Choose wisely to make your heating dollar go farther.

With the increased and volatile cost of fuels used for home heating, you may be thinking about changing to a different kind of heating system. It can be somewhat daunting to determine which type of system (electric, oil, propane, gas, alternative) will be the best in the long run.

There are several criteria to consider when selecting a system. Obviously, the size of your monthly utility bill is a primary one for most homeowners. The initial cost of installing the system is another. Also, consider the lifetime maintenance costs and the impact using each fuel type will have on the environment and your children’s long-term health and well-being.

If you will consider making some minor life-style changes, such as lowering the temperature in unused rooms, this can impact your utility bills and system selection. For example, even though baseboard electric resistance heating is one of the most expensive to operate, it could be more economic to install in a new room addition if it is not often used. It is inexpensive to install and you can switch it completely off and save overall without impacting your central heating system.

Calculating the relative cost of fuels is simple. First, calculate the cost of one Btu of heat from each fuel type. This is done by dividing your local utility rate or price per gallon, cord, bushel, etc., by the Btu heat content in that amount of fuel. Next, divide this result by the efficiency of the heating appliance you are using to determine the amount you are paying for each Btu that actually ends up heating your home.

The following are typical heat contents for common fuels to use in your calculations: natural gas – 1,025 Btu/cubic foot; oil – 138,700 Btu/gallon; propane – 91,000 Btu/gallon; electricity – 3,414 Btu/kilowatt-hour; firewood – 22 million Btu/cord; and shelled corn – 448,000 Btu/bushel. The actual heat content of firewood can vary significantly, depending upon the type and how well it is seasoned (its moisture content).

Unless you are a farmer who grows corn or you have a free source of firewood, you will generally find geothermal electric heat pumps to be the least expensive to operate. This is because they tap into the natural heat in the ground. Summertime air conditioning costs will also be the lowest with geothermal heat pumps. Their drawback is a significantly higher installation cost. Also heat pumps, whether air-to-air or geothermal, have motors, compressors and other moving parts, so you should factor in typical maintenance costs.

In most climates, standard air-to-air heat pumps will also fare well in your heating cost comparison. Electric rates, although they increase with time like most products, are less volatile than fossil fuels (gas, oil, propane). The efficiency of a heat pump varies with the outdoor temperature, so in severely cold weather, your electric resistance furnace will come on to keep your house warm.

Hybrid heat pump systems are becoming more popular. With these systems, you install a regular gas, propane, oil, wood, or corn furnace with a heat pump instead of just a central air conditioner. Installing a heat pump will cost several hundred dollars more than a similar central air conditioner. I have an all-electric house, so I use a heat pump with corn and firewood backup heat for very cold weather.

Other than during very cold weather, a heat pump can be less expensive to operate than a fossil-fuel furnace. As the outdoor temperature drops and the heat pump becomes less efficient, the gas, propane or oil furnace takes over. Your heating contractor should be able to adjust the changeover temperature from heat pump to furnace based upon the relative local cost of gas/oil and electricity.

Alternative fuels, such as corn, wheat, wood pellets, cherry pits, etc., are an option to consider for a furnace or just a freestanding heater, such as the one I use. Fifty-pound bags of corn are available at most farm supply and pet stores. I buy 40-pound bags of wood pellets at any home center, feed supply or wood stove store, but they are often in short supply.

If you plan to use some of these homegrown or recycled fuels for backup heat, consider getting one that can be adjusted to burn different types of fuels. For example, one that is specifically designed to burn wood pellets will not be able to handle the higher ash content of corn.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Michigan Country Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244, or visit www.dulley.com.