An honest "what does it cost to run?" calculator. Enter your own fuel prices, adjust the cited efficiency assumptions, and compare the cost to deliver the same useful heat.
Enter the fuel prices from your own bill or delivery quote. Blank prices are skipped.
Fuel prices are user-supplied. The placeholders are not current or national average prices.
(fuel price per unit ÷ fuel heat-content per unit) ÷ efficiency × 1,000,000 = $/MMBTU useful heat
EIA average heat content: 100,000 BTU per therm (therm definition). Natural gas by cubic foot varies around 1,037 BTU/cf.
Default: 80% - Default is a standard 80% AFUE planning assumption; DOE lists mid-efficiency systems at 80%-83% AFUE and high-efficiency systems at 90%-98.5% AFUE. ENERGY STAR furnace criteria start at 90% or 95% AFUE by region.
EIA average heat content: 3,412 BTU per kWh.
Default: 100% - DOE describes electric resistance heating as 100% efficient at converting incoming electricity to heat at the appliance, while noting it is often more expensive than combustion heat.
EIA average heat content: about 137,380 BTU per gallon of conventional heating oil.
Default: 80% - Default is a standard 80% AFUE planning assumption. DOE lists mid-efficiency systems at 80%-83% AFUE and high-efficiency systems at 90%-98.5% AFUE; ENERGY STAR oil furnace criteria are 85% AFUE or greater.
EIA average heat content: about 91,452 BTU per gallon of propane.
Default: 80% - Default is a standard 80% AFUE planning assumption; DOE gas-fired furnace guidance includes natural gas and propane, with high-efficiency systems reaching roughly 90%-98.5% AFUE.
EIA average heat content: 3,412 BTU per kWh.
Default: 300% - Default is COP 3.0 (300%) as a steady-state planning midpoint in a typical seasonal COP 2.5-3.5 range. DOE notes heat pumps move heat rather than generate it and can reduce heating electricity use substantially compared with electric resistance. COP 3.0 = 300%.
Sorted from lowest to highest cost per 1 million BTU of useful heat.
Enter at least one fuel price to compare delivered heat cost.
Heat content: 100,000 BTU/therm
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), British thermal units
Efficiency default: 80% AFUE
Source: DOE Energy Saver furnaces and boilers; ENERGY STAR furnaces criteria
Heat content: 3,412 BTU/kWh
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), British thermal units
Efficiency default: 100% Appliance efficiency
Heat content: 137,380 BTU/gallon
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy units and calculators
Efficiency default: 80% AFUE
Source: DOE Energy Saver furnaces and boilers; ENERGY STAR furnaces criteria
Heat content: 91,452 BTU/gallon
Efficiency default: 80% AFUE
Source: DOE Energy Saver furnaces and boilers; ENERGY STAR furnaces criteria
Heat content: 3,412 BTU/kWh
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), British thermal units
Efficiency default: 300% Seasonal COP equivalent
Source: DOE Energy Saver, Heat Pump Systems; ENERGY STAR high-efficiency heat pumps
This tool answers operating cost only. For project costs, repair decisions, or quantity planning, use the related ProFix tools.
No. It compares operating cost per 1 million BTU of useful heat from user-entered fuel prices and cited efficiency assumptions. It does not include equipment, installation, maintenance, comfort, ducts, backup heat, or actual usage.
The fuel heat-content constants are cited to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Natural gas is compared per therm, electricity per kWh, and liquid fuels per gallon.
A heat pump moves heat instead of creating all of it with resistance heat. The tool models that as a COP-equivalent efficiency percentage, such as 300% for COP 3.0, and lets you override it.
No. Fuel prices are intentionally user-supplied. Any placeholder in the form is only a prompt to enter your own bill rate or delivery quote.
