Peregrine Energy Corporation

Why It Works

The table shows how an electric boiler’s electric rate (kwh) would convert to an equivalent natural gas boiler’s gas rate (DT) when producing the same amount of steam. This table takes into account the efficiency differences between electric boilers and natural gas-fired boilers. For more on boiler efficiencies, please refer to Boiler Thermal Efficiency Comparison.

Most electric utility providers offer off-peak rates that are fixed, predictable and very low cost. For instance, some utilities’ off-peak period represents as much as 78% of the time during a year. This off-peak power can be priced as low as 2.35¢/kwh or the natural gas price equivalent of $4.82/dt. This means that 78% of the year you could run your electric boiler at a fixed electric cost that would be equivalent to natural gas priced at $4.82/dt delivered to the burner tip. Another benefit is that electric rates are much more stable than gas prices and thus, your steam cost becomes much more predictable. For a historical comparison of electric rates and natural gas prices, see Energy Cost Comparison.