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The cold spring, the pandemic and many new pellet heating systems are making pellet supplies dwindle.
An “Espresso” listener from the Basel area was amazed when he wanted to order pellets for his pellet heating system a few days ago: “The supplier told me that I could only order a small amount at the moment. This is enough for us for about a month.” This restriction exists because pellet supplies are currently scarce, according to the listener’s supplier.
The supplier told me that I can only order a small amount at the moment. This is enough for us for about a month.
This is annoying for the homeowner: “Small deliveries are more expensive than large ones.” He also wonders whether it was the right decision to replace the oil heating with a pellet heating system a good year ago. «The heating works very well. However, if the pellets are not available, it leaves a stale aftertaste.”
“We became victims of our success”
Bruno Lehmann, President of the Pro Pellets association, confirms that pellets are currently in short supply throughout Switzerland. There are three reasons for this: “On the one hand, last spring was wet and cold, which meant that around 20 percent more pellets were used than in normal years.”
Around 20 percent more pellets were used than in normal years.
In addition, the pellet producers could not have produced as usual because of the pandemic. “In addition, 45 percent more pellet heating systems were installed last year than in the previous year. To a certain extent, we became victims of our own success,” says Lehmann.
Tip: only fill up in the summer
That’s why it was agreed with the pellet suppliers that only enough pellets would be delivered to get through the winter. “We recommend not filling up the camps until summer. This is also cheaper in terms of price,” says Lehmann.
We recommend not filling up the stores until summer. This is also more advantageous in terms of price.
Pellets are currently around twenty percent more expensive than they were a year ago. Although it is difficult to predict how the price will develop, Bruno Lehmann from Pro Pellets emphasizes that it has always been the lowest in the summer so far.