As the price of natural gas and other heating fuels continues to go through the roof, heating our homes is becoming a major budget expense and a serious obstacle to comfort and safety. What can you do? In the quest for efficient heating, a previously little-known appliance has piqued considerable interest in recent years: the pellet stove.

Pellet stoves are similar to wood stoves, but they are far more efficient than most wood stoves and burn much more cleanly. They create heat by burning pellets made of recycled sawdust, wood shavings, or other biomass waste materials. They are used to provide supplemental (or, in some cases, primary) heat--generally in open-plan homes or in large living spaces. In comparison to other popular heating fuels such as oil, electricity, or even natural gas, biomass pellets are surprisingly affordable to operate.

Pellet stoves look similar to wood stoves or fireplace inserts, but the similarities end there. Inside, they are very sophisticated combustion appliances with blowers and moving parts. To learn more about pellet stoves and their advantages and drawbacks, select the article links below.