Fuel Comparison Calculator for Home Heating

[olthumpa]

Fuel Comparison Calculator for Home Heating

How much does it cost you to heat your house using different fuel sources.



http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php

 

[Daren Todd]

I use a combo of wood and electric heat pump when it's below 45 degrees during the day and colder at night. If temps are above 50 degrees during the day, and only dropping to mid 40's at night then I use just the heat pump. If temps are higher then 40 at night, the wood insert will run you out of the house my electric bill runs me around 65$ in the winter by doing this before the insert, it would run us an average of 180$ a month. Fire wood only costs me about 5$ in gas, 4$ in diesel, and maybe a new chain for the saw, and a weekend of my time

 

[olthumpa]

I guess I am an over achiever Daren. I can use #2 heating oil, K-1, wood, propane or electricity. Want to keep my options open.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I only use wood heat, wood stove is great, but 4-6 cords a year is a lot of work, and you can't be gone from home for more than about 12 hours when it's real cold, or the house becomes real cold too!

I'm thinking going to a pellet stove next year to make life a little easier.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Do they have any pellet stoves that are hooked to a thermostat? Need more heat = start up the pellet conveyor. That would be killer. Load up a days worth of pellets and you are set.

With the concerns about toxicity emanating from stored pellets, seems it would be a simple task to have a pellet storage closet that was sealed from the rest of the house and then vented outside. That whole technology amazes me. If Frank lived closer, I'd be up there helping him!

Ray

 

[D2Cat]

olthumpa, thanks for the link. Our house is all elec. heat. Heat pump works to about 35 deg. then resistance heat kicks in. But we have a fireplace with a stove which extends out 20" for good radiant heat. Double doors with a 12" opening so I don't have to split a lot of wood. Stove is 36" deep.

Wood source is a byproduct of living around here. I have a creek running through the farm with three water gaps that bring a lot of various trees requiring removal. They all become firewood. Always trimming or cutting a path to something. So I have pile here and there. When I go to feed cattle I just load some in the truck, but probably burn 3-4 cords a year.

If I have to buy wood, I can get hedge (osage orange) pretty reasonable. Wood is also available at the local weekly livestock auctions. I can buy wood at discounted prices because they don't have to cut as short or split. I tell them 22-24" long and don't split anything.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

olthumpa, thanks for the link. Our house is all elec. heat. Heat pump works to about 35 deg. then resistance heat kicks in. But we have a fireplace with a stove which extends out 20" for good radiant heat. Double doors with a 12" opening so I don't have to split a lot of wood. Stove is 36" deep.

I am also all electric with 2 heat pumps. Last year just one heat pump and 35 F was about where I had to kick in the resistance heat. This year enclosed the front porch and added a hyper heat pump. It's 1/3 the capacity of the existing heat pump, puts out rated capacity down to 5 F, and doesn't shut down until around -20 F. Now I don't need resistance heat until around 10 F. The electric rate got me to go electric the local coop had a 30% discount for interruptable heating, its never been interrupted. Luckily I am grandfathered in for all electric heat, now the rate is only offered for heat pumps and geothermal. I really got a deal on the new heat pump $2200, installed it myself, $700 in rebates from the coop.

 

[olthumpa]

Do they have any pellet stoves that are hooked to a thermostat? Need more heat = start up the pellet conveyor. That would be killer. Load up a days worth of pellets and you are set.

With the concerns about toxicity emanating from stored pellets, seems it would be a simple task to have a pellet storage closet that was sealed from the rest of the house and then vented outside. That whole technology amazes me. If Frank lived closer, I'd be up there helping him!

Ray

There are many stoves that have thermostats.
You can also get 12/24 volt DC ones.
Completely automated systems.
http://www.ecoheatsolutions.com/products-home/storage

There are also many other options.

 

[bearbait]

I use a combo of wood and electric heat pump when it's below 45 degrees during the day and colder at night. If temps are above 50 degrees during the day, and only dropping to mid 40's at night then I use just the heat pump. If temps are higher then 40 at night, the wood insert will run you out of the house my electric bill runs me around 65$ in the winter by doing this before the insert, it would run us an average of 180$ a month. Fire wood only costs me about 5$ in gas, 4$ in diesel, and maybe a new chain for the saw, and a weekend of my time

Exactly the same thing we do.

 

[RCW]

How much does it cost you to heat your house using different fuel sources.

http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php

I've used these kinds of things for quite a while. They are so helpful!

Often, the efficiency percentages need some adjusting, if you have newer equipment. Same with prices, as markets change.

We're getting to the point where #2 oil is almost even with wood pellets.

As tough as last 2 winters were here, we burned a total of 35 gallons of fuel oil for 2 years. 13 tons of wood pellets, though.....

Ray, Wolfwman - best thing I ever did was put in a GOOD pellet stove. Went from 1,200 gal of oil/year to 10 or 15. Other improvements, too, but the big thing was that constant 24/7 heat, that I couldn't get from a wood stove while working.

Many here have gone to outdoor wood boilers. Steadier heat, longer burn times, and heat water heaters, too. Some guys I know are putting 50 cords through them a year, which is a lot of wood. Remember I'm in the Northeast, firewood is measured in face-cords, not full cords. 50 face=~16 full.

 

[skeets]

Several years ago I told my lovely bride I was buying a new stove for the basement to help cut on the heating,, I always loved cutting wood and spliting and stuff,, and she grumbled and growled and that she could have done this or that or bought her grand kids something or another.
I finally got it in hooked up and it was a pretty nasty winter, when the gas bill came I asked her how did I save ,,,
She looked and called me a naughty name mumbled under her breath and walked away,,DAYUM that house had never been that cold before,,, wemen go figure

 

[forceten]

Just wanted to add for heating oil - we are about to drop our prices down to $1.44 a gallon this week ($1.49 currently).

We are predicting heating oil to be $1.10 to 99 cents a gallon coming up with iran flooding the market even more very soon

Almost like the good old days. We use to sell for $50-60 cents a gallon. Everyone filled their tanks for $90 or $100. I miss those days $700 a tankful was just down right bad

a lot of our current customers are running in the 80% efficiency range so

Fuel Oil No.2
$1.44
138,690
80%
$12.98

looks so nice