Bulk pellets in Germany: lower fuel prices, but storage decides the saving

Larger bulk orders cost less per tonne in Germany’s September 2026 pellet-price survey. Compared with bagged pellets, loose delivery can also be cheaper—but the fuel discount must cover any extra storage costs. For a household with an existing pellet boiler and suitable store, bulk delivery is a straightforward option. For a room pellet stove using a modest quantity of bags, it is not automatically the better purchase.

Here, bulk delivery means loose pellets blown from a silo truck into a purpose-built store, not a pallet of bagged pellets.

What Germany’s bulk prices show

The Deutsches Pelletinstitut (DEPI) reported a national average of €454.21 per tonne for a six-tonne order in September 2026. Its benchmark covers loose, blown-in ENplus A1 pellets delivered within 50 km, including VAT and incidental charges such as blowing-in and weighing. These are survey averages, not guaranteed quotes for your postcode. Source: DEPI price index.

The regional figures show the order-size discount:

September 2026 order size	North/east	Central Germany	South
3 tonnes	€472.53/t	€464.19/t	€471.11/t
6 tonnes	€455.24/t	€451.07/t	€457.80/t
26 tonnes	€438.39/t	€434.87/t	€443.35/t

All figures use the same delivered-price conditions. DEPI’s central region includes Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Source: DEPI regional table.

For example, at the central-region rates:

• One six-tonne delivery costs €2,706.42.
• Two three-tonne deliveries cost €2,785.14, assuming both receive September’s three-tonne rate.
• Consolidating the purchase saves €78.72, or about 2.8%.

That is useful, but not a huge reward for doubling the order. The 26-tonne rate is lower still; it is not a reason for a household to buy more than it needs or can safely store.

Is loose delivery cheaper than bags?

Do not use DEPI’s bulk index as though it were a national bagged-pellet price. Compare actual offers for the same fuel quality, quantity, delivery address and date.

A Paderborn-area supplier, C. Horstschäfer, states on its undated delivery page that its loose pellets are cheaper than its bagged or big-bag options. It also says price depends on quantity and distance, with surcharges for smaller orders. That supports the purchasing logic, but does not establish a current nationwide percentage saving. Source: supplier delivery terms.

Convert bag prices to euros per metric tonne:

Bag price ÷ bag weight in kg × 1,000 = €/t

As an illustration—not a current retail quote—a 15 kg bag at €7.50 equals €500/t. Against central Germany’s September six-tonne bulk benchmark of €451.07/t, the difference is €48.93/t, or €293.58 across six tonnes. Add any bag-delivery charges before comparing. If you use six tonnes a year, that would be the annual fuel saving under these assumptions, before any extra bulk-storage costs. Weigh a new silo or store’s installed cost against the savings calculated from your actual quotes and annual consumption.

Storage and access can outweigh the discount

Bulk buying works best when the delivery system is already in place. DEPI recommends professionally planned storage that accounts for structural loading, fire protection, ventilation, filling and pellet extraction. It also recommends keeping the complete blowing route—including hose and fixed pipework—to no more than 30 metres, with suitable truck access. Source: DEPI storage guidance.

This separates two different household decisions:

• Pellet boiler with an existing bulk store: request delivered quotes for the amount you need and the amount your store can accept. A larger refill may reduce the cost per tonne and avoid another delivery.
• Room pellet stove filled manually: cheaper loose fuel does not itself provide storage or eliminate hopper filling. Compare bagged-pallet offers first, unless you already have a practical bulk-storage arrangement.

What to ask before ordering

Request a written total price including VAT, transport, blowing-in, weighing and any small-load or access surcharge. Divide that total by the quoted tonnes, and confirm how the final bill handles the actual delivered weight.

Buy enough to benefit from the quantity discount only when your expected consumption, available storage and cash budget justify it. The September figures show that bigger bulk orders are cheaper per tonne—not that building a bulk store or buying a truckload is the cheapest choice for every German pellet household.