Wood Pellets

[DonPowers]

I have been heating with wood pellets for the past three years. Each year, I've been buying a seasons worth in the fall, so I don't have to deal with getting more during the winter.

Both last year and this year I have observed shortages in supply, starting about this time of year. Heard on the news the other night that many places are rationing the stuff, limiting people to 15 bags at a time. Depending on outdoor temperature and efficiency of building being heated, that could be anywhere from a one to two week supply.

I'm in Northern Maine and was wondering if any other regions are experiencing shortages of wood pellets, or rationing of other products.

 

[rustyjames]

I have a friend who has a pellet stove and he mentioned shortages, as well as price increases.

 

[LEVE]

No problem here on the Wet Coast. Washington State has only two manufactures of pellets. The cost has gone up a bit, but here it's manageable. I pay about $198 a ton (50 bags).

 

[rustyjames]

They're about $260 per ton here.

 

[DonPowers]

I paid $225 last fall. There are three manufacturers in Maine that I know of, one local.

Called the local building supply today to order some materials for the garage and while on the phone asked them what their pellet status was. They are limiting people to 5 bags per day and one of the big box stores is 15 bags.

Can always go back to a wood stove.

 

[Nakashige]

Hard to find good pellets in mass. Just got Purcells for 348 a ton

 

[KRB52]

We used to sell pellets (and pellet stoves) a the hardware store. We stopped because of the problems with them (people bitching about the price, having to pay for 26 tons when delivered and then waiting for customers to buy them, people taking 55 bags to make up their 50 bags/ton purchase, etc.) To me, having been raised since the early 70's on regular wood stoves, I didn't see where there was an advantage to pellets, other than they were easier to load.

 

[stage20]

too far away from you but a friend of mine runs a truck and he just brought home 360 4.5# bags i think they are. they are 2 years old and are dried out (which i thought was good for burning) so he was giving them away. people down here use them for camp fires and burn pits outside. it is a bit chilly down here right now, though.

 

[tractordude]

Plenty in stock here, although the price is $244.50 for per ton now. Last sept, I paid $199 per ton.

I just looked at the stock, I only have 22 bags left for the season. I may have to start mixing a 50/50 corn blend

 

[Highbeam]

No problem here on the Wet Coast. Washington State has only two manufactures of pellets. The cost has gone up a bit, but here it's manageable. I pay about $198 a ton (50 bags).

See them all the time for under 200$ a ton. These aren't some crappy hardwood or pine pellet, these are doug fir pellets too.

I burn wood but the pellet stove is attractive because it is automatic, thermostatic, easy to load, and most only need to be loaded once per day.

No visible smoke either which helps you be stealth during burn bans.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Does the price dip during the off season ?

 

[Streetbu]

My work was selling selling them fo $270/ton. Sold about 400 ton this year. Just sold out and can't get anymore until at least the end of April at the earliest. Already placed our order for next year. 600 ton to be delivered all in July.... That outta be fun.

 

[walrus]

I have been heating with wood pellets for the past three years. Each year, I've been buying a seasons worth in the fall, so I don't have to deal with getting more during the winter.

Both last year and this year I have observed shortages in supply, starting about this time of year. Heard on the news the other night that many places are rationing the stuff, limiting people to 15 bags at a time. Depending on outdoor temperature and efficiency of building being heated, that could be anywhere from a one to two week supply.

I'm in Northern Maine and was wondering if any other regions are experiencing shortages of wood pellets, or rationing of other products.

There are 4 pellet mills in Maine, at least and their are shortages every year. Lowes and Home Depot bring them from out of state and they run out every week once winter really hits.

I'm seeing them for around 260 delivered right now

 

[kart-racer]

Getting hard to find in N/E Ohio. Paid $260/ton.

 

[bd8134]

I have a pellet silo which holds ~3.2tons and the pellets are delivered in bulk. The truck holds 16 tons and the pellets are pumped in with compressed air. $218 a ton of New England pellets which burn quite nice, they were $215 last year. I paid $85 for delivery as I am a bit of a distance from the supplier so it worked out as $243 a ton delivered. I don't lug any bags around anymore and as long as there are no disasters etc, pellets are available as they supply commercial properties.

 

[DonPowers]

Called a local pellet supplier this morning, he received 24 tons yesterday and 12 tons this morning. They had a 1 ton limit on purchases. When I got there, he had six tons left.

Maine Choice @ $230 per ton.

 

[mygarageone]

Pellets up here run $200 a ton and they are plentiful , but then we probably have the largest source of trees availible up here and a pellet manufactor 40 miles away.

 

[DonPowers]

We also have a local manufacturer about 50 miles from where I live. That brand has also been in short supply, at least in bags. Heard that a significant portion of their production is going out in bulk deliveries.

I have experienced problems with that particular brand, with regard to feeding. When I first got the stove tried them because of the local factor. Due to the length of some of the pellets they would bridge at the bottom of the hopper and the stove would go out. The problem was supposedly fixed, so I tried them again the following year. Still had feeding problems and haven't used them since.

Have run several other brands through the stove without feed issues.

 

[BigNuge]

Southern NH here.

I have not ran pellets for 2 years now, but did for the prior 8 years. My first 2 years I bought the whole seasons worth of pellets in the Summer and stored them (4 tons). After that, I would buy 1 or 2 tons and then buy as needed after at (1/2 or 1 ton at a time). Although supply does get strained mid season, i never had problems keeping the fires burning.

Prices fluctuate some, but not that much throughout the year.

Bottom line, buy 1/2 of your heating seasons' worth of fuel ahead of time and you'll be just fine.

I went from wood to pellets. While I do like the simple art of the wood stove, pellets are a far easier, and more efficient option. Fuel is much easier to handle & store (I could unstack & re-stack my initial delivery (2 tons) of pellets in 30 minutes, 1 ton of pellets = 1 1/2 cord of wood....try moving 3 cord of wood in 30 minutes by hand), fueling is much cleaner...much much cleaner, a fraction of a fraction of ash production compared to wood, and the best part....the on/off button. No more wondering if the wife got the stove started/kept it fueled/running etc.. Dump one bag in first thing in the AM, walk away till that evening. Even running my stove @ 75% I still got 12 hours out of a single bag. If I was running it in the lower range, 24 hours out of 1 bag. There is nobody home all day at my house, pellet stove ran all day without issue. Run a wood stove at anything above idle....it'll be out well before 4-5 hours has gone by.

I did away with pellet simply because I converted my house to a 2 family. Ultimately, when I am ready to buy my next place (this place will become rental property) I will be running pellets again for sure!

 

[M-technik-3]

How long does a ton on average last? The house I am in the process of purchasing has three heat sources and one of them being OIL the other is wood/oil hybrid furnace and burns 5 foot logs and the pellet stove.

 

[DonPowers]

I live in an old log cabin in northern maine. Mid winter I burn between 1.5 to 2 bags a day so a ton last around four weeks.