• Wood pellet stoves provide a safe, clean source of heat.pellets 4 image by Photo XXL from Fotolia.com
  
  Wood pellet stoves are growing in popularity as a home-heating method. According to Consumer Reports, 800,000 homes have a pellet stove providing the primary or supplementary source of heat. Wood pellet stoves have broad appeal for a number of reasons, but they especially attract people who have a certain mindset about the environment, self-sufficiency and other core values.
  
  

Environmentally Conscious

• People looking for a greener heating option will find that a pellet stove fits the bill. The emissions from pellet stoves are practically nonexistent. The EPA doesn't even regulate pellet stoves because the emissions are so low. The wood pellets used for fuel in a pellet stove are made from the byproducts of existing wood manufacturing processes. That means they use up materials that might otherwise be thrown away, making better use of natural resources.
  
  

Frugal

• Depending on the existing source of heat, wood pellet stoves may be an attractive option to people of a frugal mindset. In 2009, Consumer Reports found that to produce 1 million BTUs (British thermal units) of heat, it cost $33.25 when using a space heater, $24.66 when using propane and $18.53 when burning oil. Burning wood pellets cost only $15.15 to produce the same amount of heat. On the other hand, solid wood and natural gas provided even cheaper options. If these options aren't readily available geographically, however, people looking to save money will find that a pellet stove is a good choice.
  
  

Safety Conscious

• People who are concerned with creating a healthy and safe environment in their home may find that a pellet stove is a good option for two reasons. First, because their emissions are so low, pellet stoves give off little smoke or particulates. That means that the air within the home stays cleaner. Second, pellet stoves do not get hot the way that traditional wood-burning stoves do. A child or pet that accidentally touches a wood-burning stove might receive a bad burn, but if she touches a pellet stove, she'll be unharmed. The lower level of exterior heat is also less of a fire hazard.