[gonzy]

btu conversion
Heating costs of various fuels

1 gallon oil=140000 btu
1kwh elec=3414 btu
1 gal propane=91600 btu
efficiency/ kwh elec
units btu cost cost
oil 85% 119000 4/gal $4.00
34.85 kwh 119000 $0.15 $5.23
34.85 kwh 119000 $0.12 $4.18 florida high rate
34.85 kwh 119000 $0.11 $3.83
34.85 kwh 119000 $0.10 $3.49 florida low rate
34.85 kwh 119000 $0.16 $5.58

nat gas 90% 119000 $14/mmbtu$1.84
propane 90% 119000 $3/gal $4.00
heat pump3.5 cop 119000 .11/kwh $1.10 assumes mild outdoor temp no resitance heater
heat pump * * * * * *119000 0.1/kwh $3.49 using resistance heater
geothermal heat pump
cold climate3.4 cop 119000 $0.15 $1.54



I did an analysis of heting costs of various fuels etc. for my aunt who lives in New England thought I would share for those interested.

[poromo]

Impressive but can you explain what it means to a layman.

[gonzy]

Basically you get the same amount of heat from natural gas as a gallon of oil for $1.84 vs $4.00 for oil. Using a heat pump at around 50 Deg F you can get the same amount of heat for $1.10. If you use your heat pump in the aux. mode i.e. with the electric elements providing the heat your cost is $3.49 for the same amount of heat as a gallon of fuel oil at $4.00/gal. Generally your heat pump is unable to extract heat from the air when the outside temperature gets below 37 deg. F it then provides heat using the aux. heating elements. In the northeast where electric rates are higher oil would have to be priced at $5.23/gal for electric heat to be the same cost as oil. This was the info I was looking for for my aunt to see at what point it would be cheaper for her to use an electric space heater vs oil burner. Sorry about the chart it didn't import very well from excel.

[Sidney Lanier]

Us snowbirds in the Northeast who have to keep the house heated while we're in TV, even at a low temp, whose only available heating resource is oil will be, I suspect and as I mentioned in another post on the economy, in deep excrement this coming winter.... But I know that we chose to do this and so accept the reality of it. Thanks for the analysis!

[gonzy]

I added geothermal heat pump to the collection was quite surprised that it came in cheaper than natural gas however the installation costs are pretty high.