Pellet Stove Consumption Calculator

Work out pellet stove consumption instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Pellet Stove Consumption Calculator

Wood pellets hold about 4.8 kWh per kilogram. Fuel input is heat output divided by efficiency, so an 8 kW stove at 88% efficiency consumes roughly 1.9 kg per hour — about 13 kg on a seven hour evening, or 2.4 tonnes over a heating season.

Formula

Pellet consumption

input kW = output / efficiency; kg per hour = input kW / 4.8 kWh per kg

Worked example

With the default values below, Pellet Stove Consumption Calculator returns Daily pellet use of 13.26. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Stove output: 8 kW
Stove efficiency: 88 %
Running hours: 7 h/day
Pellet price per tonne: 320

Results

Daily pellet use: 13.26 kg
Seasonal use over 180 days: 2.39 t
Daily cost: $4.24
Seasonal cost: $763.64

Step by step

1Values used
2Pellet consumption
3Daily pellet use= 13.26 kg
4Seasonal use over 180 days= 2.39 t
5Daily cost= 4.24
6Seasonal cost= 763.64

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much storage do I need?

A tonne of pellets is about 1.5 cubic metres. Buying by the tonne rather than in bags typically saves 20-30% but needs dry bulk storage.

Why does moisture content matter?

Pellets are dried to under 10% moisture, which is why their energy content is so consistent. Damp pellets swell, jam the auger and burn poorly.