Propane and Your Home

---

When used as a home energy source, propane gas fuels a variety of systems and products. It offers homeowners reliability, cleanliness, improved performance and, on average, costs half as much per BTU as electricity.

Warm and Cozy
Approximately 8.1 million households use propane gas to fuel their home-heating systems.

Furnaces

· A propane furnace consistently supplies air at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Electric heat pumps dispense 95-degree air, which is less than body temperature (98.6 degrees), so the air feels cool, not warm. 

· Propane gas furnaces last an average of 20 years, while electric heat pumps last an average of 12 years. The cost of repairing propane gas furnaces is also lower than the cost of repairing electric heaters.

Space Heaters

· Vent-free propane-fueled space heaters are 99.9 percent efficient and include oxygen depletion sensors that automatically turn units off if oxygen levels drop below specified levels. They can also include thermostats and heat distribution blowers.

· Propane-fueled space heaters produce fewer air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions than those fueled by fuel oil and electricity. In fact, the energy used to power electric heaters produces emissions two to four times higher than the energy produced to power propane heaters.

Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, Just Right

· Propane gas water heaters cost approximately $10 less per month to operate than comparable electric units. On average, propane water heaters are 42 percent less expensive than electric heaters.

· Over an average life span, propane gas water heaters can save homeowners nearly $2,000 more than an electric unit.

· Propane gas water heaters heat more than twice as much water in an hour as a comparable electric model.

Relax by the Fireplace

· Sales of gas-burning fireplace units are increasing. In fact, some propane marketers report that nearly one-third of their new customers are coming to them specifically for propane hearth products.

· Propane gas fireplace systems cost between 30 and 60 percent less per hour of operation than wood burning fireplaces.

· Propane gas fireplaces emit 40 times fewer emissions than wood-burning units and cost less to operate.

· Propane gas fireplaces can be turned off easily with a switch, eliminating concern about remaining embers.

Now We're Cookin' 

· Propane-fueled cook tops offer instant heat and absolute temperature control.

· Ninety-seven percent of professional chefs prefer cooking with gas.

· Unlike electricity-powered appliances, propane appliances are not affected by power outages. Homeowners can continue to enjoy cooking meals in warm homes.

Tumblin' Dry 

• Propane-fueled dryers can complete drying tasks in approximately three-quarters of the time it takes an electric unit. Some models save up to 65 percent in costs over electric dryers.

Back to Propane Facts

Source: NPGA and the Propane Education & Research Council