Pellet prices in Maritimes Canada

[Amaralluis]

Dont keep your hopes too high.
Competition in Canada means selling for the same high price as everybody else.
Pellets are starting to be the biggest flop imo. Greed is killing this industry.

 

[Johnny Reb]

Did you guys read where JD Irving is looking to build a pellet plant in Saint-Leonard.....producing 52,000 tonnes a year

 

[pete324rocket]

I was wondering when they would jump in the game. They usually like to play hard when they do. Hard to know what it will mean for the rest of us. At least they will make a quality product...I would think.

Here is a link to an article on the matter. It echos what government has been saying about using our resources to make pellets,that it makes more sense to make strand board or something like that ,in terms of added value and jobs ,but they ignore the benefits that would come from ordinary citizens if they could heat their house for a reasonable cost,less pollution,less electricity burned,and less urgency to build billion dollar power plants that we pay for in our taxes for years and years....and years.

(broken link removed to http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/journal/article/794464)

 

[kobalt]

Lit the stove up for the first time this morning to take the hill out of the house.

 

[pete324rocket]

kobalt ,this is a good thread....hope to keep it going

 

[samandlillie]

Pellet Prices at $7.00 per bag and 20% going up the chimney(that's $1.40 up the chimney),my pellet stove will only be in use in an emergency(have generator).I installed a mini split heat pump(18,ooo BTU) last Dec. and did not burn any pellets.The extra electricity cost for Jan. and Feb. was 30 Kwh per day,@ 12 cents per Kwh ,that is $3.60 per day instead of 2 bags ($15.00). The new heat pumps are 100% to 500% efficient depending on outside temperature.Yes ,they even work well here in Nova Scotia.I had been a pellet burner for for 14 years(12 years Whitfield Adv. 2 years Harman XXV). Prospective pelletstove buyers, do your research.
Wayne
Falmouth
Nova Scotia

 

[slls]

Just curious, what did the heat pump cost you?

 

[samandlillie]

The heat pump cost about the same as the Harman XXV two years ago,slightly over $4000.(Fujitsu). There are cheaper units out there(Senville,etc) for $2500,my brother bought one.In addition to the heating, you get air condition in summer and air filtration.Yes, I am as warm as with the pellet stove, and instead of sending $1.50 per bag up the chimney ,the indoor unit recirculates from the ceiling dowm to the floor. NO MORE PELLET SHORTAGES FOR ME.
Wayne

 

[Amaralluis]

I agree, it looks like heat pumps are the solution for heating.
Add to that an windmill that could generate those 30kw/day and you dont depend on anyone else to warm your house.

When I bought my pellet stove I was looking for an alternative to greedy industries (oil/gas/electricity).
I thought, pellets are made of waste wood and its renewable and almost four years ago, prices were reasonable ($3.70/bag).
I never expected that it would double in such a short amount of time and it just keeps going up.
What irks me the most is that I am hearing the same excuses to justify the high prices as the oil companies.
Its freaking wood waste we are talking about here, not some liquid that is becoming rarer to get to.
After 4 years I am ready to get out of pellets and move to a heat pump system with the addition of a windmill, I dont want to have to put up with excuses to charge me more and more.

 

[samandlillie]

One last thing to mention reg. heat pumps,like everything else,you get what you pay for!!.You can buy some for $800.00 on line but they have weak compressors, have a SEER of 12 or 13, they will not work in northern climates. My Fujitsu,12,000BTU(18000BTU heat) has a SEER of 20 and is energy star compliant.
Wayne in Nova Scotia

 

[Amaralluis]

Saman How does your unit work? Is it outside?
I thought heat pumps extracted heat from the ground, but I guess this is new stuff?
Is your unit good enough to heat the house?

 

[samandlillie]

The mini split heat pump is an air source heat pump,it consists of two units, one outside and one inside.They come in various sizes-9000 BTU and up.Do a google on Fujitsu mini split heat pumps.

 

[pete324rocket]

yes I made a mistake in selecting a pellet stove but was pressured. I am mad at myself because the government was offering up thousands to pay for it as well.

 

[fedtime]

Just curious, fellow Maritimers - what are the pellet prices in New Brunswick? I know Cozy is based in Fredericton, but don't know much about them.

Here in Nova Scotia, the most common brand is probably Eastern Embers (Shaw Group), and you are hard pressed to find them at less than $6.00 per 40 lb bag. Rona had LG until last spring, but that source dried up from what they tell me due to high demand.

 

[Amaralluis]

Here in NB, they tried to sell it for $6.99 both Comfy Cozy and Shaw and whatever brand Canadian Tire sells. But Home Depot had a sale a couple weeks ago $5.99/bag with the condition of buying a pallete (70 bags). I bought three pallets (got free shipping with it, which was weird).

So yeah $6.99 seems to be the current price and I am scared what the prices are going to be next year... I will look into getting a heat pump this year and take advantage of the tax credit for renovations...

 

[ShaneR34]

I paid 5.99/bag for Eastern Embers in Moncton (Maritime Fireplaces). It was the cheapest at the time. However, if Home Depot at that sale here with free shipping, I'm gonna be ticked as the delivery charge I paid was ridiculous: $120.00. I paid $40 for delivery last year from Home Hardware.

I have a feeling this is going to be our last year with pellets. I don't see the prices moving back down for quite some time if at all.

 

[kobalt]

I agree that this may be the last year for pellets for me as well. Unless oil prices go up alot the pellets may just get to expensive to burn.

 

[Amaralluis]

Its no wonder pellet mills are starting to pop up all over the place.
They realized how much gouging they can get away with wood scraps and now they want a piece of the action.

 

[kobalt]

If oil prices stay where they are pellet prices will have to come down s well. I for one will use a little more oil this winter and save my expensive pellets until next year.

 

[Amaralluis]

The heat pump cost about the same as the Harman XXV two years ago,slightly over $4000.(Fujitsu). There are cheaper units out there(Senville,etc) for $2500,my brother bought one.In addition to the heating, you get air condition in summer and air filtration.Yes, I am as warm as with the pellet stove, and instead of sending $1.50 per bag up the chimney ,the indoor unit recirculates from the ceiling dowm to the floor. NO MORE PELLET SHORTAGES FOR ME.
Wayne

Samandlilie hows does your brother like the Senville unit? Around here the Senville costs $2999 installed and the fujitsu 14000btu is 4999 installed. Quite a difference in price.
What size home does your brother have and how often did he have to resort to backup heating this past winter?
I need to get as much info as I can as I am not sure its worth the difference to invest in the Fujutsi compared to the Senville.

 

[samandlillie]

My brother installed his unit in April, so a winter review is not possible. I think that the senville unit will not work as well as the Fujitsu at lower temperatures, just a guess, but that was info. given to me by an installer.I installed my unit in Dec. and when he was visiting, he was so impressed , he wanted one.Actually , I sold him my 12 year old Whitfield 3 years ago.Then ,pellets went to $6.49 if you could find them, we said to heck with pellets.If you check the seer of each unit, fujitsu is 20 and Senville is 15,that is approx. 30% difference. I have saved over $1000. in one heating season. For example, compared to the last three years,only Dec.and Jan. did I see an increase(30Kwh per day) in Electricity. March and April was very little increase(higher effic.).Remember, I live in Nova Scotia,so if you are more southern, that is even better. Sometimes generic items are as good, but in this case, my brother and I will have to wait for another winter.He took the 15 year old Whitfield pellet stove out, I said wait for another winter, I guess time will tell. Wayne

 

[Amaralluis]

I am in NB near Sussex, so not much Southern than you.

I totally agree with you about the pellets, its time to get out of it. This industry cant be more trusted than the oil companies.
The seer (dont know what it is) is 14.5 according to the specs and it delivers 13650 heating btus.
I called another installer and he is supposed to come over my place to look what at the house and give me quotes but I am looking at $4500 installed.

 

[gutterboy2ca]

Gooday Fellow Easterners, Here in Woodstock,NB Pellet prices are about same as last year at $6.25/Bag for the LG's Best pellet on the Market in my opinion.But Rona stores in Edmonston are selling LG-Granules for $5.49/Bag by the pallet,and Weibs Hardware in Centerville NB are selling same Pellets for $5.79/Bag Regular price,he said all the Home Hardwares made a deal with LG a month ago to sell there Product over the Eastern Embers(which i hate BTW).Another alternative is Devon Lumber in Noth Side of Fredericton,they have a good supply of the new pellets from the new Nova Scotia plant @ $5.00/Bag,but be carefull as there a 30lb bag, not 40,do the math.I did try a bag just to see how they burned,i'd rate then below average for inconsistant lenth,smaller diameter,smaller Bag means more Hassle.

 

[ShaneR34]

...he said all the Home Hardwares made a deal with LG a month ago to sell there Product over the Eastern Embers(which i hate BTW)....

Interesting. I was just Home Hardware the other day and they had a new (at least to me) pellet brand there (along with Eastern Embers) called True Burn from TP Downey and sons. $5.35 for a 33 pound bag. Must be different Home Hardwares, different deals. i would have been tempted to try them if it I didn't have 4 tons of EEs sitting in my garage.

I'm starting to realize, unfortunately, that the Eastern Embers quality this year isn't the same as last. I'm finding a fair amount of very long pellets in the mix that my auger doesn't like too much. They worked great last year and were on par with LGs (in my stove anyway).

 

[kobalt]

I haven't seen the LG's here on PEI yet. Are they a good pellet and where are they made?