Review of some common properties of different types of fuel used in heating appliances (stoves, burners, fireplaces, and furnaces).
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel Efficiency can be viewed as a multi-part aspect:Actual fuel efficiency: how much fuel you have to spend to get some amount of heat.
Cost efficiency: how dear it is comparing to other fuel types.
Easiness: how easy it is to use, maintain, operate, and clean.
Environment impact: how much pollution it will produce.
Electricity
Actual fuel efficiency: about 100% - there is no heat loss as for other fuel types.Cost efficiency: electricity is the dearest type, unless you of course are using solar energy.
Easiness: most of the time, the easiest. No starting fires, no cleaning ashes, no need for chimneys of vent pipes.
Environment impact: varies depending on the source of electricity, if it's a nuclear plant, than potentially huge impact; but if it's a solar power facility, than it's perfect.
Click here to have a look at electric heating appliances that are selling now (a new window will open)
Gas (Natural and Propane)
Actual fuel efficiency: about 80%, some heat loss.Cost efficiency: high to medium. Natural gas is less expensive and even propane is burning hotter, it is dearer to use.
Easiness: moderate. You don't need to clean your fireplace from ashes, but most of the models require ventilation systems and installation as not as easy as for electric appliances.
Environment impact: moderate. As any fossil fuel, burning gas produces carbon dioxide, which is a pollutant, but not as much of it as coal or wood.
Click here to have a look at gas heating appliances that are selling now (a new window will open)
Wood
Actual fuel efficiency: low, about 60%.Cost efficiency: medium to low. It is about twice as cheap as electricity, but still not as cheap as coal.
Easiness: low. Takes more efforts to start, operate, clean, and supply fuel stock.
Environment impact: high. As a fossil fuel, wood combustion produces more pollution than other fuel types (but not as much as any automobile).
Click here to have a look at wood heating appliances that a selling now.
Wood Pellets
Actual fuel efficiency: medium to high, it's about 80%.Cost efficiency: medium to high. Can be a bit cheaper than using natural gas.
Easiness: medium. Not as easy as electricity and gas, but still easier than regular wood.
Environment impact: medium. Still produces pollution through combustion, but less than regular wood.
Click here to have a look at pellet heating appliances that a selling now.
Fuel Oil
Actual fuel efficiency: medium to high, about 80%.Cost efficiency: medium to low. Can be as cheap as using wood or natural gas.
Easiness: medium. Easier than wood or coal, but not as easy as electric ones.
Environment impact: medium. Oil fuel is another type of fossil fuel, so it will produce pollutants while burning.
Coal
Actual fuel efficiency: medium to low, about 75%.Cost efficiency: highest. Even with the low efficiency, it can be as trice as cheap as using electricity.
Easiness: low. Requires the most efforts to operate and maintain. It's not even easy to start a coal fire (read here).
Environment impact: highest. Produces most pollutants while burning comparing to all other fuel types listed above.
Click here to have a look at coal heating appliances that a selling now.
About this Lens
Hopefully this lens answered some of your questions. You can have a look at the Fuel Comparison Table here if you want more information.
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