Pellet Shortage Already?

[derbydude]

Just got a new insert - can't find pellets anywhere in CT. Couple of them have but say for existing customers only.
Even Home Depot is out.
This is insane - I had this very concern before buying the pellet insert and was told that pellet shortage in past was a one time thing.
Anyone know where I can find some? At this point, I'm willing to rent a pickup and get it myself.

 

[GMadd]

I am new to the pellet thing too. I was worried but drove around to hardware stores in my area (New Paltz) asking. Finally found some at Agway. Next year in ordering early.

 

[richkorn]

It happened in 2008 also. Keep calling around until you find some for a reasonable price.

Starting next year do Spring buy from pellet dealer or get them in July or August. At that time tractor supply, Home Depot and Lowe's have plenty of stock.

 

[Ctcarl]

Just got a new insert - can't find pellets anywhere in CT. Couple of them have but say for existing customers only.
Even Home Depot is out.
This is insane - I had this very concern before buying the pellet insert and was told that pellet shortage in past was a one time thing.
Anyone know where I can find some? At this point, I'm willing to rent a pickup and get it myself.

Here in ct as well I went through the same thing 4 weeks ago.home depot in Manchester scored 20 bags of chow and berlin turnpike lowes got my 4 tons of green supreme platinum.this is my 2nd year burning and what I learned is you have to keep calling even when they say call us next week I would call every 3 days.Of course you can do whatmy aggressive wife did last year end of the season .call 6 Home Depots and 5 lowes in 30 miles radius. She found some lol.Once you get your pellets enjoy your savings on heat$ good luck

 

[festerw]

It's crazy to me that you guys are having this issue when here in PA just between the two Lowe's stores there's around 90 tons as of this morning. TSC has 3 storage trailers full sitting on site with more on the way. HD was the only place a week or so ago that I called that didn't have the 8 tons I was looking to buy in stock but were expecting it by the end of this week.

 

[JDenyer236]

X2 for what everyone has said so far. Get what you can now, but I have a feeling that this shortage won't be like last year, everyone is panicking now and stocking up because of what happened last year. I have a feeling that as more and more people get stocked up then demand will taper off, after all people can only store so much. I think by the end of November things will settle down, but I could be wrong. I know I have been before

 

[richkorn]

Maybe Gov Malloy is stopping the trucks at the borders (until after the election) while trying to figure out a way to tax us more

 

[ccg36]

Lowes in Cromwell has pellets, don't ask me what kind though.

 

[alternativeheat]

try some other places. Here HD was out and almost across the street Tractor Supply had a whole yard full of the things. Three brands and one of those those was Clean Fire which is a decent pellet. Up the street at the masonry supply store and cement plant they had Energex and LG. Meanwhile HD remained out. Lowes has had several shipments. But not these places will taper off soon as everyone gets their winter stock pile in. I know I pretty much have mine in.

Oil went under $3.00 a gallon here, if that keeps up the pellet prices will have to drop soon cause the stores will sit on inventory.

 

[jfunk138]

Heating oil is well under $3/gal at the moment and the futures market is pointing lower (down another 3 cents today). Something to consider if you have an oil heating system as well. Provided your oil system is reasonably efficient it's almost certainly more cost effective to burn oil than $7 a bag pellets.

 

[Tonyray]

The people I think hit the hardest are those who do Not have the storage room and can only stock maybe a ton at a time..
Some I know are lucky enough to have a dealer who will let them pick up say 1 ton at a time as they need it.
I don't think HD or Lowes will let you pre-pay for 4 tons and hold them as u need them thruout the winter.
I did the early buy and put 2 tons in basement back in June and just picked up the remainder 3 tons this week which went also into the basement.
Shudder to think what I would do if I didn't have the room cause even HD here is out of pellets as opposed to this time last year when they we're running
out of room to store them since no one was panic buying then....things there didn't get tight until February..
Seems like the best thing is to have a dealer who will work with you and not insist that you have to take them all at once.

 

[Bioburner]

Cheap oil and propain will have major impact on how hard everyone wants to feed pellet stoves. Weather here in MN is way nicer than last year so may get at least a month before hard heating season. Corn stoves are selling well as corn is under $100 a ton.

 

[kniffin50]

I went to B.T. Pellets in person,explained I was new to pellet burning ,just bought my stove and wanted to be a customer. No problem, got what I wanted and got established with them.Now I have something to burn,have someplace to get them in the future and now I can wait for box store supplies to catch up and do some independent testing.

 

[Tim Linden]

Just keep checking back every day. They get new shipments in randomly.

 

[Peterfield]

If you have Ace Hardware stores in your area, try them as some of them sell pellets and they are not as well known a source as the big box stores......ssshhhhh. The one near me has several kinds but won't sell by the ton until the overall supply improves.

 

[newbieinCT]

Just got a new insert - can't find pellets anywhere in CT. Couple of them have but say for existing customers only.
Even Home Depot is out.
This is insane - I had this very concern before buying the pellet insert and was told that pellet shortage in past was a one time thing.
Anyone know where I can find some? At this point, I'm willing to rent a pickup and get it myself.

Over the week, Danbury Lowes told me they were going to get 2 trucks in on Monday (last Monday). They also said that they are 18 trucks behind in pellet delivery. They had 44 tons on the floors that morning (Saturday) and they had sold out. The ones coming on last Monday were Cheat River. I don't know much about them. You can call and see if they have them there - I don't know how much you need or are willing to buy, but they usually won't take orders over the phone. They should deliver as long as you are within 65 miles. I just got a delivery of 6 tons from Lowes in Poughkeepsie b/c I was within the 65 mile radius. You might want to check the Westchester stores, as well.

Agway in Danbury has some "Satisfaction" pellets. The good ones, Hamers, aren't available yet. Agway in Bethel does deliver, but I dont know if they will deliver to Stamford. Bethel agway had barefoot and energex pellets a week ago.

I like the idea of calling up or going to btpellet personally, like kniffin50 did.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!!

 

[RKS130]

Just got a new insert - can't find pellets anywhere in CT. Couple of them have but say for existing customers only.
Even Home Depot is out.
This is insane - I had this very concern before buying the pellet insert and was told that pellet shortage in past was a one time thing.
Anyone know where I can find some? At this point, I'm willing to rent a pickup and get it myself.

The HDs around here (Westchester County NY) all seem to have a decent supply. Mostly Green Supreme (which burned very dirty this year in my test bags) and Heat'rs (a softwood blend from out West which I like just fine in my stove when I tried a few bags). BUT, for reasons best known to themselves, our HD put a 2 ton limit on sales, which simply meant I had to pay the $65 delivery fee twice on 2 separate orders. They also boosted prices by $10 to $249/ton.

The price hike is no big deal in and of itself. This is our 4th season with pellets as the [almost] exclusive heat source. [Author's Note: Never would have made it this far with pellets without help from 'those who know' on this forum. Hat tip to Smokey, Kinsman and others who I hope will not be insulted by my omitting their names].

Our first year HD sold AWF and some other brands at $187/ton but raised the price to $209/ton mid-season. The price stayed at $209 for the balance of that season and the following 2 years, during which time I mostly burned FSUs, which I loved. This year the opening price was $239/ton and is now up to $249.

On balance, amortized over time, not too bad at all. I always like to look back and average out my costs, so in reality, for the 4 seasons of heat, I have spent an average of about $203 a ton - or so. That's fine with me. While oil is down this year, it was up over $4/gal. around here a year or so ago. So if I took the trouble to average that cost out, I am still way ahead of the game.

I suspect pellets are like Christmas trees . . . one year the guy buys what he thinks is the normal amount and for whatever reason runs out early. The next year he gets a larger supply and is stuck with some leftover trees, so . . . the next year he cuts back and there is a shortage . . . etc. All of life is a cycle and pellet supply is no different.

Bottom line, I love my stove, love the heat and love the savings. Nuff said.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Keep calling around until you find some for a reasonable price..

I'd say if you really want them, I'd drop that "reasonable price thing", and just suck it up this year
and be more proactive next year.. not wanting to spend an extra 10-15 bucks, isn't going to kill you
when it's 4°.....

Dan

 

[Crizzoft]

Try your local Ace/Rockys Hardware. Mine in central mass has had a few tons of Name brand stuff for 270

 

[lagger]

I am new to the pellet thing too. I was worried but drove around to hardware stores in my area (New Paltz) asking. Finally found some at Agway. Next year in ordering early.

hardware store near Accord still has some... not very far from New Paltz.. it's the Best Hardware I think heading North after you go over the Mountain on 44/55

 

[derbydude]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the suggestions - ill check out the places mentioned.
I'd rather wait for the right brand than ruin my stove with a dirty one.
I still have oil (sigh!) to fall back on. If I'd known it was like this, I'd have at least waited till spring for my new stove - I'm thinking I could've saved 6-800$ in spring.
I saw so many discounts and free install offers in spring - at the time I thought same deals would be available all summer, but apparently not.

 

[TimfromMA]

A low grade pellet wont ruin your stove, it will just make it dirty faster.

 

[Ctcarl]

Maybe Gov Malloy is stopping the trucks at the borders (until after the election) while trying to figure out a way to tax us more

Maybe he's gnna build another 500million doller highway just for pellets

 

[derbydude]

A low grade pellet wont ruin your stove, it will just make it dirty faster.

Ive heard people say high-ash requires more frequent full-cleanup (pulling out stove etc) and if not, could stall sometimes?

 

[TimfromMA]

If you increase the frequency of your regular cleanings and clean your vent at least after every ton, you should be ok until your full spring cleaning.