A self-confessed anti-greenie, Beacon reporter Keith Melville says his investment in technology from Energy Options is paying off.
"I am not a greenie - that's not why I got the pellet burner - but I read my electricity bills and statements," he said.
Since installing solar heating, his electricity bill has dropped by more than a third.
Mr Melville, who also has a worm farm for composting, bought the pellet burner and the solar heating system when moving into the Whakatane township last October.
"I think the pellet burner will be great - have tried it thrice and it warms up the whole house," he said.
"There's very little dust and ash - they are so efficient.
"You only need to fill up the hopper once or twice a week as the hopper holds enough for 30 hours of burning."
Another advantage was that cutting and trucking firewood was no longer required.
At a cost of $9.50 for a 20-kilogram bag of pellets, Mr Melville said running the stove was a cheap option.
"They use some electricity for the fan, but that's almost negligible. The pellets are also much easier to handle for older people," he said.
Mr Melville said his decision to install solar heating had been financially motivated, and that he had not taken up the offer of the interest-free loan that the government provides. People can borrow up to $5000 without paying interest for 12 month to install solar heating.
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