Pellet consumption calculator
How many tons your stove burns in a season, how many bags that is, and what it costs at the price you can actually get.
- Bags (40 lb)
- 108
- Pallets to buy
- 3
- Season fuel cost
- —
- Cost per day burned
- —
Pallets are rounded up, since suppliers sell whole tons. Buy one spare if your winter runs long, unsold pellets keep fine for a year indoors.
Typical seasons
If you do not know your feed rate yet, find the row that matches how you plan to use the stove. These are the four patterns that cover most households.
| Usage pattern | Feed rate | Hours/day | Season | Tons | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplemental heat, one room | 1.2 lb/h | 8 | 150 d | 0.7 | 36 |
| Primary heat, mild climate | 1.8 lb/h | 16 | 150 d | 2.2 | 108 |
| Primary heat, cold climate | 2.4 lb/h | 20 | 180 d | 4.3 | 216 |
| Whole house, continuous | 3.0 lb/h | 24 | 200 d | 7.2 | 360 |
What changes your consumption
- Feed setting, not house size. A stove on setting 4 burns roughly twice what it burns on setting 1, regardless of how many square feet it is heating.
- Pellet quality. A premium low ash pellet delivers more usable heat per pound, so you reach the same room temperature at a lower feed setting. That is why the cheapest ton is not always the cheapest winter.
- Thermostat mode. A stove cycling on a thermostat uses noticeably less than one running continuously on a fixed setting.
- Maintenance. An ash choked burn pot and a dirty heat exchanger both cut heat transfer, so the stove runs longer for the same warmth. Clean weekly during the season.
Storage
Pellets are compressed sawdust with almost no binder, so they behave like a sponge. A bag that takes on moisture swells, breaks down into dust, and jams the auger. Keep pallets off a concrete floor on a skid, cover them, and store them somewhere that does not sweat in a thaw.
Common questions
How many tons of pellets do I need for one winter?
Most households running a pellet stove as their main heat source use 3 to 5 tons per season. Supplemental use in a single room is usually 1 to 2 tons. The variables that matter are how many hours a day the stove runs and what feed rate it runs at, not the size of your house.
How many bags are in a ton of pellets?
Fifty. The US retail standard bag is 40 pounds, and 50 of them make a 2,000 pound ton. A ton comes shrink wrapped on a pallet, which is how it is priced and delivered.
How long does one bag of pellets last?
A 40 lb bag lasts roughly 24 hours on a low feed setting, and as little as 12 hours running hot. That is the practical range: about 1.2 to 3 pounds per hour depending on the setting.
Is it cheaper to buy pellets by the ton?
Yes, consistently. A pallet costs less per pound than the same pellets bought in single bags, and prices are lowest in spring and summer when mills are clearing inventory. Buying in January, from a shelf, in single bags, is the most expensive way to do it.
How much storage space does a ton take?
One pallet of 50 bags is roughly 4 feet square and 4 feet tall, so it takes about 64 cubic feet. Store it dry. Pellets absorb moisture from the air, swell, and then jam the auger, so a damp garage floor is not a storage plan.