Is Propane More Efficient Than Electricity?

Have you ever thought about the cost of using propane vs. electricity in your home? The fact is, when you compare the cost of propane per gallon when using propane appliances, you’ll find that it easily beats out the cost you will pay per kilowatt of electricity by source.

This is because propane is, by far, the more energy efficient fuel. The secret ingredient is this: propane generates much more Btu’s than an equivalent amount of electricity, so you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat energy. For example, one gallon of propane equals 27 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity.

Also, clean-burning propane appliances are efficient, because they waste very little fuel in the combustion process. Propane is more efficient than electricity when evaluating the total energy consumed (this includes the energy consumed in the extraction, production, processing and transportation of the fuel to the point of use). Based on this analysis, propane is 87% efficient; electricity is 32% efficient.

With a clean-burning, high-efficiency propane furnace, less than 10% of fuel is wasted in the combustion process. In comparison, more than two-thirds of the energy used by a power plant to generate and transmit electricity is wasted.

New Yorkers like what they see with propane

New Yorkers from Ithaca, New Paltz, Saratoga Springs and many other towns are removing their old electric appliances and other worn-out equipment and replacing them with modern, energy-efficient propane heating equipment. Here are a few reasons why:

• Propane furnaces offer best-in-class efficiency, with AFUE ratings from 90 to 98 percent, and provide comfortable, even, and consistent heat. Most high-efficiency propane furnaces feature two-stage gas burners and variable-speed motors to deliver all the warm air you need, no matter how cold it gets.
• Propane-powered boilers offer efficiency, space savings, and the versatility to provide space heating, water heating, and even snow melt.
• Propane water heaters cost 30-60% less to operate than electric water heaters.
• If you have an electric water heater, you’re paying some of the highest residential electric rates in the country.
• A 50-gallon propane water heater delivers the same amount of hot water as an 80-gallon electric unit. And it heats your water much faster!

Other efficient propane appliances

Propane ovens and ranges cost significantly less to operate than their electric counterparts. Gas stoves respond almost instantly to changes in temperature settings. This gives you more precise cooking control, which is important when you’re creating certain meals. Electric stoves take longer to respond, particularly when you’re turning the heat down or off. Here’s another advantage: a propane gas stove will continue to work during a power outage.

Propane space heaters for cold spaces are a great option, because they’re much less expensive to operate than portable electric heaters. Vented propane-gas space heaters are easy to install, incredibly efficient and extremely safe.

A propane clothes dryer gets laundry dry 25% faster than the typical electric model. That’s because a propane dryer has moisture sensors and dries clothes with far less static than electric models, which can be harsh on your fabrics.

Want to know more about the cost of propane versus electricity? Interested in converting your old electric appliances to propane and doing a cost comparison? Contact your propane company today!

And. if you are interested in upgrading or converting to a propane furnace, boiler or water heating system, now is the time to get going because you can save money by qualifying for a rebate. Call your propane company first. They can either install one or connect you with someone who does, and then they can handle the rebate.

See what propane rebates are available right now. Don’t delay! These rebates will last only through September 2020 or until funds are exhausted.