danrclem
Addicted to ArboristSite
Propane runs $1.50 to $1.70 a gallon around here, depending on who you buy it from and how much you buy. Some say it might reach $1.80 before the end of the heating season. At $1.70 per gallon, that's about $18.40 per MBTU. Natural gas is still a lot cheaper at $7.00 to $8.00 per MBTU, but you also have to add in the pipeline service charges and other monthly assessments that almost double that for many residential amd small commercial customers.
Wood saves me about $500 a year on my natural gas heating bill. Take a look at this chart I prepared for alternative fuel cost equivalents:
This measures alternative fuel costs per hour at various rates, and I doubt you will find it published anywhere. It does not include any special service charges that you have to add in to figure yourt true fuel cost.
Regardless, wood heat is still surprisingly cheap if you burn it correctly.
That's a good chart that you have there Doc. It looks like natural gas is the only thing that would even compare to burning wood. My brother buys some of his wood and I told him the other day that buying wood for $150.00 a cord would still be a lot cheaper than burning propane. Even if you buy wood though there is a little bit of work and mess to it but it'd still be worth it.