Heat Pump vs Wood vs Pellet Heating Calculator

This calculator compares the annual running cost of the three most popular home heating options in New Zealand, a heat pump, a wood burner and a pellet fire, so you can see which is cheapest to run for your home. Choosing how to heat a house is a big decision, and the upfront price of the appliance is only half the story: the ongoing fuel cost over many winters often matters more, and the three options work in very different ways. A heat pump uses electricity extremely efficiently, delivering several units of heat for each unit of power through its coefficient of performance, so its running cost depends on your power price and how efficient the unit is. A wood burner burns firewood, with the cost driven by the price and energy content of the wood and how efficiently the burner converts it to useful heat. A pellet fire burns compressed wood pellets, sitting between the two for convenience and cost. This tool lets you compare them on equal terms. You enter the amount of heat your home needs over a year, then the key figures for each option: the heat pump's coefficient of performance and your electricity price, the wood's price and energy per cubic metre with the burner's efficiency, and the pellets' price and energy per kilogram with the fire's efficiency. The calculator returns the annual running cost of each and identifies the cheapest. The results update as you type, so you can test local fuel prices. Use it to choose a heating system, to budget for winter, or to decide whether switching fuel is worth it. Remember this compares running cost only; weigh it against the purchase and installation price, convenience and warmth of each option.

Cost = heat needed / (efficiency or COP x energy content) x fuel price. Compares running cost only; weigh against purchase price, convenience and warmth.