This study introduces a model for simulating solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based processes to calculate heat balances of a dummy stack hotbox under dry and steam reforming conditions. Compared to the case of steam reforming, the steady-state dummy stack temperature for dry reforming at a city gas flow rate of 0.0197 mol min(-1) increased by 74 K, being reduced to the value of steam reforming by decreasing the city gas flow rate to 0.0156 mol min(-1). Moreover, the heat loss of 233 W observed for dry reforming is 68 W higher than that observed for steam reforming due to increased combustor and exhaust heat values and decreased water vaporization heat value. The obtained results indicate that dry reforming can be used to realize highly electrically efficient SOFC systems with a satisfactory hotbox heat balance. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.