- Wood pellets are convenient and efficient, and they burn cleaner and take less storage space than wood. Pellets also make use of waste materials from the forestry industry.
- Just as you add wood to a wood-burning stove, it is necessary to load your pellet stove with pellets. Ashes also need to be emptied periodically. And natural gas is generally less expensive to use than wood pellets.
- According to Consumer Reports, the average cost of a ton of wood pellets (sold in 40-lb. bags) is comparable to a cord of firewood at $190. Pellet efficiency in terms of BTUs (British thermal units) produced is somewhat less than firewood. However, wood pellets are more cost-effective than oil, propane and electric heat.
- According to the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources, homes and buildings that are between 10,000 and 50,000 square feet are ideal candidates for using wood pellets for heating.
- There are three grades of wood pellets, determined by the amount of ash they produce when burned. Industrial grade contains 3 percent or more ash, standard contains between 1 and 2 percent, and premium grade has lower than 1 percent ash content.
