this dilemma?

I ran your numbers on the fuel calculator, and came up with about $40/month savings....if it's no big deal, send me a $40 check each month. :cheese:

http://pelletheat.org/pellets/compare-fuel-costs/

 

[treehackers]

House with oil, low 60s, house with pellets, low 70s. I like 70s better.

I'm not sure what the temp difference would be with either unit but 8 million BTUs a month is 8 million BTUs a month.

 

[treehackers]

Here in south central MA oil is currently 2.64 gal and good pellets are an average $250 a ton. According to a cost of heating worksheet found here - http://www.travisindustries.com/CostOfHeating_WkSht.asp I'll only save about $26 a month burning pellets at 8 million BTUs. I think i may just hold on to my 5.5 tons in the garage and just burn the oil - no mess to clean every week.

Anyone else with this dilemma?

I ran your numbers on the fuel calculator, and came up with about $40/month savings....if it's no big deal, send me a $40 check each month. :cheese:

http://pelletheat.org/pellets/compare-fuel-costs/

Don't get me wrong - $40 savings = more beer. Just a pain sometimes to clean 2 stoves every week. The third stove in the basement I only run when I am in there so that is once a month usually.

 

[richkorn]

I'd rather purchase US or Canadian pellets than Middle East or South American oil.

 

[Vinelife]

Seeing that I have baseboard electric and pellets are only 179 around here...pellets are way cheaper than electric and toastier.

 

[imacman]

Don't get me wrong - $40 savings = more beer. Just a pain sometimes to clean 2 stoves every week. The third stove in the basement I only run when I am in there so that is once a month usually.

Just kiddin Ya. 2-3 stoves IS a lot to keep clean.

 

[treehackers]

I'd rather purchase US or Canadian pellets than Middle East or South American oil.

Believe it or not almost all the oil around here comes from Canada - like my pellets

 

[treehackers]

Seeing that I have baseboard electric and pellets are only 179 around here...pellets are way cheaper than electric and toastier.

I here ya on that one. If I had electric heat in my house that would be the first thing I change. Look up the electric rates for MA and hold on to your hat!

 

[treehackers]

Don't get me wrong - $40 savings = more beer. Just a pain sometimes to clean 2 stoves every week. The third stove in the basement I only run when I am in there so that is once a month usually.

Just kiddin Ya. 2-3 stoves IS a lot to keep clean.

Yeah - it is football season and Sunday is stove clean day.

Either way its good to know I already have enough fuel for the winter with 5.5 tons of pellets and 2 cords of wood

 

[Trickyrick]

House with oil, low 60s, house with pellets, low 70s. I like 70s better.

I'm not sure what the temp difference would be with either unit but 8 million BTUs a month is 8 million BTUs a month.

Certainly 8 MM BTUs is still 8MM but if I can be more comfortable dumping 9MM BTUs and saving $40 then I'll take the 9MM and save $40 every day. Higher temps must mean more BTUs so those of us at higher temps are saving money and getting more for the money we are spending.

You have the start up costs already (That is the cost of the stove and the install). Now you just have the variable cost. If you think pellets are going up next year then by all means save them till then but I can tell you for me, 1/2 hour per week and 5 minutes per day, not a bad price to pay for the extra heat and the knowledge that MY money isn't going to Hugo Chavezez pocket.

I know I have electric heat and that is COAL which is also american produced but not renewable.... I do not believe in man made climate change as there are too many feedback loops, but I do know there are no new Nuclear plants and coal is a finite supply. Wind and solar are too expensive in the NE so I need to have as many options as possible. I just do not like single source anything.

Rick

 

[Delta-T]

the thing is, if you compare gallons to tons, you get an enrgy content comparison, but, if the stove is in a "good" spot in your house you actually end up using less energy to achieve the same temps in those areas being directly heated by the stove, this either translates into using less energy on the whole, or like so many people do, increase the temp to a more comfortable level and save a lil less. Raw energy comparisons are useful but dont really take all of the variables into consideration. I'm sure there are people using more energy with pellets out there as well and not saving a thing.

 

[MassPelletburner]

The warmer the house the less clothes in bed. Reminds me of a joke! Asked the bride if she would like to "68" she says don't you mean "69" ... I said no ..You do me and I'll owe you one!

 

[poconoman]

I'd rather purchase US or Canadian pellets than Middle East or South American oil.

+ zillion

 

[save$]

Well, that is about $2,400 over 5 years, all things staying stable. the only thing is, it won't. How many times have we hit the panic button in the past few years every time big oil starts putting on the squeeze. I just love watching the market, making my purchases when I think it is the best time, and then just thumb my nose at them when they start jerking our oil chain. If I could, I would buy more pellets and put them in the upper level of my 24x 32 garage where it is very dry, even hot during the summer. Just can't imagine hauling them up and down the stairs. I really like my stove. Keeps me warm and doesn't give me any lip! I used to heat with wood, but that isn't practical for me now. Good part is that my son has my old stove and he is heating his house with it. Gave him my chain saw also!
I, too, don't have much belief in global warming, but having lived in LA, I am very familiar with smog. Here in the northeast, we get a lot of acid rain. Take a ride in a helicopter and see what it has done to the forest. Both are byproducts of fossil fuels. So yes, I'll burn pellets. It is better for me and better for all that is around me.

 

[buildingmaint]

Heating with wood / pellets is work, you trade your time to save some money. If you don't like the work , spend the money.

 

[Xena]

No dilemna here. Little savings or a lot I'm stickin with the pellets
for main heat source. My St Croix needs a full cleaning once a month
so it's no biggy.

 

[lessoil]

I'd rather purchase US or Canadian pellets than Middle East or South American oil.

Yes!
We are warmer too.
Now we have the livingroom between 71 and 74 vs 68 with oil.
We are now burning 500 fewer gal of oil. (425 vs 925)
Burn 3.5-4.0 tons
Yeah I like it!
Current avg oil price is $2.60/gal.
We paid $199/ton for the New Athens and are very pleased.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Well I am definately in for the savings on the $$$$$

Using the nut shells, I end up spending about 50 cents to a dollar a day to heat my house.

Now during the really deep part of the winter that number might crawl up a tad but still far cheaper to heat my house with the Pellet (nut shell) burner tha either oil or electricity.


Snowy

 

[vvvv]

u can hang near the stove & feel the heat

 

[briansol]

It's just a 'better' heat. Unless you have radiant in the house or something, even a house to 68 just doesn't feel warm when heated from the furnace. With the stove going, the whole house feels warm
(except of course the nooks/crannies where air flow is poor).

While only a few bucks this season, oil is surely going to go back to 4-5-6 dollar levels that we saw 3 years ago soon enough.

As stated, I'd rather support american/canadian workers, plus be more green. And EVERYONE loves a fire.