Considering a Wood Pellet Stove? Do Your Homework First
Before putting your money down on a wood pellet stove, do your research to determine whether the fuel you’ll need will be available at a price you can afford.
December/January 2006
By John Gulland
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Fuel shortage is the nightmare scenario that could hamper wood pellet stoves’ steady climb to respectability.
STEVE MAXWELL
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We live in an era of roller coaster fuel prices, and nothing on the horizon suggests stability. Before putting your money down on a new alternative fuel heating appliance, such as a wood pellet stove, do your research and determine whether the fuel you’ll need will be available at a price you can afford.
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The reputation of wood pellets, those little morsels of compressed fiber widely touted as an economical and environmentally friendly home heating fuel, took a big hit last year and has yet to recover.
In the fall of 2005, with oil and gas prices at historical highs, the pellet industry was not prepared for the unprecedented demand for its products. Dealers begged stove manufacturers as backorder lists grew longer. Many buyers waited more than six months for a stove while others cancelled their orders.
At the same time, pellet stove owners in some regions couldn’t find any pellets. Fuel shortage is the nightmare scenario that could hamper this renewable fuel’s steady climb to respectability.
This year, oil and gas prices have eased back. Gas fireplaces are popular again and pellet stoves are languishing in warehouses instead of flying out of showrooms. Fuel supplies are more reliable, but the new complaint is price. Pellet prices in some regions have doubled in just two years.
Hearth and Home magazine, the industry’s main news outlet, fretted in a November 2006 editorial that “The consumer now has two negative impressions of the pellet industry fuel shortages and high prices stamped firmly in his/her mind.”
