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For domestic heating, taking into account average system efficiency, traditional fuel types offer the following pence per kilowatt hour (kWh) heating costs (figures represent weighted average and are based on Sutherlands Tables, Salkent Ltd).

Natural Gas                                                                                 1.37

Liquid Petroleum Gas                                                                   4.68

Heating Oil                                                                                 2.35

Solid Fuel (coal)                                                                          2.51

Electricity                                                                                    3.30

Wood fuel, meanwhile, when suitably applied, can provide heating in the region of 1.75p/kWh, making it more cost effective than all but mains gas. Furthermore, with the UK now becoming a net importer of natural gas, wood fuel could even become the cheapest form of heating in some areas.

In the standard kWh format the conversions below allow you to calculate and compare just how much energy you are currently using.

1 tonne of oil equivalent                                =                            11,630 kWh   

1 therm                                                       =                            29.31 kWh

1 Gigajoule (Gj)                                            =                            277.8 kWh

1 British thermal unit (BTU)                            =                            0.0003 kWh

1 cubic foot natural gas                                  =                            0.31 kWh

1 cubic metre natural gas                               =                            11.06 kWh

1 litre fuel oil (net value)                                =                            10 kWh

1 tonne of air dry wood fuel (30% MC)             =                            3500 kWh

In order to convert energy consumed in kWh to kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO₂) a conversion factor can be used as shown below for a selection of common fuel types. These emission figures provide an accurate estimate of actual emissions associated with delivered energy use in the UK.

Emission factors include upstream emissions from extracting, processing and distributing energy to the final user, but do not include emissions associated with transportation of fuels. All figures below are quoted in kg CO₂/kWh. If you wish to convert the carbon dioxide factors into carbon equivalents multiply the figures below by 0.27.

Natural Gas                                                   =                                0.19

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)                            =                                0.22

Fuel Oil                                                        =                                0.28

Coal                                                            =                                0.29

Electricity                                                      =                                0.52

All figures are based on source emission factors from the most recent National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory Annual Report with energy consumption and calorific value data for 2001 from the 2002 Digest of UK Energy Statistics.

Wood is often considered to be carbon neutral, yet if this concept is overlooked, and the same inclusions as above are considered, it has an emissions factor of approximately 0.04 kg CO₂/kWh.