Anyone using Wood Pellets from Balcas..

Builderwoman!

Hi

Just to let you know that I phoned today to order a top up and they have told me that we could be waiting 6 week+. They are inundated with orders and are stopping taking new customers from today! They are hoping to hire in lorries and service exisiting customers as soon as they can. After today they don't seem to be in a position to take orders from exisiting customers either. Just thought that I had better let you all know as the cold weather is now well and truly here and we need fuel! Sooner the better there is a bit of competition for pellets because Balcas know they have it all sown up!

Kashkai

Had to happen sooner or later. Mad rush to get the pellet stoves in and then we all find out that the supply is limited:eek: I suppose the next step is for the price of pellets to rise - this is Celtic Tiger Rip Off Ireland after all.

My new pellet boiler is supposed to be arriving next month but now I won't have anything to burn in it. Glad I decided to install a new oil burner as well as a back up. Looks like its back to burning fossil fuels again.

gonk

Try Irish Pellets (www.irishpellets.com)

Just spoke to them today and they have bulk supply at around €200 to €220 per tonne. I know this is higher than Balcas's price, but for the moment they are buying them in wholesale. They expect to have their own factory producing pellets in operation by Feb/Mar of next year when prices will be more like Balcas's.

towbar

I have bought recently from a company outside Newry producing their own pellets. Their pellet was supplied by the boiler installers to start me off and have worked well so far. Unfortunately they dont have any distribution yet and are supplying locally to Newry only or you can collect. They supply in 3/4tonne bags, so I store the bags in a shed and load 1 bag into the car trailer and leave this in my garage until empty. Once a week fill the boiler from the bag with a bucket. Works out ok and lets me monitor how much I'm using but will have to get bulk storage eventually.

In the meantime if there is anyone in the North East that is interested PM me and I may be able to help as I have access to a store and handling equipment so I could get a lorry to pick up 6-8 bags at a time. If you want smaller bags it wouldnt be hard to fill 20kg bags from the big bags. Not cheap though pellets are working out at 250 /tonne which is dearer than balcas bulk but cheaper than balcas bagged pellets I think - anybody have prices on those?. Maybe if there was a few of us buying and booking a large lorry it might work out cheaper. The pellets seem good to me, very little ash and no dust in bottom of the bags but I havent burned any other pellet yet so not an expert on quality.

Builderwoman!

Agree with you Dave, had to happen sooner rather than later. Balcas have the market all sown up to themselves and they know it. Spoke to the rep for Staffords Fuels/Campus Oil and they intend to start bulk supply shortly..must give him a call again. I think that it's pretty bad even if exisiting Balcas customers have to wait 6 weeks for delivery. In August when I spoke to the lorry driver they only had the one lorry and driver covering the country..surely they knew that the demand was increasing big time with the grants and should have tried to get more lorries on stream. Hope our pellets last til they get here! Will try Irish pellets too, thanks gonk.

Bunbrosna

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055010576/anyone-using-wood-pellets-from-balcas

At today’s price nov 7 2022 Balcas pellets 738 00 euro per tonne. Kerosene 1000 litres 1320 euros kerosene 160 euros cheaper