How Much Bang For Your BuckComparative fuel heating costs per kWh | |||
Fuel | Unit | kWh Heat output per unit | Average Cost per kWh(Oct 2018) |
| Electricity | 1kW | 1 | 16.3p( inc VAT & standing charge) |
| Mains Gas | 1m3 (0.717grams) | 10.55 | 6p (inc VAT & standing charge) |
| Butane (Calor gas blue bottle) | 1kg | 20 | 20p (based on 15kg bottle) |
| Propane (Calor Gas red or green bottles) | 1kg | 14 | 17p (based on 13kg bottle) |
| Bulk LPG | 1kg | 14 | 6p |
| Domestic Heating oil (kerosene / Paraffin oil) | 1 litre | 10.35 | 5.6p |
| Domestic coal | 1kg | 8.34 | 4.5p. |
| Anthracite (Nuts) | 1kg | 9.2 | 6p |
| Coke | 1Kg | 9.3 | 6.3p |
| Peat (Briquettes) | 1kg | 5 | 13p |
| Kiln dried hardwood | 1kg | 5 | 2.5p (kiln dried <15% moisture) |
How much actual heat you will get depends on the efficiency of your heating appliance.
Efficency is the percentage (%) of energy used that is transformed into heat. Traditional gas and wood fires use some energy in producing waste gases and water, with flued systems some heat will escape up the flue instead of being used to warm the room.
Electric heaters and catalytic gas fires are nearly 100% efficient so every pounds worth of energy gives you a pounds worth of heat.
Older gas fires can be as little as 40% efficient meaning that every pound you spend 60p is wasted with only 40p being used for heat.
Modern gas and wood fires should be giving better than 80% efficiency.