ARTICLES - General - Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator
Cost
of Fuels - Please
enter the cost in US Dollars, using a decimal point where needed. Do not use
the $ sign. Use a decimal point if needed - for instance, if you pay 1.50 cents
a therm for gas, enter 1.50. Please notice that the electric calc asks for cost
per KWH in cents, so no decimal point is needed except for fractions of a penny.
(i.e. you pay 9.5 cents per KWH, enter 9.5)
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 or Corn
Stove - 65% to 80% |
|
| 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 - 95% to 100% |
|
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