Pellet is made from crushed wood waste (e.g. sawdust, shavings) or biomass (e.g. straw). These materials are pressed under very high pressure, which gives them a characteristic cylindrical shape. Pellet prices are going up, including: due to the heating season. How to reduce heating costs?
Wood pellets have been considered one of the most popular fuels for heating homes for years. Its advantages are high calorific value, convenience of use and compatibility with automatic feeders. However, the pellet production process – requiring grinding, drying and pressing – is expensive, which results in its high price. Currently a ton of pellets costs on average about PLN 1,400.
Pellet and home heating. An alternative to pellets
Fuel corn, previously associated mainly with fodder, is increasingly appearing in boiler rooms as an alternative to pellets. As indicated by the kb.pl website, corn is a natural fuel, available locally and does not require complicated processing. The key stage of grain preparation is drying it to a moisture level of 12-14%. , which helps avoid problems with smoking and excessive ash deposition.
In terms of calorific value, corn is slightly inferior to pellets. It reaches 14-16 MJ/kg, while pellets give 16-19 MJ/kg. In practice, this means that approximately 1-1.1 tons of corn are needed to obtain the same amount of energy compared to a ton of pellets. However, the price difference is significant – a ton of corn costs from PLN 800 to PLN 1,200, which is almost half as much as pellets – calculates the portal kb.pl.
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An alternative to pellets. Can corn be used in any pellet stove?
Although fuel corn is more economical, not every pellet stove can burn it without modification. The grain contains more starch, which may lead to the combustion chamber getting dirty faster and cleaning the stove more often. In some cases, it is also necessary to use a special multi-fuel burner. Nevertheless, for households with appropriate devices, heating with corn can bring savings of several thousand zlotys per year.
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An alternative to pellets. Sunflower husk briquettes
Another solution that is gaining popularity is sunflower husk briquettes. This fuel is made from food industry waste, making it both an ecological and economical choice. The production process includes drying, grinding and pressing sunflower husks under high pressure, without the use of chemical additives.
Sunflower husk briquettes are characterized by high calorific value, low humidity (approx. 9-10%) and low ash content. Calculated per unit of energy, briquettes are favorable – by burning a ton of this fuel, you can obtain heat equivalent to burning 1.6 tons of wood. The price of such briquettes ranges from PLN 510 to PLN 1,000 per tonne, which makes it an attractive alternative to wood pellets.
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Advantages and disadvantages of alternative fuels
Both fuel corn and sunflower husk briquettes have their limitations. Corn requires proper preparation and adjustment of the furnace, and briquettes may be difficult to obtain seasonally, which affects price variability. Still, both solutions represent promising alternatives to traditional fuels, while offering lower heating costs and a lower environmental impact.
Pellet boilers Pellet
Despite rising prices, pellets remain a popular heating fuel in Poland. As data from the “Clean Air” program indicate, biomass boilers, including pellet boilers, have become the most frequently chosen heating technology under the program in 2025.
Source: kb.pl
