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BTUs per Dollar
BTUs per dollar, when comparing heating systems, is like using Miles Per Gallon (MPG) to compare cars. BTUs per dollar indicates how many BTUs (heat) you'll get from every dollar you spend on energy to heat your home. The higher the BTUs per dollar, the lower the cost to heat your home.
For any given home, it will take a certain amount of energy to heat the home and the system that provides the most heat for the least amount of cost is the most cost effective heating system. If a ground source heat pump generates 180,000 BTUs per dollar of electricity and propane generates 90,000 BTUs per dollar of propane, then your annual fuel bill bill be half for ground source heat pumps. Regardless of how much you spend on fuel, the comfort of your home will be the same but the comfort of paying the low ground source heat pump bill will be substantially better.
Fuel Cost Data Entry
Enter the cost of fuels in your area adding any surcharges per unit if applicable. If sales tax is applicable to some fuels simply multiply the fuel cost by 1+ the sales tax rate (e.g. 6.5% sales tax, use a 1.065 multiplier).
Unit Efficiency Data Entry
Enter efficiencies for each equipment type: - Natural gas furnaces should be less than 1 - Propane furnaces should be less than 1 - Oil furnaces should be less than 1 - Electric furnaces are always 1.0 - Ground source heat pumps, enter the unit's COP (e.g. 3.5)
Note: Many furnace manufacturers stress "efficiency" as the key determinant. But a system that is 100% efficient ( "1" in the calculator) still costs substantially more to operate than a ground source heat pump.
BTUs Per Dollar Results
The results section calculates the BTU content for every dollar's worth of fuel. Like miles per gallon, the higher the value the better and the lower your annual energy costs.
Many electric utilities offer special rates for ground source heat pumps. Shown in the results section is a typical Dual Fuel rate. Notice that on this rate, you get substantially more BTUs per dollar than any other program. Have your contractor check with your local utility to see what programs they offer.
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