Just did the Math

[kobalt]

I have a 1975 sq ft home in eastern Canada and this year I installed a CB1200 quadfire pellet stove. I have kept track of my oil usage since I built this home. This year I bought 165 40lb bags of pellets and will most likely have about 15 bags left over. I just filled my tank up yesterday and I have used 922.3 liters of oil less then I used last year. I paid an average of .7378 cents per liter. That amounts to a savings of $680.00 in oil. Now granted last years average price paid .8819 per liter, however the price I paid for the pellets that I used was $868.55. These prices are all before taxes added. Now my dealer tells me that the eastern ember pellets are going up .75 cents per bag next year. I should also mention that the pellet stove did a fantastic job heating the upstairs of my home. Not once did the furnace come on other then to heat the basement with infloor heat and the hot water needed for showers, baths and washing machine etc. Last year I used 3462.9 liters of oil and this year used 2540.6 liters. If pellets keep going up in price and oil stays the same I suspect that I will let my stove sit idle this coming winter.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Kobalt

 

[Wet1]

Excellent detailed info kobalt, thanks for sharing this. So your 3 tons of pellets replaced 244 gallons of fuel oil (I did the conversion for those of us metrically impaired). So if I'm reading your post correctly, it sounds like it cost you about $189 more to heat with the pellets over oil for this last season. With pellet pricing now up and oil down, you may well be correct in thinking it could be considerably cheaper for you to burn only oil next season.

 

[56 chevtruck]

hi kobalt not sure where you live but i am in dartmouth nova scotia . peirceys building supplies which i believe have ties to shaws resources that make eastern embers. peirceys price was $5.49 all winter they are now $6.29 =.080 canadian tire was $5.99 for a while now back to $6.49

 

[slls]

That is why I burned 35 bags and then went to oil, oil went down all winter, never saw that before. I did buy 20 bags of Spruce Point at $5 a bag so I am 15 bags shy of last fall. Going to fill my 330 gallon tank in a week or 2, will be ready for next winter this spring.

 

[dac122]

Its a little disappointing to see pellet prices rising as you and others have said. But if manufacturers want to ignore the current economic forces they will have a tough season selling stoves and pellets. Hopefully they will come to their senses and realize most folks have a secondary heat source they are competing with.

 

[kobalt]

I am in PEI Canada. I love the quadfire, fantastic unit, however I will not be lugging 40lb bags of pellets as long at the price difference remains the same.

Kobalt

 

[rbchimp]

hi kobalt not sure where you live but i am in dartmouth nova scotia . peirceys building supplies which i believe have ties to shaws resources that make eastern embers. peirceys price was $5.49 all winter they are now $6.29 =.080 canadian tire was $5.99 for a while now back to $6.49

I noticed that Home Depot is up to $6.49 (Halifax) for the Eastern Embers as well. Dartmouth HD had them instock for $5.49 a few weeks ago.

Hope Canadian Tire has a sale to get rid of their 15 tons of maine/lignetics.

 

[56 chevtruck]

i was doing the same thing fire starter. where canadian tire was 5.99 and their row of pellets wasnt dissapearing i was hope it would drop too was surprized to see it back up to 6.49. been just getting the odd bag here and there when i use basement tv room.if oil and pellets stay the way they are i will be using furnace more in winter of 2009/2010.

 

[kobalt]

It seems to me that these pellet providers seem to think that the sky is the limit as far as price goes. last year I was told that the reason that pellets went up was because of transportation costs. Well that was just another lame excuse. I believe that if a bunch of us refuse to use our stoves for a while and not be so quick to scoop up pallet loads of their pellets that they might just get the message. It wouldn't take long for the dealers to have to sit on several tractor trailer loads of pellets to lower their prices.

 

[56 chevtruck]

yes keeping an eye on canadian tire supply thats left and its not moving. geez i wonder if going from $5.99 to $6.49 might have something to do wth not selling! i started using my stove when pellets where $4.69 a bag,you probalby wont see that low a price again.

 

[pete324rocket]

There is a local guy who apparently hooks everyone together to buy a trailer load. Says they will be less than 5 bucks including transport. I'll wait and see what this offer brings,but a real good plan. Met thru kijiji. Maybe worth looking into.