CHENANGO COUNTY – The past five years have a seen substantial increase in the number of county households that utilize biomass pellet stoves as a primary source of home heating, but a local shortage in pellet supply have some customers feeling a little chilly.

Pellet stoves are generally small, and the bags of pellets used to fuel them are about the size of a mulch bag, making them easy to store.

Because the fire is contained in a heat box inside the unit, there is a minimum of smoke, which lessens the smell in your home and prevents the outside of the unit from heating up. Pellets create considerably less ash than firewood, giving off less creosote, a flammable byproduct of combustion that can build up and cause chimney fires.

But while pellet stoves are flying off the shelves locally, the demand for pellets is higher than ever and some retailers are having trouble keeping up.

“Because of manufacturing delays, our distributors are not sending enough to keep up with the increased demand from new customers,” said Judy Boyce, an employee at Country Max in Norwich.

According to Boyce, a ration of ten bags per customer has been imposed to all customers, including those who utilize the Heating and Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) offered through the Chenango County Department of Social Services. “Were trying to serve as many of our customers as we can, but this is simply an issue of supply and demand,” said Boyce.

The shortage at Country Max is echoed by Peter Faber at Countryside Stove and Chimney in Oxford. As Chenango County’s largest retailer and installer of the ever popular pellet stoves, Countryside has also become known as a seller of premium pellets. “We have no pellets in stock, and we likely will not be getting any more this season,” said Faber.

Faber said that Countryside's lack of the popular fuel is likely due to biomass producers shipping heavily to larger big-box chain stores. Likewise, he indicated that global economics play a huge role in the distribution of domestic biomass fuel.

“The U.S. is not only one of the largest producers of pellets, but also one of the largest exporters – which means less to go around here at home,” said Faber. Additionally, Faber confirmed that recent brutally cold winters coupled with increased utility prices have enticed many homeowners to explore the feasibility of alternative heating, which for some is extremely cost-effective.