Pellets, a convenient source of heat
for home or business
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
No axes to sharpen, no wood to stack and no splinters to pull — what’s not to love about the convenience of using pellets for your heating needs?
Matt Bell, owner of Northeast Pellets LLC in Ashland, is now making it even easier for customers, offering a variety of ways for customers to obtain pellets for their stoves and furnaces, including delivery.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
MIKE HOWES, an employee at Northeast Pellets LLC in Ashland, is pictured bagging pellets in the standard 40-pound bag. The business also offers the option of labeling bags with a business’s name, like that of Lyford’s Stove Shop in Presque Isle.
“We’ve been packaging pellets in the standard 40-pound bag. They’re also available in the super sack — a one-ton tote. Those have been the typical methods of buying pellets. This year we’ve added delivery, making it even easier for customers to receive pellets right at their homes,” said Bell.
Bell said when he rebuilt his mill, following a fire a couple years ago, he began thinking about how to make the business even better than before. According to Bell, adding delivery service was the next logical step.
“People burning fuel get deliveries, so I decided there wasn’t any reason those purchasing pellets couldn’t have the same service. One of my biggest customers right now is the University of Maine at Presque Isle; we just delivered their first shipment about a week ago,” said Bell.
Delivery is made using a grain-type truck.
“Pellets are loaded loose in the body, then delivered. Some people have an old-style coal boiler area in their basements. An area like that can hold six to eight tons of pellets. There are also steel structures made with canvas bags, that are collapsible, that hold three to five tons. Those cost about $300 and have a spout so you can pour pellets into a container, then dump them in your stove,” said Bell.
Bell said such deliveries are cheaper for customers in the long run.
“A shipment like that can last a homeowner about half a year, eliminating the time needed to go to a store and buy bags, bring them home and unload them. It also eliminates the cost of disposing of the bags,” said Bell, noting he’s hoping one day they’ll be recycled but currently that’s not an option. “They’re number 4 and not accepted here as a recycled material yet.”
Bell continues to look for ways to accommodate customers —in Aroostook County and beyond.
“I’m considering selling pellets in 25-pound bags. It would mean a slight additional cost for packaging but would be easier for the elderly or handicapped to lift and fill stoves,” said Bell. “I’m looking for customer feedback for now. If there’s enough interest, it could be another option.”
For more information or to offer Bell some feedback, call 227-1980 or e-mail northeastpellets@aol.com.
With winter approaching, it’s not too late to get your pellet system checked out by a professional to ensure optimal service from your equipment during the cold months ahead.
Bob’s Alternative Energy Services offers an array of services, including plumbing, heating, air conditioning and chimney relining.
Owner Bob Ferris has years of experience, specializing in oil, wood, coal and pellet boilers and furnaces.
For more information, call Ferris at 227-6275 or 764-1515.
