tiewf~nfdland
Labrador
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Natural Resources
Office of the Deputy Minister
October 9, 2014
Dear-
Re:
Your request for access to information under Part II of the Access to Information
and Protection of Privacy Act, file # NR-012-2014
On September 22, 2014, the Department ofNatural Resources received your request for
access to the following records/information:
What is the most cost effective method of heating at this time.
Oil - estimated cost per btu
Propane - estimated cost per btu
Electricity in metro St. John's- estimated cost per btu
I was in a meeting once with the Minister ofNatural Resources and
the executive got off on a tangent on the capital costs and the Minister
didn't get an answer. I could care less about capital costs. I want to
plan ahead before Muskrat costs hit us.
I am pleased to inform you that your request for access to these records has been granted.
Attached are two Residential Heating Fuel Comparisons, one based on fuel prices as they were
on September 25, 2014 and the other based on average fuel prices for the period January to
September, 2014. It should be noted that the unit cost ofheat/energy output for any fuel source
depends on a number of factors in addition to fuel price, including the type of heating system
used (e.g., electric baseboard heaters, electric air-source heat pump, etc.). As such, the
comparisons provided include estimated costs associated with the most common types of heating
systems used with electricity, furnace oil and propane.
P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 4J6 t 709.729.2766 f 709.729.0059
-2-
It should be noted also that these comparisons consider fuel price cost (excluding HS1)
and heating system efficiency only. They do not include other related heating system costs such
as capital purchase, installation, financing, maintenance and any other operating costs. While
fuel cost is an important factor in evaluating which type of heating system to install, homeowners
are encouraged to consider all costs associated with each system over its expected life cycle. As
well, please note that energy prices can fluctuate throughout the year and from year to year,
which would impact fuel cost results.
More information on energy efficiency and heating systems can be found on Natural
Resources Canada's website as follows:
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency
http://www.nrcan. gc.ca/energy/products/categories/heating/13 740
Please be advised that these records will be published following a 72 hour period after the
response is sent electronically to you or five days in the case where records are mailed to you. It
is the goal to have the responsive records posted to the Office of Public Engagement's website
within one business day following the applicable period of time. Please note that requests for
personal information will not be posted online.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the department's ATIPP
Coordinator at (709) 729-3214.
Sincerely,
CHARLES W. DOWN
Deputy Minister
c.
Copy to Tanya Noseworthy
Residential Heating Fuel Comparison 1,z
Enersv Price Inputs (excludin11 Hsn' - as at Sept 25, 2014 Prices
Electricity Price - Island Interconnected Energy Charge Only ($/kWh)
$0.11178
Furnace Oil -Avalon Northeast ($/litre)
$0.9618
Residential Propane -Avalon Northeast IS/ litre)
$0.8390
Units of Measure
3
kilo=10 or thousand
Energy Source & Heatlnc System Technology•
Electricity:
Furnact, or Boiler
Baseboard Heater
Heat Pumps:
9
6
mega = 10 or million
1 gigajoule = 1000 megajoules
Ene~gy Conversion Factor•
Electricity (kilowatt-hours to megajoules)
Furnace Oil (litres to megajoules)
Propane (litres to megajoules)
giga = 10 or billion
3.60
38.20
25.30
12
tera = 10 or trillion
1 million BTU= 1.05505585 gigajoules
Type of
Efficiency Rating
Efficiency
$per
Rating•
GlgaJoule
$per
2
million BTU
AFUE
5
100
$31.05
$32.76
AFUE
5
100
$31.05
$32.76
Air-Source Heat Pump
COP
6
1.7
$18.26
$19.27
Geothermal Heat Pump
COP
6
2.6
$11.94
$12.60
Furnace 011:
Flame-Retention Head Replacement Burner
AFUE
5
78
$32.28
$34.06
High-Static Replacement Burner
AFUE
5
82
$30.70
$32.40
New Standard Model
AFUE
5
86
$29.28
$30.89
AFUE
5
90
$27.98
$29.52
AFUE
Condensing
Propane:
Conventional
5
62
$53.49
$56.43
69
$48.06
$50.71
94
$35.28
$37.22
Vent damper with non-continuous pilot light
AFUE
5
Condensing
AFUE
5
2
rs;;;:;;,ce~tes:
l
1. This energy calculator includes fuel cost (excluding HST) and incorporates the effidency of various heating source technologies in determining the unit cost
calculation. It does not include any other costs associated with a residential heating system such as capital purchase, installation, financing, maintenance and any
other operating costs.
2. Data inputs shaded in the table above can be adjusted to reflect alternative or updated Energy Price Inputs or alternative Heating System Technologies and
Efficiency Ratings to calculate the corresponding unit cost($) per gigajoule and per million BTU. The Energy Conversion Factors can also be varied depending on the
energy content of a particular heating fuel. The current settings are based on published data from Natural Resources Canada as sourced below in Note 4. The
formulas below can be used to calculate energy unit costs based on inputs above or alternative data inputs.
Energy Unit Cost Calculation Formulas:
a) $ per Gigajoule (AFUE}
=(Energy Price lnput/(Energy Conversion Factor*(Efficiency Rating/100)))*1000
b) $ per Gigajoule (COP)
=(Energy Price lnput/(Energy Conversion Factor*Effidency Rating))*1000
c) $per million BTU
=($per Gigajoule)*1.05505585
3. Source - Energy Price Inputs:
Electricity rates are regulated in Newfoundland and Labrador by the Board of Commissioner of Public Utilities (PUB}. Current electricity rates available from
Newfoundland Power's Schedule of Rates (Residential/Domestic Rate is Rate #1.1) -http ://www.newfoundlandpower.com/AboutUs/pdf/ratebook.pdf
ii.
Maximum petroleum product prices, including furnace oil and propane, are regulated in Newfoundland and Labrador by the Board of Commissioner of Public
Utilities (PUB}. Petroleum product price information available from the PUB's website - http://www.pub.nf.ca/ppoprices.htm
4. Source - Conversion factors, heating system technologies and efficiencies:
Natural Resources Canada:
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/files/pdf/publications/Heating-with-Oii_EN.pdf
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/files/pdf/publications/Heating_with_Eiectricity.pdf
5. AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is a thermal efficiency measure of combustion equipment like furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. The AFUE differs
from the true 'thermal efficiency' in that it is not a steady-state, peak measure of conversion efficiency, but instead attempts to represent the actual, season-long,
rage efficiency of that piece of equipment, including the operating transients.
OP (Coefficient of Performance) is a ratio of heating or cooling provided to the electrical energy consumed . In this case, it would measure the heat delivered by
eat pump over the heating season per unit of electricity consumed.
------
Residential Heating Fuel Comparison 1,z
Energy Price Inputs (excluding HST)' - Z014 average to date (Jan - Sept)
Electricity Price- Island Interconnected Energy Charge Only ($/kWh}
$0.11062
Furnace Oil- Avalon Northeast ($/litre)
$1.0496
Residential Propane- Avalon Northeast ($/litre)
$0.9266
Units of Measure
kilo=lO' or thousand
Energy Source & Heating System Technology•
9
6
mega = 10 or million
1 gigajoule = 1000 megajoules
Energy Conversion Factor•
Electricity (kilowatt-hours to megajoules)
Furnace Oil (litres to megajoules)
Propane (litres to megajoules)
giga = 10 or billion
3.60
38.20
25.30
tera = lOu or trillion
1 million BTU = 1.05505585 gigajoules
Type of
Efficiency Rating
Efficiency
$per
Rating•
GlgaJoule
$per
2
millionBTU
2
Electricity:
Furnace or Boiler
AFUE
5
100
$30.73
$32.42
Baseboard Heater
AFUE'
100
$30.73
$32.42
Heat Pumps:
Air-Source Heat Pump
COP'
1.7
$18.08
$19.07
6
2.6
$11.82
$12.47
Flame-Retention Head Replacement Burner
AFUE'
78
$35.23
$37.17
High-Static Replacement Burner
AFUE
5
82
$33.51
$35.35
New Standard Model
AFUE'
86
$31.95
$33.71
AFUE'
90
$30.53
$32.21
$62.32
Geothermal Heat Pump
Furnace Oil:
COP
Condenslna
Propane:
Conventional
AFUE'
62
$59.07
Vent damper with non-continuous pilot light
AFUE
5
69
$53.08
Condenslna
AFUE'
94
-
-
$38.96
$56.00
- :l
$41.11
Sources & Notes:
1. This energy calculator includes fuel cost (excluding HST) and incorporates the efficiency of various heating source technologies in determining the unit cost
calculation. It does not include any other costs associated with a residential heating system such as capital purchase, installation, financing. maintenance and any
other operating costs.
2. Data inputs shaded in the table above can be adjusted to reflect alternative or updated Energy Price Inputs or alternative Heating System Technologies and
Efficiency Ratings to calculate the corresponding unit cost($) per gigajoule and per million BTU. The Energy Conversion Factors can also be varied depending on the
energy content of a particular heating fuel. The current settings are based on published data from Natural Resources Canada as sourced below in Note 4. The
formulas below can be used to calculate energy unit costs based on inputs above or alternative data inputs.
Energy Unit Cost Calculation
a) $ per Glgajoule (AFUE)
b) $ per Gigajoule (COP)
c) $per million BTU
Formulas:
• (Energy Price lnput/(Energy Conversion Factor•(Efficlency Rating/100))} 0 1000
=(Energy Price lnput/(Energy Conversion Factor• Efficiency Rating}} 0 1DOO
=($per Gigajoule)•l.05505585
3. Source- Energy Price Inputs:
Electricity rates are regulated in Newfoundland and labrador by the Board of Commissioner of Public Utilities (PUB}. Current electricity rates available from
Newfoundland Power's Schedule of Rates (Residential/Domestic Rate is Rate #1.1) - http://www.newfoundlandpower.com/AboutUs/pdf/ratebook.pdf. The
2014 average electricity price (energy charge) data input above based on the average of Jan 2014 to July 2014 energy charge of $0.10945/kWh and July 2014
to Sept 2014 energy charge of $0.11178/kWh.
ii.
Maximum petroleum product prices, including furnace oil and propane, are regulated in Newfoundland and Labrador by the Board of Commissioner of Public
Utilities (PUB). Petroleum product price information available from the PUB's website - http://www.pub.nf.ca/ppoprices.htm. The 2014 average furnace oil
and propane price data Inputs above based on the average of Jan 2014 to Sept 2014 weekly prices published by the PUB.
4. Source- Conversion factors, heating system technologies and efficiencies:
i.
Natural Resources Canada:
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/files/pdf/publications/Heating-with-Oii_EN .pdf
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/files/pdf/publications/Heatlng_with_Eiectricity.pdf
5. AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is a thermal efficiency measure of combustion equipment like furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. The AFUE differs
from the true 'thermal efficiency' in that it is not a steady-state, peak measure of conversion efficiency, but instead attempts to represent the actual, season-long.
average efficiency of that piece of equipment, including the operating transients.
6. COP (Coefficient of Performance) is a ratio of heating or cooling provided to the electrical energy consumed. In this case, it would measure the heat delivered by
a heat pump over the heating season per unit of electricity consumed.