Today, I did some calculations to find out the cost differences between natural gas and electricity for home heating. A few friends and I were debating the details, to figure out which was cheaper. Here are my results:

In a nutshell, natural gas is from 2 to 4 times less expensive than electric per unit energy, based on December 2010 rates in Buffalo, NY. The data also make it simple to find out how much it costs to run a lightbulb or other appliance. For example, running a server that draws 3 amps, or about 360 watts, 24×7, would cost over $30 a month! Good things to know.

You can view the full Google Spreadsheet here.