Coal Usage

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 11:58 am

Just checked up on my coal usage through our blustery winter weather: 25 40lb bags over the last 32 days, or 31 lbs per day, two shakes a day, 15 lbs per shake. At current New England prices, that is about $3.75 per day.

brunom15 · Post by **brunom15** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 1:20 pm

$4.84 per bag, or $242 per short ton, bagged? Where do you get your coal?

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 3:32 pm

Well the numbers rounded off a bit, $4.99 at Tractor while they still had it so I bought a lot going to a couple different stores.

grizzly2 · Post by **grizzly2** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 5:19 pm

Let me just sharpen my pencil here for a minuet.

6.89/40lb. bag delivered. I am burning about 50lb.s / day in this cold snap. So, 6.89 divided by 40 =.172/lb therefore .172X50lb = $8.61 per day. Dang

That is a lot for heating 1056 sq,ft. of ranch house.

I did the fuel cost comparison calculator and the only thing cheaper than coal was wood.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 6:45 pm

We've all gone over these numbers before: coal may be "cheap" but it ain't free. I bet you are running your space a lot warmer than I am. I am happy with 68, of course, cozy warmer near stove. I also supplement with gas. It is hard to accurately estimate the gas use for heat because it also covers cooking and hot water. I am guessing I used $60 of gas heat for the month. warming the zones far away from the stove when in use. I do know if I heated only with gas I would be around $400 for the month.

brunom15 · Post by **brunom15** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 7:55 pm

Yeah, me too. Driving down the cost (of now cheap) oil with coal... Wish I could have gotten $5 bags of coal at Tractor Supply...

brunom15 · Post by **brunom15** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2015 7:55 pm

But the basement is waaayy warmer now...

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 7:21 am

brunom15 wrote:Yeah, me too. Driving down the cost (of now cheap) oil with coal... Wish I could have gotten $5 bags of coal at Tractor Supply...

Exactly. What I have learned is that heating with coal exclusively can use a LOT of coal to get the entire house warm. And then there may be an undesirable temperature gradient and a very hot stove. The coal runs steady state except if it gets warm outside (> 32) and then I throttle down as much as I can. The gas kicks on when needed. A new way of running for me this year. I lit the coal up later this season and will probably shut it down earlier as well.

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 7:36 am

Not bragging, just saying. My coal is $170 a ton bulk. Bagged is $5.25. I buy bulk by the bucket each week. 7 days, 7 buckets. It works out to somewhere around $.08 a pound. I spend about $80-$100 a month to heat my house and carry temps between 68-72. Momma likes it warm but not roasting. Since her medical problems have been solved for now we can carry at about 68 vrs the 76-78 we did last winter.

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 7:54 am

blrman07 wrote:Not bragging, just saying. My coal is $170 a ton bulk. Bagged is $5.25. I buy bulk by the bucket each week. 7 days, 7 buckets. It works out to somewhere around $.08 a pound. I spend about $80-$100 a month to heat my house and carry temps between 68-72. Momma likes it warm but not roasting. Since her medical problems have been solved for now we can carry at about 68 vrs the 76-78 we did last winter.

nice deal, my bulk cost me .12 per # this yr. delivered into my bin.

good to hear the wife is enjoying better health

Buck47 · Post by **Buck47** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 8:26 am

Started on my second pallet of Blaschak 40 pound bags (2400 lbs per pallet) yesterday Feb 3rd.

Stove fired on November 12 th.

Total cost per pallet $370.00 - $6.17 per 40 pound bag or .15.4 cents per pound

2400 lbs coal burned in 84 days = 28.57 lbs per day to heat two story farm house 1200 sq ft.

Cost per day $4.40 coal.

Average cost per day to heat with LP $7.44 @ $1.72 per gal.

Even paying a premium price for shipping into the Midwest coal is less money that LP

All done with a very simple inexpensive Locke 120 Warm Morning coal stove.

I'm very pleased. Thanks again to all the forum members who helped along the way.

Regards: john

Addendum: Average temp heating with LP 65 to 68 degrees F. Average Temp heating with coal 72 to 74 degrees F. Added benefit, no cold spots with coal heat

brunom15 · Post by **brunom15** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 9:50 am

blrman07 wrote:Not bragging, just saying. My coal is $170 a ton bulk. Bagged is $5.25. I buy bulk by the bucket each week. 7 days, 7 buckets. It works out to somewhere around $.08 a pound. I spend about $80-$100 a month to heat my house and carry temps between 68-72. Momma likes it warm but not roasting. Since her medical problems have been solved for now we can carry at about 68 vrs the 76-78 we did last winter.

The advantages of living near the mines!

My dad's family is from West Nanticoke, near Wilkes-Barre. My grandfather was a coal miner. They lived on Lamoreaux St., if I recall correctly. My grandmother's extended family still lives in the area.

Bruno

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2015 10:16 am

brunom15 wrote:
blrman07 wrote:Not bragging, just saying. My coal is $170 a ton bulk. Bagged is $5.25. I buy bulk by the bucket each week. 7 days, 7 buckets. It works out to somewhere around $.08 a pound. I spend about $80-$100 a month to heat my house and carry temps between 68-72. Momma likes it warm but not roasting. Since her medical problems have been solved for now we can carry at about 68 vrs the 76-78 we did last winter.
The advantages of living near the mines! My dad's family is from West Nanticoke, near Wilkes-Barre. My grandfather was a coal miner. They lived on Lamoreaux St., if I recall correctly. My grandmother's extended family still lives in the area.

Bruno

all my family on my mom's side was from Lancaster county.

my great aunt Jed and her husband Walter Kring had a mountain side farm just outside Wilkes-Barre. she was head of nursing at the hospital for yrs. and yrs./

lots of miners, stories and black lung in the family.