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Fuel Source Alternatives Comparison to Coal
The table below compares the cost of historical fuel sources. Alternative energy sources are only included indirectly under the assumption that alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power are typically used via the electricity that they are configured to produce. Note that the price of electricity can vary widely.
How to use this chart…
Check the price of Anthracite coal in your area. Find that price in the Anthracite Coal column below. In the row corresponding to that coal price, you will find the prices of other heating fuels necessary to match the BTU/h output to price ratio for coal. If coal costs $130 per ton, to get the same amount of energy (BTU/h) for the same cost, heating oil would have to cost $0.65 per gallon and propane would have to be $0.42 per gallon. Information from US Dept. of Energy.
Anthracite Coal
$/ton |
Heating Oil
$/Gal |
Direct Electric
¢/kWh |
Natural Gas
¢/ft3 |
Propane
$/Gal |
Wood Pellets
$/ton |
| 600 |
3.00 |
7.3 |
2.2 |
1.96 |
350 |
| 580 |
2.90 |
7.1 |
2.1 |
1.89 |
340 |
| 560 |
2.80 |
6.8 |
2.1 |
1.83 |
325 |
| 540 |
2.70 |
6.6 |
2.0 |
1.76 |
315 |
| 520 |
2.60 |
6.3 |
1.9 |
1.70 |
300 |
| 500 |
2.50 |
6.1 |
1.8 |
1.63 |
290 |
| 480 |
2.40 |
5.8 |
1.8 |
1.57 |
280 |
| 460 |
2.30 |
5.6 |
1.7 |
1.50 |
270 |
| 440 |
2.20 |
5.4 |
1.6 |
1.44 |
255 |
| 420 |
2.10 |
5.1 |
1.5 |
1.37 |
245 |
| 400 |
2.00 |
4.9 |
1.5 |
1.31 |
230 |
| 380 |
1.90 |
4.6 |
1.4 |
1.24 |
220 |
| 360 |
1.80 |
4.4 |
1.3 |
1.17 |
210 |
| 340 |
1.70 |
4.1 |
1.2 |
1.11 |
200 |
| 320 |
1.60 |
3.9 |
1.2 |
1.04 |
185 |
| 300 |
1.50 |
3.7 |
1.1 |
0.98 |
175 |
| 280 |
1.40 |
3.4 |
1.0 |
0.91 |
160 |
| 260 |
1.30 |
3.2 |
1.0 |
0.85 |
150 |
| 240 |
1.20 |
2.9 |
0.9 |
0.78 |
140 |
| 220 |
1.10 |
2.7 |
0.8 |
0.72 |
125 |
| 200 |
1.00 |
2.4 |
0.7 |
0.65 |
115 |
| 150 |
0.75 |
1.8 |
0.5 |
0.49 |
85 |
| 130 |
0.65 |
1.6 |
0.4 |
0.42 |
75 |
| 100 |
0.50 |
1.2 |
0.4 |
0.33 |
55 |
The following is a listing of heating value per unit for common heating fuels. The column of equivalent units is based around the heating value of 1 ton of wood chips. For example, to get the same heating value BTU's) as a ton of wood chips, you would need to burn 54.9 gallons of #2 fuel oil.
| Fuel Type |
BTU/Unit |
Equivalent Units |
| Softwood |
15 million BTU/cord |
0.51 cords |
| Hardwood |
24 million BTU/cord |
0.32 cords |
| Green Sawdust |
10 million BTU/cord |
0.76 tons |
| Kiln Dried Sawdust |
18 million BTU/cord |
0.42 tons |
| Wood Chips - 45% moisture |
7.6 million BTU/cord |
1 ton |
| Hogged Wood |
20 million BTU/cord |
0.38 tons |
| Bark |
10.5 million BTU/cord |
0.72 tons |
| Wood Pellets - 10% moisture |
16 million BTU/cord |
0.48 tons |
| Natural Gas |
100,000 BTU/therm |
76 therms |
| Propane |
91,600 BTU/gal |
83 gal |
| Methane |
1,000 BTU/cu ft |
7,600 cu ft |
| Ethanol |
76,000 BTU/gal |
100 gal |
| Kerosene |
135,000 BTU/gal |
56.3 gal |
| #2 Fuel Oil |
138,500 BTU/gal |
54.9 gal |
| #4 Fuel Oil |
145,000 BTU/gal |
52.4 gal |
| #6 Fuel Oil |
153,000 BTU/gal |
49.7 gal |
| Waste Oil |
125,000 BTU/gal |
60.8 gal |
| Biodiesel/Waste Vegetable Oil |
120,000 BTU/gal |
63.3 gal |
| Gasoline |
125,000 BTU/gal |
60.8 gal |
| Anthracite Coal |
28 million BTU/ton |
0.27 tons |
| Bituminous Coal |
24 million BTU/ton |
0.32 tons |
| Electricity |
3,413 BTU/KwH |
2,227 KwH |
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy; The Biomass Energy Foundation |
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