Have you burned way more than normal this year?

I haven't added up any numbers but my Facebook memories from April of prior years shows us having cookouts under the gazebo already. It snowed yesterday and hasn't been above mid 30s for two days. It's been a very cold April. A stretch of nicer days starting today though.

I'll keep the furnace running as long as I can, into the first week of May unless we get a warm blast.

My electric cost for 1 million input/output BTU's is $42.06. My coal cost for 1 million output BTU's is $14.46. That is for delivered electricity at $0.1435 per KWH and 100% efficiency, and for delivered coal at $248 per ton and 70% overall efficiency. My electricity itself costs less than half the actual delivered price.

I'd initially speculate that perhaps brandonh98 didn't factor in the ancillary charges on his electric bill such as the delivery charge, the line or maintenance charges, service charges, etc..., and only looked at the 'raw' cost of the electricity itself.

I am certainly burning longer this year than any I can remember. The stoker is still lit up and based on the 10 day forecast will probably stay lit until the end of April. Coupled with the normally cold temps we had this year versus the warmer temps the last two winters I would say I have burned more this year than any since i switched to the stoker. My guestimate is 5 tons for this heating season when I usually burn about 4 ton.

That cold weather goes a long way South.

Got 11 five gall. pails left of my usual 3 ton bulk, all 3 bins are empty. Take me to the end of April. Hope I don't have to break into my bag stash.

brandonh98 wrote: ↑

Thu. Apr. 19, 2018 11:03 pm

First year burning coal, purchased six tons in October and I'm running on fumes right now. I switched over from electric and when you compare my electric heating costs from last winter to my coal costs for this winter, I saved a full $73.69 by switching to coal.

Is your electric heat via a heat pump? The 200% efficiency of a heat pump would account for a good portion of why your difference in cost is not that pronounced.

brandonh98 wrote: ↑

Thu. Apr. 19, 2018 11:03 pm

First year burning coal, purchased six tons in October and I'm running on fumes right now. I switched over from electric and when you compare my electric heating costs from last winter to my coal costs for this winter, I saved a full $73.69 by switching to coal.

My ROI doesn't look that good right now, but there are many factors. House was comfortable, cold winter, heating an extra zone (basement).

Aren't you the guy that could not get the heat out of the basement?

I've been reading where some of the newer ground coupled heat pumps may have as much as 400% efficiency ratings, making them less costly to operate than a coal fired appliance. But the initial cost is well up there. Likely $20 grand or more. And they require a lot of land unless they are the more costly vertical units.

I would need 4 tons of heating and 2 tons of cooling capacity. Any ideas on the cost of a 400% efficiency unit for these capacities?

Kiss $30000 goodbye at least. There may be some rebates but who cares. I promise you one thing it will break or need service or some stupid thing. Like solar the payback period will coincide with the second coming of Christ and you will be dead and broke. ROI 3-4 years max on anything new and that means none of this new fangled chit is affordable or worth it.

I'll hit the 6 month spot on the 25th of this month but I may be on wood by then. 1 match on my main stove, even using TSC coal sometimes which is a different experience with each bag you open. I actually used less per day in all but 1 year because of a major change... I started sleeping on my couch 4 feet from the stove, with a heat shield between. I could idle the stove at night that way and Im sure it saved half a ton or more as I could close my upstairs doorway at night and open it in the morning as I work up there. I slept better too so glad i did it. I think I'll average in the 37 pounds per day area and it was a cold winter.

I always dread the day I let it go out. its almost like losing a friend.

Warm, I always have coal stove withdrawal sadness for a while after shutdown. Did 5 months and a few days, shutting down about 4/13. I could have used it this past week, after a couple of mid 80's days last weekend. I used about 3.6 tons, which was a few hundred lbs. more than the same burn time last heating season. When I used to burn for 6 months, I was about at 4 tons. Yezsir, one match.

I burned a real mix this past Winter. About 2.7 tons of good Blaschak bagged, .5 ton of TS junk, a 55 gal drum of Direnzo and a 55 gal of Lehigh. I had almost forgotten how good that Lehigh is. Maybe I'll get that outside bin built this year and go back to bulk this year. I had been thinking of giving up coal due to age and health, but HO prices are on a rip.

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Sat. Apr. 21, 2018 9:36 am

Aren't you the guy that could not get the heat out of the basement?

yep..that's me. To come up with this I averaged my electric bills by month over the last five years and compared it to how much I've spent in coal this year.

to put it into perspective though. The last time it was as cold as it was this January was February 2015. That one month my electric bill was $542.92

If you keep working on getting the heat out of the basement and through the rest of the house, your coal will come down.

Finally shut down with about 500lbs left of 4 ton. So at least 3/4 ton or about 20% more coal burned this year than last.