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Cord & Tank fuel cost calculator
The sums behind this tool are tested against 13 worked examples printed in published sources, and 45 checks in all, including the limits where it gives no number.
Sources behind these sums
- Heat content of propane: US EIA Monthly Energy Review, Sept 2026, Appendix A Table A1 (Approximate Heat Content of Petroleum and Biofuels) (Official), checked Nov. 10, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/mer_A_FULL.pdf
- Weight of a gallon of propane: U-Haul (retailer): 20-lb Steel Propane Tank product page (answer in the page's customer Q&A, 2021) (Other source), checked Nov. 10, 2026. https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Propane-Tanks-Heaters/20Lb-Propane-Tank/?id=13318
- Heat content of heating oil (No. 2 / ultra-low-sulfur): US EIA: Energy conversion calculators (2026 estimates) (Official), checked Nov. 10, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/energy-conversion-calculators.php
- Heat content of kerosene: US EIA Monthly Energy Review, Sept 2026, Appendix A Table A1 (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/mer_A_FULL.pdf
- Heat content of a therm: US EIA: Units and calculators explained, British thermal units (Btu) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/british-thermal-units.php
- Heat content of natural gas: US EIA: Energy conversion calculators (2026 estimates) (Official), checked Nov. 10, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/energy-conversion-calculators.php
- Heat content of a kilowatthour: US EIA: Units and calculators explained, British thermal units (Btu) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/british-thermal-units.php
- Heat content of wood pellets: USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory: Fuel Value Calculator (updated July 2004), hosted by Nebraska Energy Office (Official), checked Nov. 10, 2026. https://catenergy.ne.gov/programs/loans/pdf/fuel-value-calculator.pdf
- Common pellet bag size (default only; visitor can change): University of Maryland Extension FS-937 (2012): Buying and Storing Firewood & Pellets (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/publications/FS-937_2012_Buying_and_Storing_Firewood_Pellets.pdf
- Heat content of a cord of wood (generic, species not known): US EIA: Units and calculators explained, British thermal units (Btu) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/british-thermal-units.php
- Older, low-efficiency furnaces and boilers (AFUE): US DOE Energy Saver: Furnaces and Boilers (read via energy.gov/node/374305) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/node/374305
- Mid-efficiency furnaces and boilers (AFUE): US DOE Energy Saver: Furnaces and Boilers (read via energy.gov/node/374305) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/node/374305
- High-efficiency furnaces and boilers (AFUE): US DOE Energy Saver: Furnaces and Boilers (read via energy.gov/node/374305) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/node/374305
- All-electric furnace or boiler (AFUE): US DOE Energy Saver: Furnaces and Boilers (read via energy.gov/node/374305) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/node/374305
- Electric resistance space heaters: Missouri DNR Division of Energy: Space Heaters PUB2849 (04/01/2020) (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://dnr.mo.gov/print/document-search/pub2849
- Vented fuel room heaters (efficiency examples): NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority): Compare Heating Fuels (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://nyserda.ny.gov/-/media/Project/Climate/Files/2022-Comments/Compare-Heating-Fuels
- Wood stoves (efficiency): US DOE Energy Saver: Wood and Pellet Heating (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/wood-and-pellet-heating
- Pellet stoves (efficiency): US DOE Energy Saver: Wood and Pellet Heating (Official), checked Nov. 9, 2026. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/wood-and-pellet-heating
- Wood heat and weight tables: Virginia Tech (Bond & Downing): Firewood, Facts, Follies and Forest Management (Woods & Wildlife 2013) (Official). https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/resources/presentations/WoodsandWildlife2013/bondfirewood.pdf
- Wood heat and weight tables: Utah State University Extension Forestry (Kuhns & Schmidt): Wood Heating, Table 1 Firewood Facts (Official). https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/resources/forest-products/wood-heating.php
- Wood heat and weight tables: Iowa State University Extension Natural Resources: Wood for Fuel (Official). https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/tags/firewood
- Wood heat and weight tables: SDSU Extension (John Ball, also SD DANR): Choosing Firewood, updated Dec 3 2021 (Official). https://extension.sdstate.edu/choosing-firewood
- Wood heat and weight tables: University of Kentucky Forestry: Comparison of Properties Affecting Firewood (Official). https://www.uky.edu/Ag/Forestry/McLaren/firewood_properties.htm