The Pellet Stove Industry: Stuck—or Ready to Break Through?

A conversation with Scott Williamson

Scott Williamson, a veteran pellet
stove technician

The pellet stove industry has long occupied a middle ground—promising, practical, and often economical—yet never quite breaking into the mainstream. To understand why, I spoke with Scott Williamson, a technician who has spent decades installing, repairing, and troubleshooting pellet stoves across New England.

Scott lives in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and runs Pellet-Stove-Service.com, serving primarily southeastern Massachusetts. Over the course of his career, he has worked on tens of thousands of stoves across a wide range of brands, installations, and real-world conditions—giving him a ground-level view of how these systems perform outside of ideal conditions.

He got into the business in an unconventional way: “My mother-in-law bought a used pellet stove but couldn’t find anyone willing to service it. I had tools, I was available, and I was dating their daughter at the time. I had never even heard of a pellet stove, but I somehow fixed it. The family owned a breakfast diner and started telling customers I could fix their pellet stoves. That’s how I got started. Three years later, I was so busy I had to quit my day job.”

By 2019, nearly 20 years later, his company had performed over 20,000 service calls across New England.

Scott also runs the Facebook group Pellet Stove Troubleshooting & Repair, which has nearly 17,000 members and functions as a real-time knowledge base where technicians and experienced owners work through real-world problems every day.

What’s Holding Pellet Stoves Back?

The biggest factor has been relatively low oil and gas prices. If that changes—like if the Strait of Hormuz situation affects supply—you could see pellet stoves rebound quickly.

Electricity is becoming a bigger part of the equation. My electric bill last month was $500, and that’s not unusual. People relying on heat pumps in higher-rate states may start to feel that more over time.

There’s also a perception problem that hasn’t gone away. A lot of people don’t distinguish pellet stoves from wood stoves. They assume they produce a lot of smoke, and they get lumped into the same EPA, non-profit or media reports that are critical of wood burning.

 

Do Poor-Quality Stoves Hurt the Industry?

I don’t see stove quality as the main issue. It’s more about installation and maintenance. The core technology works—but it’s sensitive to real-world conditions.

Pellet stoves run great under ideal conditions. But over time—especially as they get dirty—they lose efficiency. The combustion isn’t as clean, and performance drops off.

From a field perspective:

· About 5 out of 100 customers will have repair issues in each winter

· Of those, maybe 2 are more serious or expensive

Some manufacturers have introduced temperature-based feedback systems that adjust combustion automatically, keeping the combustion cleaner—but those features are still far from universal. If every stove had that kind of feedback, you’d see a lot fewer complaints.

Is the Service Sector Keeping Up?

No—and that’s one of the biggest problems. Many dealers prioritize selling stoves over servicing them.

That’s backwards. Service is what keeps customers. It’s where the long-term money is. It’s the same as cars—dealerships don’t stay in business on sales. They stay in business because they service those cars for years.

There’s also a structural problem with pricing. Service calls under $200 are common—but they’re not sustainable. Between travel time, diagnostics, and repairs, you’re burning yourself out. You really need to be closer to $300 to make it work.

At the same time, there aren’t enough experienced technicians—and many aren’t using technology effectively to run their businesses.

In my case, I stepped away from service for four years to work for a pellet parts supplier. A technician in the next town took over most of my accounts. He does a good job and he is a good guy. At this point, there’s no real reason for customers to leave him and come back to me.

How Important is NFI Certification?

NFI training is good—but it’s just a starting point. The bigger issue is that it doesn’t carry much weight in the real world:

· Not required by most states

· Limited consumer awareness

· No real incentive to maintain it

In 25 years, no customer has ever asked me if I’m NFI-certified. By contrast, licensing requirements are more meaningful.

In Massachusetts and most of New England, you need a state-issued HVAC license to install stoves. The test is tough, and you need to work under someone who already has it. It’s a barrier to entry—but after that, it’s mostly just maintaining it.

Pellet Supply and Quality

I don’t see pellet shortages as a major issue. Most problems are seasonal. At the end of the season, stores stop restocking and people can’t find pellets—but that’s usually because they waited too long. Pellet quality is a bit of an issue, but over time, most users figure out what works best in their stove.

Hidden Barriers: The Psychology of Use

One of the biggest challenges has less to do with technology and more to do with how people experience pellet heating.

Pellets have too many touchpoints. You’re buying fuel, you’re cleaning the stove, you’re dealing with maintenance. Even when pellets are cheaper overall, the frequent interaction creates friction. It feels like you’re always paying for something.

By contrast, oil and gas systems require far less interaction. They just run. There are fewer touchpoints, so it feels easier—even if it’s more expensive.

Why Pellet Stoves Struggle in New Homes

New homes aren’t designed with pellet stoves in mind. Masonry chimneys are disappearing, and pellet systems are rarely part of new construction.

Mobility also plays a role. People move more often now. The more owners a pellet stove has, the more likely it is to develop problems over time.  Lastly, some new homes are sealed tight, and pellet stoves have a hard time lighting.  If you open a nearby window just a crack, the stove lights right up.  So, those homes need outdoor air kits, that bring fresh outdoor air right into the stove, or right to the base of the stove.

 

A Better Model: Simplifying the System

Someone should simplify both the customer experience and the business model behind it. You could offer the stove, fuel, and service all in one monthly package—what I’d call ‘hassle-free heat.’ Repairs would be included.

For customers, that means predictable costs, fewer decisions and less uncertainty

For providers, it creates efficiency. Instead of dealing with dozens of stove models, you focus on one or two. Same parts, same training, same repair process.

Instead of stocking 500 SKUs, you might only need 15 or 20. And your technicians don’t need to know how to fix everything—they just need to be good at a few systems.

 

Are Heat Pumps a Threat?

They can be—but they can also work well together.  Pellet stoves and heat pumps are actually very complementary.

Use a heat pump for moderate temperatures, and a pellet stove when it gets really cold. Both are space heaters, and they can work in different parts of the house.  A lot will depend on electricity pricing. Electric rates can rise faster than pellet prices. That’s going to matter.

 

Outlook: Strong Fundamentals, Missing System

I wouldn’t call myself optimistic or pessimistic. The fundamentals are there—the fuel works, the technology works. What’s missing is everything around it:

· Reliable service infrastructure

· Better training pathways

· More standardization

· A simpler customer experience

If the industry can get those things right—and if energy prices push people to look for alternatives—there’s a lot of room for growth.

How to buy high quality pellets - Advice from an expert

Scott Williamson

Scott Williamson has worked on pellet stoves for decades as a technician and retailer. He has burned just about every kind of pellet on the market and has seen firsthand what works and what does not in the homes of clients.

We asked to interview Scott because he is not affiliated with any stove or pellet brand. He also has a Facebook group called Pellet Stove Troubleshooting & Repair. The group has nearly 17,000 members and it’s likely to include every technician in the country that works on pellet stoves.

What’s your primary advice to people buying pellets?

Scott’s first piece of advice is simple. Do not buy in bulk until you have tried the fuel. “Buy whatever you can afford. Buy a little and test it.”

Even pellets labeled premium can perform very differently from brand to brand. The word premium typically just refers to ash content being under 1 percent. It does not guarantee high heat output, clean burning in your stove, or easy ignition. If it runs well in your stove, then it is worth stocking up.

Before committing to a large purchase, test a few bags and pay attention to:

• How much ash is created?
• Does the burn pot clog up?
• Does the burn out empty itself during a shut-down?
• Any unusual odors from the pellet fuel itself (off gassing)?

If you burn pellets long enough, you stop looking for the perfect brand and start looking for what works consistently in your stove. Pellets are fuel. Some are better made than others. Your stove will tell you pretty quickly which is which.

Softwood vs. Hardwood: Does It Matter?

Yes! Buy softwood if you can. Scott says, “Softwood pellets are generally cleaner and produce more usable heat per pound.”

Species matters, but manufacturing quality matters just as much, sometimes more.

Scott has made informal heat comparisons in his own stove and has seen dramatic differences between brands under the same conditions.

Which brands would you generally avoid?

“If a bag leans heavily on patriotic imagery”, Scott says stay away! “Words like, American, Patriot, Liberty…. ‘Freedom’ that’s a big one. Freedom fuel, Patriot fuel, Liberty fuel. It’s all absolute garbage, and that’s because they’re relying on a certain demographic of consumers to buy them. They don’t care.”

Should I look for the PFI Logo?

Some bags display the logo of the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) but it doesn't mean the pellets are

Only the logo on the left means the fuel is certified to
PFI standards.

PFI certified. A company can be a PFI member of have a Board seat without certifying their pellets through PFI. Even if it is PFI certified, certification also does not automatically mean that pellet will perform best in your stove. You may also see companies say that they are certified members of PFI, but their pellets are not certified.

I have seen excellent pellets with and without certification and poor pellets with and without PFI certification.

I have heard that some pellets smell like diesel fuel. Should people be concerned?

Yes. It’s rare, but there are some pellets out there now that smell terrible, like this one bag that was sold by Tractor Supply (see photo on left). If you open a bag and it smells like diesel fuel, that is not normal. Take it back.

“Sometimes pellets have a mild pine smell. That is normal. Douglas fir can have a sharper scent. But diesel is not normal.”

A strong fuel smell can point to contamination somewhere in the fiber stream or during handling. If something about the smell makes you uneasy, do not store two tons of it in your basement.

 

Extensive signs of paint in pellets almost
always come from recycled wood pallets.

How about pellets with a bit of color in them?

Bits of color in pellets usually come from manufacturers that reclaim old pallets to make their pellets. I don’t really know how bad it is. I suppose it depends on the extent of paint in your pellets and the degree to which you’re breathing it. Every home is different. Every situation is different. But I don’t think anyone should be buying pellets that have paint in them. I would not buy that brand again.

We know that some folks are finding a lot of paint in pellets recently made by Michigan Wood Fuels.

How about the eternal issue of fines (wood dust)? How bad are they for your stove?

The wood dust at the bottom of the bag is called fines. Every pellet bag has some. Too much can cause problems. Fines develop during manufacturing and transportation. The more pellets are moved, stacked, and jostled, the more they break down. In many stoves, fines settle at the bottom of the hopper. Over time, they can restrict the feed opening, contribute to missed ignitions, and reduce maximum heat output.

If your stove suddenly struggles to ignite and you have burned 40 or 50 bags without cleaning out the hopper, fines are often the reason.

The fix is usually simple. Once a month, let the hopper empty completely. Vacuum the bottom thoroughly. Then restart. Scott says it’s a simple thing to do but he often looks like a hero after fixing an issue by just vacuuming dust out.

Not all pellet stoves manage fines the same way. Harman stoves are known for being more tolerant of dust. Their bottom feed system, adapted from coal stove technology, helps push fines through the burn process rather than letting them accumulate as easily.

That does not mean you should ignore dust. Cleaner pellets are always better. But some stove designs are more forgiving.


Are Pellets Still Worth the Money?

Yes, if you heat with oil, propane or electric resistance heat. Pellets come out as the more practical and economical option, especially when bought in bulk in the spring, way before you need them, so that you can shop around for the best price.

I think that's the main reason that this industry still exists… Let's think of all the ways that it saves people money, right? Because it's not just on how much you pay for fuel or how much you use, but the pellet stove has long been a stop gap measure that fills a need that maybe prevents a more expensive repair in your central heater. Or you're building an addition, you can put a pellet stove in and that is a heat source for the bonus room. That is way cheaper than having to pull in duct work or infrastructure to bring heat to a system that you may have to update, because now it's not big enough, right? It's a stop gap.”

Scott’s Bottom-Line Advice

1. Test the pellet before committing to buying a lot.
2. Ignore patriotic marketing.
3. Vacuum your hopper monthly.
4. Don’t panic over a little dust—but don’t ignore it.
5. Buy the pellets you can afford and manage.

“I’m 54 now. I don’t obsess over the type of pellets anymore. If you have a good enough stove, and keep up with maintenance, let your stove deal with it. Everything reasonable is manageable."

More resources on wood pellets

Sustainability of wood pellets, AGH website.

PFI Qualified Pellet Producers, PFI website.

Alliance for Green Heat Welcomes Emma Hanson to Board of Directors

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Ackerly, President
Alliance for Green Heat
info@forgreenheat.org 

March 2, 2026 - The Alliance for Green Heat (AGH), a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting cleaner, more efficient wood and pellet heating, is pleased to announce the appointment of Emma Hanson to its Board of Directors.

Hanson brings more than a decade of experience advancing energy efficiency, advanced wood heating technologies, and sustainable forestry policy at the state, regional, and national levels. 

Most recently, Hanson served as Senior Program Manager for Residential HVAC at the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, where she led a committee of utility efficiency program administrators from across the United States and Canada. In that role, she managed initiatives to accelerate the adoption of high-performing heating and cooling systems, helped guide updates to electric HVAC specifications in response to new federal standards, and supported strategic electrification and demand response efforts in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Previously, Hanson was Wood Energy Coordinator at the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation. There, she promoted advanced wood heat solutions to residents and businesses, secured federal funding for incentive and technical assistance programs, and helped develop Vermont’s Biomass Renewable Energy Standard rule. Her work strengthened markets for low-grade wood, supported sustainable forest management, and contributed to Vermont’s climate and renewable energy goals.

“Emma brings a rare combination of technical knowledge, policy experience, and on-the-ground program management,” said John Ackerly, President of the Alliance for Green Heat. “Her leadership in both advanced wood heat and high-efficiency HVAC markets will help guide our efforts to ensure that modern wood heating plays a constructive role in a low-carbon future.”

Hanson holds a Master of Science in Agriculture, Food & Environmental Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and French from Tufts University. She lives in Waitsfield, Vermont.

 “Modern wood heat is one of the solutions to the climate challenges we’re facing. It works symbiotically with heat pumps to ensure adequate heat in all conditions and its fuel is an essential part of a forest economy that helps to keep forests as forests, essential to climate resilience going forward. I’m thrilled to join the AGH board and help bring these heating solutions together," Hansen said.

 For more information about the Alliance for Green Heat, visit www.forgreenheat.org.