I know that wood is cheaper (especially if you have your own woodlot) but the thing I like about pellets is that I can run the stove 24-7 and don't have to be there when it's on. They have an auto ignitor and turn on and off with a thermostat, just like an oil furnace. The pellet price per BTU isn't much more than wood as it's very dry and has a lot of heat energy. Having said that, there's nothing like curling up in front of a nice roaring fire in the dead of winter!