Heat Treatment, Furnaces & Thermal Processing worked example

Furnace Energy Cost at 72% energy cost capture percent: a worked example in heat treatment, furnaces & thermal processing

Suppose energy cost capture percent falls to 72%. This page works the full calculation at that level so you can see exactly which result moves and by how much. Estimate furnace energy cost for a heat treat run using kWh or therm consumption, utility rate, cost capture percent, and fixed demand or idle cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Run energy consumption: 1,800 kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Blended utility rate: 0.12 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Energy cost capture percent: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Demand or idle energy adder: 75 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Captured furnace energy cost = run energy consumption × blended utility rate × energy cost capture percent.
  • Total furnace energy cost works out to 231 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Energy cost per entered kWh works out to 0.13 $ / kWh at these inputs.
  • Captured run energy cost works out to 156 $ at these inputs.
  • Demand or idle energy adder works out to 75 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where energy cost capture percent sits at 100% and the headline result is 291 $, this scenario comes in 20.78% below the baseline at 231 $.
  • It computes the total energy cost of one furnace run by valuing the metered kWh at your blended rate, applying a capture percentage, then adding demand and idle charges. When the numbers land here, the stressed input is the lever to work; the walkthrough above shows exactly how much each output recovers as it climbs back toward the baseline.

Results at a glance

  • Total furnace energy cost: 231 $ (headline result)
  • Energy cost per entered kWh: 0.13 $ / kWh
  • Captured run energy cost: 156 $
  • Demand or idle energy adder: 75 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Furnace Energy Cost calculator, set energy cost capture percent to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.