Wood pellet stoves provide heat without the cost

With heating oil prices inching towards $5.00 a gallon, people are thinking months ahead about how they are going to stay warm this winter. Many alternative heating sources are being considered.

One picture perfect little red house has its homeowners over a barrel with oil bills. "One of the bills I got was $800 and that's what prompted me to look into the pellet stove," said David Aleby, Homeowner. Aleby is like many Americans searching for alternative heat sources.

"People right now are concerned with heating their homes, feeding their families, and pretty much the basics of life," said John Tarquinio of Fireside Supply Inc. Sticking to the basics, that's what's brought a boom to Dennis Boutin's business. He's seen a 300% increase in sales numbers this year. "The sales have increased. It's going to be a pellet year," Dennis Boutin of S&M Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue.

The pellet stove and installation costs Aleby $4,500. He will see a return on the investment within the first year. Heating an average 1800 square foot home with these pellets costs less than $1,000 a year. Heating the same space with oil has you shelling out an additional $7,000 every year.

That's a huge amount of money that Aleby already has plans for. "I do have two young boys so it could go towards their college educations," explained Aleby.

If you are worried about the cost of pellets going up. You can set those fears aside for now Beyond the cost savings, pellet stoves are carbon neutral, so they are good for the environment. The majority of the stoves and pellets are made in America. This means its homegrown heat that fuels our economy.