Wood pellets or briquettes — which to choose for heating
The short answer: choose wood pellets if you have an automatic pellet boiler or burner, and wood briquettes if you heat with an ordinary stove, fireplace, sauna stove or a manually loaded solid-fuel boiler. Both are compressed wood with similar heat output per kilogram, so the real question is not "which is warmer" but what appliance you have and how much time you want to spend on heating.
We produce both our wood pellets and wood briquettes in Latvia from softwood sawdust and sell them in Riga directly as the producer. The current price per bag, pack or pallet is shown instantly in the calculator on the product page.
Which fuel fits which appliance
| Appliance | Pellets | Briquettes |
|---|---|---|
| Pellet boiler or burner | Yes — made for it | No |
| Pellet stove | Yes | No |
| Masonry stove, cooker, fireplace | No | Yes |
| Sauna stove | No | Yes |
| Solid-fuel (log) boiler | Only with a pellet burner | Yes |
Pellets do not burn properly on the grate of an ordinary stove: they need the feed and forced air of a pellet burner. Briquettes are burned just like logs, with no changes to the stove. Always check what your boiler manufacturer recommends before buying.
Day-to-day convenience
Pellets
A pellet boiler runs automatically. You top up the hopper every few days or less often, and the boiler holds the set temperature by itself — the easiest option for a house where nobody wants to light a stove every evening.
Briquettes
Briquettes are loaded by hand, but being denser than logs they burn longer and more evenly. A practical method is to light the fire with split firewood and then add briquettes for a long burn.
Storage
- Both fuels must be kept dry. Wet pellets and briquettes fall apart, so store them in a dry, closed room, not under an open shelter.
- Little space. Compressed wood is dense, so the same amount of heat takes far less room than firewood.
- Clean. No bark, debris or insects in the packs.
- Put the pallet on a level, dry surface and keep bags off cold bare concrete.
Ash and cleaning
Pellets and briquettes made from clean sawdust usually leave less ash than logs with bark. A pellet boiler's ash box needs regular emptying; with briquettes, ash removal is much like with logs, only less often. For exact batch details (such as ash content or pellet diameter), call +371 29568256.
How much fuel you need for a season
Consumption depends on house size, insulation, indoor temperature and appliance efficiency. Your last season's use is the best guide. Without it, a rough estimate: one kilogram of wood pellets or briquettes gives approximately 4.5–5 kWh of heat. For example, a house needing about 15,000 kWh of heat per season would use roughly 3–3.5 tonnes of pellets. This is only an approximation; real use can differ.
Bag or pallet
| Fuel | Small pack | Pallet |
|---|---|---|
| Pellets | 15 kg bag | 975 kg (65 bags) |
| Briquettes | 10 kg pack | 960 kg (96 packs) |
A single bag or pack is handy for trying the fuel or for a sauna and fireplace only. For a heating season, whole pallets are more practical: everything arrives in one delivery, no repeat trips, and one delivery charge covers a larger amount.
How to order with delivery in Riga
Choose a bag or pallet and the quantity in the calculator — the price and total weight appear instantly, with VAT for private buyers and without VAT for companies. A PDF invoice arrives by e-mail at once, payment by bank transfer. We deliver with our own truck in Riga and the surrounding area; the price by distance appears when you enter your address (see delivery). Free pickup is available at Vējstūru iela 3. All fuels are in the biofuel section.
FAQ
Can I burn pellets in an ordinary stove?
No, pellets need a pellet boiler or burner. For an ordinary stove or fireplace choose briquettes or firewood.
Which gives more heat — pellets or briquettes?
Heat per kilogram is similar. The choice depends on your appliance, not the fuel's "strength".
Can briquettes be burned together with logs?
Yes — light the fire with logs and keep it going longer with briquettes.
How many bags are on a pallet?
A pellet pallet has 65 bags of 15 kg (975 kg); a briquette pallet has 96 packs of 10 kg (960 kg).
Do you make the pellets and briquettes yourselves?
Yes, we produce both in Latvia and sell with no middlemen.