A tonne of hardwood pellets from us is £700 including VAT and UK mainland delivery — £583.33 excluding VAT. That is £10.50 per 15kg bag with nothing added at checkout. Here is how that compares to the alternatives, and why per-tonne is the only figure worth comparing.
The problem with comparing pellet prices
Almost nobody quotes the same way. You will see prices per bag, per pallet, per tonne, with delivery, without delivery, inc VAT, ex VAT, and at 5% or 20% VAT depending on the stated use. Two suppliers can look £200 apart and actually be identical.
Before comparing anything, normalise to price per tonne, delivered, at the same VAT rate. Delivery is where the difference usually hides — a pallet of pellets weighs a tonne, and moving a tonne is not cheap.
Roughly what things cost
| Buying route | Typical cost per tonne | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Retail bags, garden centre or marketplace | £530–930 | Before delivery, which is charged each order |
| Branded BBQ pellets, 9kg bags | £2,200–3,300 | Premium packaging and brand |
| Bulk softwood heating pellets | £350–450 | Cheapest per tonne, softwood only |
| Our hardwood, delivered | £700 | Inc VAT and UK mainland delivery |
| Our Masters Mix, delivered | £750 | Inc VAT and delivery, pre-blended substrate |
These are indicative market ranges, not quotes from named competitors, and they move. Check current prices before making a decision.
Why we are not the cheapest per tonne
We are not trying to be. Bulk softwood heating pellets at £350–450 a tonne are a genuinely good buy if you are heating a building and your appliance takes softwood — we would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong thing.
What we sell is clean hardwood: 100% virgin oak and beech, bark-free, no binders, under 10% moisture. That is the specification you need for mushroom substrate and smoking food, where softwood is not a cheaper option but a non-option. See hardwood vs softwood for the full comparison.
Where retail bags actually cost you
Buying in small quantities is expensive twice. You pay a retail markup on the pellets, then a carriage charge on every single order — and carriage on a few bags is disproportionately high because the courier is still moving substantial weight.
Buy four bags at a time through the year and the delivery charges alone can exceed the price difference on a pallet. A pallet removes both problems in one transaction.
What our price includes
- One tonne — approximately 66 bags at 15kg, shrink-wrapped on a pallet
- VAT at the prevailing rate
- Delivery to England, Wales and mainland Scotland
- No carriage charge, no fuel surcharge, no minimum-spend threshold
Not covered by the standard price: Scottish Highlands, offshore islands, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. We can usually still deliver — ask for a quote. Full terms on the delivery page.
A note on VAT
You may see wood pellets advertised at 5% VAT. The reduced rate applies to fuel for qualifying domestic use; supplies for business use, or for non-fuel purposes such as animal bedding or growing substrate, are generally standard-rated at 20%. HMRC’s guidance is in VAT Notice 701/19.
This matters when comparing suppliers: a price quoted at 5% will look around 14% cheaper than the same price at 20%. Make sure you are comparing like with like. If you are unsure which rate applies to your purchase, take your own advice — we cannot advise on your VAT position.
Buying more than four pallets
The price comes down. Multiple pallets to one address on one vehicle costs considerably less to move than separate deliveries, and we pass that on. Tell us what you need — including recurring standing orders.
Current prices
- Oak — £700/tonne inc VAT (£583.33 ex VAT)
- Beech — £700/tonne inc VAT (£583.33 ex VAT)
- Mixed hardwood — £700/tonne inc VAT (£583.33 ex VAT)
- Masters Mix — £750/tonne inc VAT (£625.00 ex VAT)