Gasoline Energy Comparison

If gasoline costs $ per U.S. gallon, what would other energy resources cost at their rates?

At electricity rates:
(1 gal.)(36 kWH/gal)( cents/kWh) = $ per gal.
At natural gas rates:
(1 gal.)(0.12 x 1000 cu ft/gal)( $/1000 cu ft) = $ per gal.
At coal rates:
(1 gal.)(0.005 tons/gal)( $/ton) = $ per gal.
At wood rates:
(1 gal.)(0.006 cord/gal)( $/cord) = $ per gal.
Index

Energy concepts

Physical units
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Sample of Energy Rates

An electricity rate from the Atlanta area in Spring 1992 was 7.2¢ per kilowatt-hour. In the summer of 2001, the rate was 9.5¢/kwh. This compares with a lower winter rate for 2001 of 6.8¢/kwh. Natural gas billings are typically based on units of 1000 cubic feet and the energy content of a cubic foot varies somewhat but is just over a thousand BTU per cubic foot. Atlanta natural gas companies often quote energy in MBTU = 1000 BTU, the M being the Roman numeral for 1000. Based on a billing in which the energy content was 1.021 MBTU/cubic foot, a spring 1992 residential bill was $5.90 per 1000 cubic feet. After rising gradually for several years, natural gas prices rose dramatically in 2001, with a cost of $10.56 per 1000 cubic feet in January and $13.78 per 1000 cubic feet in the summer.

A ton of coal and a cord of wood have similar energy content, and although prices vary widely, around $100 for a ton of coal or a cord of wood was not untypical in 1990.

Houston Lighting and Power, with 1.38 million customers, quotes 8.3¢ per kwh average for 1990 in their annual report. Average annual use per residential customer was 13,849 kwh. They quote their fuel cost per MBtu as $1.79 for natural gas, $2.21 for coal, $1.60 for lignite, and $.58 for nuclear.

Compare to gasoline costHome heating cost
Index

Energy concepts

Physical units
  HyperPhysics***** Mechanics Go Back