Todays oil/gas prices

[English BoB]

Seen today in the Albany area.

heating oil $2.09
gas $1.99
diesel $2.50

My break even costs for pellets vs oil is $2.00. Almost there.
Has there been any decrease in pellets ? Last I saw at HD was $258 a ton.

Which begs the question, As we have have used hardly any pellets so far, and we brought an extra ton after last year, Will we have to buy any pellets next year ?

If that is the case my break even point will double to $4.00 per gal -yes.

If my math is correct..........what are the BBS going to do will all the pellets they have on hand ?

You know what I mean / sort of

bob

 

[billb3]

$1.53 HHO
$1.92 auto gas
$2.39 auto diesel

I've seen the BBS have fire sales to clear extra stock and I've seen them put stuff up on shelves out of the way until next year so any guess I guess. I think they'll sell pellets slowly thru the Winter but any planned restocks for February might be on hold. Lots of people around here switched from oil to nat gas and that usually peaks every Winter and quite a bit of electricity is tied to nat gas prices.

Hopefully a warm Winter and those on fuel assistance won't be having to stretch a month's worth of oil quite so frugally.

 

[alternativeheat]

We have been below the break even point for some time here ( I think I figured out as $2.07 to break even with HD current pellet prices). But break even is deceptive because that is a direct pellets to oil conversion and I heat differently with pellets than oil, we all probably do since the systems are different. So it's easy just to compare directly than to take all aspects of how you heat into consideration. Non the less, oil here now is $1.67 so no matter what, at this point oil wins out on a cost basis. But cost alone can't compete with ambiance and a nice snugly living room of a stove running either for the Christmas season especially. I will use a little of each when weather warrants it. Right now, today, it's too warm for either heat source.

For some reason two of our local HD's claim decent sales, one stating they have sold 140 tons this fall. But if you think about that it's only 140 people buying a ton each. Makes me wonder if it's all that great really or some hype going on. Even so TSC almost across the street has sold next to nothing at $5.39 a bag and their yard is usually cleaned out a couple of times over by now. The girl told me she hopes they stop shipping in pellets pretty soon because they just show up with another trailer load willy nilly..

My past history shows me that when oil hits $1.25 a gallon or lower I tend to not turn on a stove, I just lose interest. .

 

[rich2500]

heating oil $1.56 gal.
gasoline $2.25 gal.
diesel $2.55 gal.
Other then a few nights it's been to warm for me to run the pellet stove, only burned 5 bags so far this season,have no idea what my break even point would be but my oil tank is 3/4 full and 2 ton of pellets on hand so prices right now don't much matter to me anyway as I'm good for the season.

 

[Peterfield]

For some reason two of our local HD's claim decent sales, one stating they have sold 140 tons this fall. But if you think about that it's only 140 people buying a ton each. Makes me wonder if it's all that great really or some hype going on. Even so TSC almost across the street has sold next to nothing at $5.39 a bag and their yard is usually cleaned out a couple of times over by now. The girl told me she hopes they stop shipping in pellets pretty soon because they just show up with another trailer load willy nilly..

My past history shows me that when oil hits $1.25 a gallon or lower I tend to not turn on a stove, I just lose interest. .

HD in Keene, NH is down 40% last time I asked.

 

[erictomlin]

What are you guys using for a calculator to determine what your break even point is for pellets vs. oil?

In my area, oil is about $1.89/gal, and my pellets were $312.00/ton for Vermont Wood Pellets. I'm thinking that I should really be using oil. But I already have my pellets, so I'd be paying for fuel twice if I shut off the stove.

Thanks,

-Eric

 

[alternativeheat]

What are you guys using for a calculator to determine what your break even point is for pellets vs. oil?

In my area, oil is about $1.89/gal, and my pellets were $312.00/ton for Vermont Wood Pellets. I'm thinking that I should really be using oil. But I already have my pellets, so I'd be paying for fuel twice if I shut off the stove.

Thanks,

-Eric

Based on average bags of pellets, so not real junk or really super deluxe but average: 2-1/2 gal of oil in a bag of pellets. HD $5.18 per bag divided by 2.5=$2.07 as the break even point between the fuels . But keep in mind the way you heat, I know that I heat differently with pellets than oil just because of the nature of the two appliances. So that is a very rough means of calculation at best. However knowing that fact does help in governing what type of heat I use when. Or if I blend the two heat sources which in this house works awesome.

TSC wants $5.39 for their pellets so $2.16 for oil would break even .

 

[TimfromMA]

I know that switching to pellets cut my oil consumption by 600 gallons per year. I just filled up my oil tank for $1.89 per gallon. $1.89 * 600 = $1134. I typically use 3 tons of pellets in lieu of 600 gallons of oil. $1134 / 3 = $378.

Based on current oil prices, as long as I can get pellets for less than $378 per ton, I'm still saving money.

 

[DrewBoogie]

Heating Oil - $1.63
Gas - $2.30-ish a gallon, saw 2.15 at BJ's though

I still like the heat we get from our stove, so does my wife. When we run oil, we keep the house 67-ish, it's usually around 71-72 with the stove. My wife was cold last night, it was 69 in the house and 58 outside. I said were screwed when it's 3 degrees outside then. Pellets are already in the garage, so we'll burn them for the most part. My outdoor tank will probably freeze at least once this year, so I may spring for some K-1 since it's right around $3/gallon. Cheap insurance to keep the hot water flowing since it's heated by our furnace.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I've used this calculator in the past. Just type in your particular costs in the appropriate field and it will calculate your break even point. Around here oil is either side of $2 gallon and pellets are $250. According to this calculator, that's just about the break even point....for oil vs Pellets
http://www.pelletheat.org/compare-fuel-costs

 

[alternativeheat]

I know that switching to pellets cut my oil consumption by 600 gallons per year. I just filled up my oil tank for $1.89 per gallon. $1.89 * 600 = $1134. I typically use 3 tons of pellets in lieu of 600 gallons of oil. $1134 / 3 = $378.

Based on current oil prices, as long as I can get pellets for less than $378 per ton, I'm still saving money.

This sounds very realistic, and would be 7.56 a bag. I could buy Spruce Pointe at the Hardware Store at that rate, they want $7.49 for them. However my numbers are slightly different from your Tim, I would have to calculate accordingly. It's hard to get an exact handle on that because we rent an apartment that is attached to the house with heat included. To know where we stand exactly that would have to be split off. Out tenant ( also named Tim FWIW) I'm going to estimate uses about 150 gal per year. But that's just a guess, it could easily be 100 gallons. And of course much depends on the exact winter we get.

 

[billb3]

What are you guys using for a calculator to determine what your break even point is for pellets vs. oil?

In my area, oil is about $1.89/gal, and my pellets were $312.00/ton for Vermont Wood Pellets. I'm thinking that I should really be using oil. But I already have my pellets, so I'd be paying for fuel twice if I shut off the stove.

Thanks,

-Eric

http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php
pretty easy to calculate that oil at $1.89 a gallon is equivalent to pellets at $225 a ton
(dependent on what sort of beast you have for a oil furnace/boiler)

I have a new oil boiler that is almost 90% efficient so oil at $1.89 parallels pellets at $175/ton
I can buy oil today for $1.53/gallon ....

What's nice about that calculator is you can use the efficiency adjustment to calculate how cost effective it would be to replace an old oil boiler sucking down fuel at two gallons a minute with something new that would have less of an appetite. Especially at $4 a gallon.

 

[vinny11950]

For me, it is electric baseboard heaters or pellets, and the pellets win handily. Electricity is high and the baseboard heat feels cold. It can't compare to the constant warm air blast the stove puts out.

 

[Cedarjunki]

Seen today in the Albany area.

heating oil $2.09
gas $1.99
diesel $2.50

My break even costs for pellets vs oil is $2.00. Almost there.
Has there been any decrease in pellets ? Last I saw at HD was $258 a ton.

Which begs the question, As we have have used hardly any pellets so far, and we brought an extra ton after last year, Will we have to buy any pellets next year ?

If that is the case my break even point will double to $4.00 per gal -yes.

If my math is correct..........what are the BBS going to do will all the pellets they have on hand ?

You know what I mean / sort of

bob

2 1/2 hours north of albany gas is at $2.33- 2.39
Price of pellets havnt moved at all that i have noticed.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I know that switching to pellets cut my oil consumption by 600 gallons per year. I just filled up my oil tank for $1.89 per gallon. $1.89 * 600 = $1134. I typically use 3 tons of pellets in lieu of 600 gallons of oil. $1134 / 3 = $378.

Based on current oil prices, as long as I can get pellets for less than $378 per ton, I'm still saving money.

That seems totally upside down to me Tim. I must be missing something. Your cost per million btu with oil at $1.89 is $17.56. The cost per million btu with pellets at $378/ton is $29.55. Are you saying that you use zero oil and heat the house entirely with pellets?

 

[vinny11950]

For the Big Box Stores you have to wait to when they have to start making room for the upcoming season inventory and they want to make room by getting rid of the pellets. I am going to be on the look out for the stores that are jammed with inventory come Jan and Feb. I think March is when they give up on pellets and do big cuts. My issue would be storing them outside but if done right and it would work.

 

[velvetfoot]

I've used this calculator in the past. Just type in your particular costs in the appropriate field and it will calculate your break even point. Around here oil is either side of $2 gallon and pellets are $250. According to this calculator, that's just about the break even point....for oil vs Pellets
http://www.pelletheat.org/compare-fuel-costs

Funny, that calculator doesn't work for me. I wonder if that's by design.

 

[velvetfoot]

I just looked for the EIA heat calc spreadsheet, and, although I got some hits on that search, none of the links worked anymore. And that was actually a useful gov't product.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Funny, that calculator doesn't work for me. I wonder if that's by design.

that's strange...it works for me. Anyone else try it?

 

[Jack Morrissey]

That seems totally upside down to me Tim. I must be missing something. Your cost per million btu with oil at $1.89 is $17.56. The cost per million btu with pellets at $378/ton is $29.55. Are you saying that you use zero oil and heat the house entirely with pellets?

I agree, something is not quite right with those numbers Tim.....

 

[billb3]

that's strange...it works for me. Anyone else try it?

works fine with safari and chrome on el capitan

78% default seems a bit odd but easy enough to change

 

[velvetfoot]

Pellets are the only thing that work for me on that calculator. Can't change others.

 

[L.I. Pellet Guy]

Heating
150-199 $1.45 - Cash
Gas 2.15

I know that Blowes and HD are very stocked with pellets. the one closest to me has
over 200 Tons on Hand.

it's been so nice in the NE this year, I haven't even turned on my heat in the upper level of my house,
down stairs is set @ 66 all day and night.
Gonna be 60's this weekend, nothing will be on this weekend. Nothing buy savings!!

 

[TimfromMA]

That seems totally upside down to me Tim. I must be missing something. Your cost per million btu with oil at $1.89 is $17.56. The cost per million btu with pellets at $378/ton is $29.55. Are you saying that you use zero oil and heat the house entirely with pellets?

Before my pellet stove was installed, I would use close to 1000 gallons of heating oil every year. My oil furnace also supplies hot water. My house is a split entry. When you walk in the front door, there is 1/2 a flight of stairs up to our main living floor and half a flight down to our finished basement. The pellet stove sits upstairs where we spend 99.9% of our time. We only have 1 heating zone upstairs and another zone downstairs. When heating with oil, we have no choice but to heat the entire floor. With the pellet stove, we can shut off unused rooms and only heat where we want. The pellet stove provides 100% of our heat upstairs and has cut our annual oil usage down to 400 gallons.

 

[moey]

That seems totally upside down to me Tim. I must be missing something. Your cost per million btu with oil at $1.89 is $17.56. The cost per million btu with pellets at $378/ton is $29.55. Are you saying that you use zero oil and heat the house entirely with pellets?

Poorly designed central heating system probably. You also have to remember a stove usually heats where you spend the most time. Not the far corner of your house or your basement.