1 Last winter's heating

Heating only, in the unit shown above. If the same fuel also runs your water heater, stove or dryer (or, for electric, the whole house), subtract a typical summer month's use for each heating month.
%
Leave blank to use the typical figure for your fuel: 87% oil furnace and 95% gas or propane furnace (ENERGY STAR minimums), 100% electric resistance, 71% wood stove (EPA average for non-catalytic stoves). Or enter the AFUE on your furnace label.
%
EPA says certified pellet stoves usually run 70% to 83%.
lb
$per ton
For 50 bags of 40 lb, multiply the bag price by 50.
$per unit
Per gallon, therm, kWh or cord, to compare costs.

2 Pellets for the winter

Pellets for the winter
6.4 tons
about 318 bags of 40 lb
Heat your home used
84.3 million Btu
from last winter's heating oil
Heating oil system efficiency used87%
Heat in a ton of pellets16.6 million Btu (8,300 Btu per pound)
Heat in one bag332,000 Btu
Tons needed6.35
Bags needed318 of 40 lb

This assumes pellets replace all of last winter's heat. A pellet stove heats the rooms around it best, so if the furnace still heats part of the house, you will burn fewer pellets and some of the old fuel.

Have the stove professionally cleaned at least once a year (EPA), put ashes in a covered metal container at least 10 feet from the house (U.S. Fire Administration), and keep carbon monoxide alarms on every level. Most pellet stoves need electricity for the feed and fans, so without a battery backup they stop in a power outage.

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