Re: How to compare electric vs natural gas heating costs
nicks...@ece.villanova.edu
>With specific regards to Oregon, the average retail cost of natural
>gas per therm/CCF...
>2006 $1.453 [/0.9x3.41KBtu/kWh/100KBtu = $0.0551/kWh of heat]
>
>Source: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3010or3A.htm
>
>The average residential cost of electricity per kWh...
>2006 $0.0748 [3.41/8.5 = 0.0300/kWh of heat]
>
>Source: Table 8,
>http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/oregon.html
>
>Assuming an AFUE of 90 per cent and a HSPF of 8.5, the average cost
>per kWh(e) of natural gas and electric heat in each of these years is
>as follows (the third column represents the cost premium of natural
>gas heat versus the aforementioned heat pump):
>
>2006 $0.0551 $0.0299 1.8 X
Then again, we could run a $200 unvented gas heater with a 100% AFUE and
11% latent heat and run an $80 window AC with an HSPF = EER = 10 indoors
when the house RH exceeds 50% to convert that to sensible heat...
Or forget the gas heater and run a few ACs with a heating thermostat when
the house drops below 70 F and use a humidistat and a solenoid valve and
a soaker hose to wet a basement floor when the house RH drops below 50%.
Nick