{
  "slug": "wood-pellet-stove-cost",
  "title": "Wood & Pellet Stove Operating Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Wood Stove vs Pellet Stove Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wood-pellet-stove-cost",
  "summary": "Cost per season to heat with cordwood or wood pellets.",
  "description": "Compares seasonal heating cost between a cordwood stove and a pellet stove based on your heating load, each fuel's heat content, and stove efficiency (cordwood stoves run 65-80% efficient depending on age and EPA certification; modern pellet stoves run 75-90%). Cordwood is usually far cheaper per delivered Btu if you have access to it below market rate (or free/self-cut), but pellet stoves offer thermostat control and auto-feed convenience that cordwood can't match. This tool also converts your answer into cords or tons needed for the season so you can plan fuel purchases and storage.",
  "formula": "Fuel needed = heating load (Btu) ÷ (fuel heat content × stove efficiency); cost = fuel needed × price per unit.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=wood-pellet-stove-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "heatingLoad",
      "label": "Seasonal heating load",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": "MMBtu",
      "min": 5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "fuelType",
      "label": "Fuel type",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "cordwood",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "cordwood",
          "label": "Seasoned cordwood (~20 MMBtu/cord)"
        },
        {
          "value": "pellets",
          "label": "Wood pellets (~16.5 MMBtu/ton)"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "efficiency",
      "label": "Stove efficiency",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 72,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 40,
      "max": 95
    },
    {
      "id": "cordPrice",
      "label": "Price per cord",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 280,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "pelletPrice",
      "label": "Price per ton of pellets",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 260,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "totalCost",
      "label": "Seasonal fuel cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "unitsNeeded",
      "label": "Fuel needed (cords or tons)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "costPerMMBtu",
      "label": "Cost per delivered MMBtu",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "unitLabel",
      "label": "Unit",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Seasonal heating load: 60 MMBtu",
      "Fuel type: Seasoned cordwood (~20 MMBtu/cord)",
      "Stove efficiency: 72 %",
      "Price per cord: 280 $",
      "Price per ton of pellets: 260 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Seasonal fuel cost: $1,167",
      "Fuel needed (cords or tons): 4.17",
      "Cost per delivered MMBtu: $19.44",
      "Unit: cords"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter seasonal heating load (MMBtu).",
      "Enter fuel type.",
      "Enter stove efficiency (%).",
      "Enter price per cord ($).",
      "Enter price per ton of pellets ($).",
      "Read your seasonal fuel cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "heatingLoad": 35,
        "fuelType": "cordwood",
        "efficiency": 43,
        "cordPrice": 170,
        "pelletPrice": 160
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "heatingLoad": 60,
        "fuelType": "cordwood",
        "efficiency": 72,
        "cordPrice": 280,
        "pelletPrice": 260
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "heatingLoad": 95,
        "fuelType": "cordwood",
        "efficiency": 95,
        "cordPrice": 450,
        "pelletPrice": 420
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How many cords does an average house burn per winter?",
      "a": "A primary-heat wood stove in a cold climate typically burns 3-5 cords per season for a mid-size, moderately insulated home; a supplemental stove used to offset a furnace might burn 1-2 cords. This scales directly with your heating load input and local climate severity."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why is stove efficiency so variable?",
      "a": "Older non-catalytic stoves and open fireplaces run 40-65% efficient, sending a lot of heat up the chimney; modern EPA-certified stoves (2020 standards) run 70-80%, and catalytic or pellet stoves with combustion blowers can reach 85-90%. A 20-point efficiency gap roughly changes your fuel bill by that same percentage."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is cordwood really cheaper than pellets?",
      "a": "At typical retail prices ($250-$350/cord seasoned hardwood vs $250-$320/ton pellets), cordwood usually wins per delivered Btu, especially if you can source, season, or cut your own wood. Pellets win on convenience: no splitting/stacking, consistent moisture content, and thermostat-controlled auto-feed."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does wood moisture content matter?",
      "a": "Significantly — unseasoned (green) wood at 40-50% moisture can lose 30-40% of usable heat to evaporating that water instead of heating your house, and it also causes more creosote buildup. Properly seasoned wood (under 20% moisture, typically 6-12 months of covered outdoor drying) is essential for the efficiency numbers used in this calculator to hold."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/heat-pump-vs-furnace",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/insulation-payback"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Wood & Pellet Stove Operating Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wood-pellet-stove-cost)"
}