Pellet consumers: latest trends
ENplus® has conducted a dedicated survey to gather direct feedback from pellet consumers and observe the latest changes in their opinion and purchasing behaviour. Just like 2 years ago, the survey was open to anyone willing to share their experience and resulted in feedback from 196 respondents from 21 countries.
The data shows that most consumers choose pellets primarily because they are a cheaper heating option in comparison with solutions like gas and electricity but also because pellets are environmentally friendly. In fact, the share of people who take into account pellets’ renewable nature grew by 14% in comparison with two years ago which relates to the common intentions to move away from fossil fuels.
Subsidies also emerge as a reason to switch to pellets for consumers in some European countries. In this regard, don’t forget to check out our article summarising the available support schemes in various states.
The pellet price and the quality certifications are defined as key factors when choosing a pellet supplier. 67% of the respondents state that pellet price is very important, while only 3% of the participants in the survey share that their decision to purchase pellets is not affected by the price.
Not surprisingly, the majority will choose a local producer or trader, as over 80% of the respondents value the proximity of the supplier to their home. The delivery service remains one of the important purchasing factors – 3 in 4 consumers have their pellets delivered by the pellet trader or producer.
When it comes to the period of the year when consumers begin restocking up, over half of the survey’s participants share they will usually do it at the beginning of the heating season (September – December), even though this year the majority rushed to do it in late summer. Two out of three confess to entering the season with some pellets in stock.
93% of the respondents claim they plan to continue using pellets as a heating solution, which serves as a prove for the current stable conditions of the market after last year’s issues caused by the energy crisis.
A total of 90% of the respondents who are aware of ENplus® and what the scheme stands for share that they consider it important when purchasing pellets, which highlights its contribution to the development of the premium market.