Pellet Stove Fuel

Alternative pellet stove fuel has a higher ash content than premium grade wood pellets. If you don't want to be dependent on premium grade pellets, you will need a multi fuel pellet stove which is better able to deal with high ash levels.

It is usually possible to add some percentage of these fuels to pellets being burned in a wood pellet stove, but be aware that more frequent cleaning will be required and that the use of fuels not recommended for your stove might void the warranty.

Availability of the fuels below at a reasonable cost will depend on your geographical location. I don't personally like the idea of burning potential foodstuffs, but sometimes crops can be spoiled either in the field or in storage and rendered unfit for consumption.

Unpelletised fuels such as fruit stones should be well dried to about 12% moisture content, otherwise they will not burn well and will create creosote deposits in your stove.

Some unprocessed fuels, particularly nut shells, take up a lot of volume for their weight. This means more frequent filling of the stove's hopper.

TIP: Try a small quantity of fuel before buying in bulk

Wood Pellet Stove Fuel

Premium grade wood pellets produce the least ash of all the fuels, and many stoves can burn only these pellets.
Premium grade wood pellets: 8400 btu/lb
Standard grade wood pellets: 7740 btu/lb
Bark pellets vary widely according to species: 7400 to 9675 btu/lb
Paper pellets again vary widely: 5000 to 11000 btu/lb

Grass and Straw

Grass pellets: 8000 btu/lb
Wheat straw pellets: 7375 btu/lb
Oat straw pellets: 7626 btu/lb

Cereals

Barley: 8200 btu/lb
Corn (maize): 8333 btu/lb
Distiller's grain pellets: 9500 btu/lb
Rye: 8416 btu/lb
Wheat: 8416 btu/lb

Nutshells

Almond shells: 8119 btu/lb
Hazelnut shells: 8500 btu/lb
Macadamia nut shells: 10052 btu/lb
Peanut hulls: 8024 btu/lb
Pecan shells: 816 btu/lb
Pili nut shells: 11604 btu/ln
Pistachio nut shells: 7831 btu/lb
Walnut nut shells: 8462 btu/lb

Fruit Stones

Fruit pits should be un-bleached. Bleached pits can cause corrosion in the venting system.
Apricot pits: 9000 btu/lb
Cherry pits: 9523 btu/lb
Olive pits: 9300 btu/lb
Peach pits: 9004 btu/lb
Prune (plum) pits: 8638 btu/lb