Preseason Sales in the Maritimes?

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Walmart in Charlottetown has Trebio again...I found them pretty good, but they are about 75 cents a bag more than last year.
 
I heard a rumour that Irving could be starting their own pellet plant in northern NB...stay tuned.
 
I bought a pallet of Eastern Embers at Riverview Home Hardware @ $5.09 a bag. Apparently there are production problems with their own pellet mill and True Burn brand, which I found to be very hot, so I had to switch.
 
Walmarts in Halifax (at least, the two I visited) are out of Trebios and have been for some time. The manager at one told me that there are "problems with the supplier. I keep ordering and ordering, but nothing is available."
 
Kent flyer this week - Cozys are now $5.99 per bag! What the heck happened? They were $4.59 on sale in the fall. Walmart Halifax is out of Trebios and does not expect any more this season.
 
I called a few places around Halifax yesterday, and no pellets at Home Depot Hfx or Dartmouth, nor at any metro Home Hardwares. Online Cdn Tire in Sackville is supposed to have some at $5.99. Home Depot Hfx told me they were on order but didn't know when they might get them, limit 15 bags per customer. There have been some reports of a shortage around NS, which seems to be true.
 
Downey's Home Hardware in Riverview New Brunswick report on their facebook page in a reply to me today that they are getting a pellet shipment next week. Likely Shaw brand. Prices were $5.29 a bag on a pallet.
 
The Kent flyer in Nova Scotia is advertising Canawicks at $5.99 per bag this week. Surprising, because I thought Kent owned Cozys which is what they have sold in the past. And last year, Canawicks were sold through Canadian Tire stores.

Anyone in the Maritimes know what is going on? And what is with that price?
 
5.99 a bag seems to be the best around here on pei...at under .80/litre for home heating oil it will be cheaper for me to burn oil this winter unless I get a really good deal on pellets...Plus we pay 14% HST on pellets but only 5% GST on oil!
 
I was at Rona picking up drywall this afternoon and noticed they had Eastern Embers in stock - $6.49 a bag! Add the HST and that is $7.50 a bag here in Nova Scotia The guy at the gate tells me he expects $6.49 to be the going rate this year.

I much prefer pellets, but like you, Peirhead, I think oil may be the less expensive option.
 
Whoa I'm glad I bought mine back in May! I got 4 pallets from Rona in Dartmouth for $5.49/ bag.
 
Home heating oil is now $.76 per liter (last year, I paid $1.17 - and that was a great deal). Some quick research suggests it will drop further and level out at around $.70 before the fall, and maybe even dip into the $.60 region. For me, unless the price of pellets drops to $5.50 or below, pellets no longer make sense as my main heat source.

And I see no reason for a $1.00 per bag increase in price in pellets - except that wood pellets are now an international commodity, just like oil - and demand suggest that the market will pay these prices.
 
Dartmouth Home Depot has Eastern Embers for $5.46
 
Home Depot in Saint John is no longer carrying Eastern Embers, they now offer Granules LG Satisfaction softwood pellets at $5.99/bag. Anyone have experience with these pellets? Home Hardware has Eastern Embers for $6.49 ($6.00 by the pallet) or Crabbe for $5.35/bag. I'm waiting to see what Kent's sale price is this year on the Comfy Cozy's.
 
Home Depot in Saint John is no longer carrying Eastern Embers, they now offer Granules LG Satisfaction softwood pellets at $5.99/bag. Anyone have experience with these pellets? Home Hardware has Eastern Embers for $6.49 ($6.00 by the pallet) or Crabbe for $5.35/bag. I'm waiting to see what Kent's sale price is this year on the Comfy Cozy's.
LG are good pellets; good heat, low ash. Rona used to carry them here in Nova Scotia. Of the pellets you list, my order of preference would be: LGs; Eastern Embers; Cozys. I have no experience with Crabbe, but am told they are a decent pellet. Given the price, I'd burn Crabbe myself.

FYI: I was in Kent in Halifax recently. I was told that Kents would not be carrying Cozys this year, but Canawicks instead. Not sure if this was the Halifax store only, or chain-wide.
 
I tried Crabbe last year, not a bad pellet, had some chunky ash. Price was right, $3.99 at Costco. Cozy's leave a fine powdery ash in my stove.

I think the Canawick's at Kent are Nova Scotia only, still Cozy's in NB (checked with the Kent manager in Rothesay). Canadian Tire is carrying Okanagan pellets this year for $6/bag...lots of good reviews on them. 100% softwood (Douglas Fir).
 
Did anyone see the Walmart flyer last week? They were advertising a new brand of pellets, Woody or something like that, at $6.89/bag! I thought maybe it was a typo.
 
Maybe the price was not a typo but a price reflection of the Canadian dollar being so low? In my area they sell Pennington, a company that bags bird seed. Have bought on two different years and was very poor both times.
 
Has anyone checked out the price of Eastern Embers in the Halifax area lately? I called a few places today - Rona, Piercy's - and it looks like everyone wants $5.99/bag, whether you're buying a bag or several pallets. I'm going to check Home Depot tomorrow but they're probably no better.
 
That is the price I'm seeing pretty much everywhere - $6.00 per bag.

I bought a bunch of LaCretes a few months ago when Home Depot had them on sale for $4.99 (had to buy a whole pallet).

At $6.00 a bag, I won't burn wood pellets as my main heat source. I'll buy them, but I won't buy much.
 
I scored a good deal on Eastern Embers at Rona in Bedford last Saturday. They had a one-day-only "save the tax" sale, so 15% off their regular price of $5.99/bag brought it down to $5.09. I grabbed 3 pallets (210 bags), got them delivered yesterday. I wasn't sure they were going to give me the sale price since the fine print said "valid on in-store purchases only", but there was no problem. Now i just have to get them put away.