Engineered PreparednessPrepare with Purpose
Sign in
Tools  /  Heating Fuel Calculator   Free

How much heat you need — and the fuel to make it.

When the power's out and it's cold, "I have a wood stove" isn't a plan — a cord is. This sizes your home's heat load from its size, construction and climate, then tells you how much of your chosen fuel — firewood, propane, pellets, oil and more — it takes to hold temperature all winter, per cold day, or across a set backup. Burning wood? It sizes the cords by species, lays out the stack, and tells you how long to season it.

1

Your home & climate

A whole-house heat-loss estimate. Good enough to size fuel and a backup heater — not a substitute for a Manual-J load calc when installing a primary system.
Heated area is your total conditioned living space — add up every heated level. A 1,000 sq-ft footprint over two floors plus a heated basement is ~3,000 sq ft, not 1,000. Count that heated basement in the area, but not in the number of above-grade floors. Enter a ZIP code to pull real degree-days for your area, pick a climate band, or type your own from a local source. Indoor temperature drives everything — a lower setpoint cuts both the heater size and the fuel, so a cold-weather backup often plans for 60–62°F, not 68°F.
2

Heat load

3

Your fuel & appliance

Pick what you'll actually burn and what you'll burn it in. Efficiency is the appliance's — store the fuel, not just the appliance.
4

Fuel required

Compare all fuels — same heat, every fuel side by side
How much of each fuel it takes to make the same heat, at that appliance's typical efficiency. Use + Plan to send an amount to your Heat, light & energy plan.

Heat is survival. Size it, then store it.

Know your load, stock the fuel, and pair it with power you can count on.

Size a solar + battery systemAdd it to your plan