Calculating fuel costs of wood stoves, coal stoves, etc.

The table below allows you to compare the cost of common home-heating fuels. Simply enter the cost for the fuels (default values are provided, but you can change them). The program will then calulate the comparison.See the instructions below for an explanation of how to enter costs and efficiencies. Enter the cost of each fuel below or use the defaults provided.

OIL Cost per gallon of oil in dollars Efficiency %	HARDWOOD Cost per cord of in dollars Efficiency %	SOFTWOOD Cost per cord of in dollars Efficiency %	ELECTRIC Cost per KWH of in cents Efficiency %
WOOD PELLETS Cost per ton of in dollars Efficiency %	NATURAL GAS Cost per therm Efficiency %	LP GAS Cost per gallon in dollars Efficiency %	COAL Cost per ton in dollars Efficiency %

Cost of Fuels - Please enter the cost in US Dollars, using a decimal point where needed. For instance, if you pay 10 cent per KWH (Kilowatt Hour) for electricity, enter ".10" (without quotes). Do not use the $ sign.
Efficiency of Appliance - Common values are already entered. These are expressed as a percentage. Efficiency is defined as the percentage of available heat in the fuel that is actually delivered into the room. Some common efficiency ranges are given below.

Oil and Gas Furnaces

Older Models - 50% to 70%

Newer Models - 70% to 85%

Wood Hearth Products

Open Wood Fireplace - 5% to 25%

Older Non-Airtight Stoves - 25% to 35%

Older Airtight Stoves - 40% to 60%

Newer EPA Stoves and Fireplaces - 65% - 80%

Pellet Stoves

Older Pellet Stove (pre-1994) - 50% to 65%

Newer Pellet Stove - 60% to 75%

Gas (LP or Natural) Hearth Products

Vented Gas Fireplace Logs - 5% to 15%

B-Vent Gas Fireplaces and Stoves - 35% to 65%

Direct-Vent Fireplace and Stoves - 40% to 80%

Vent-Free Fireplaces, Stoves and Logs - 90%

Coal Heating Systems

Older Coal Furnace/Boiler - 50% to 65%

Modern Coal Stove - 60% to 80%

Stoker or Hopper-Fed Stove - 70% to 85%

Electric Resistance Heat - 100% Efficiency