Engineering Calculators

How It Works

Heating a house efficiently and economically is a paramount concern for homeowners, especially during the colder months. The House Heating Energy and Cost Calculator is a tool designed to help users estimate the energy consumption and associated costs based on various heating options available to them. Whether it's electricity, petrol, natural gas, pellets, or a heat pump, this calculator provides insights into the energy requirements and financial implications of each heating method.

Inputs

The calculator requires the following inputs:

• Total Area of the House: The area of the house in square meters.
• Type of Insulation: The insulation level of the house, which affects the heat loss rate. Options include well-insulated, insulated, and poorly insulated.
• Number of Hours Needed to Heat the House: The estimated number of hours the heating system is expected to operate per day.
• Cost per Unit of Energy: The cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh), petrol per liter, natural gas per cubic meter, and pellets per kilogram.

Efficiency Matrix

Below is a matrix detailing the efficiency values used in the calculations:

Fuel	Efficiency
Electricity	0.96
Petrol	0.7
Natural Gas	0.95
Pellets	0.85
Heat Pump (COP = 3)	3

Energy Content of Fuels

Below is a matrix detailing the energy content of the fuels used in the calculations:

Fuel	Energy Content
Petrol	12.8 kWh per Liter
Natural Gas	10.8 kWh per Cubic meter
Pellet heating System	4.37 kWh per kg

Average Fuel Prices

Below is a matrix detailing the average prices of the fuels used in the calculations, but bear in mind that user specific prices can be used as an input:

Fuel	Price
Electricity	0.30 $ per kWh
Petrol	1.55 $ per Liter
Natural Gas	1.38 $ per Cubic meter
Pellet heating System	0. 29$ per kg

Calculation Explanation

Total Energy Needed:

The total energy needed to heat the house is calculated using the formula:

Total Energy Needed = Heating Power per Square Meter × Total Area of the House × Number of Hours Needed to Heat the House

Cost Calculation:

The cost for each heating option is calculated using the respective energy costs and efficiency values:

• Electricity: Cost = (Total Energy Needed / Electricity Efficiency) × Electricity Cost per kWh
• Petrol: Cost = ((Total Energy Needed / Petrol Efficiency) / (Energy Content of Petrol / Seconds in an Hour)) × Petrol Cost per Liter
• Natural Gas: Cost = ((Total Energy Needed / Natural Gas Efficiency) / (Energy Content of Natural Gas / Seconds in an Hour)) × Natural Gas Cost per Cubic Meter
• Pellets: Cost = ((Total Energy Needed / Pellet Efficiency) / Energy Content of Pellets) × Pellet Cost per kg
• Heat Pump: Cost = (Total Energy Needed / COP) × Electricity Cost per kWh

Annual Costs:

The annual costs for each heating option are calculated by multiplying the daily cost by the number of heating days in a year (considering both heating and non-heating seasons) and adding the cost for occasional heating during non-heating seasons:

Annual Cost = Daily Cost × (Heating Days in a Year + Non-Heating Days × Fraction of Heating Used during Non-Heating Days)

The fraction used for non-heating days is as follows: The energy required at Spring and Autumn is calculated to be 40% of the daily energy required for Winter season. No heating is required in Summer season. The insulation types are chosen in a very simplistic manner, for the sake of giving an idea about the costs and difference in costs between the alternative heating systems. In general, 65 Watts of energy are required to heat a well insulated house. But, for more detailed and accurate calculations more data needs to be considered. Location, Temperature difference, U value of the House, and many more factors can affect the annual cost of heating. For a more detailed calculation, you can contact us with more data about your project.