Increasingly, more new home constructions in the Mid-Atlantic region are relying on electric heat as their main energy source. So, if you’re used to electric heat, the idea of heating a home with propane might be unfamiliar. After all, most people think propane is just for grills and camping. But as electric rates continue to increase, many homeowners are looking towards alternatives, domestic fuel sources with less volatile prices and a lower environmental impact.
Natural gas from a utility is one way to go, but it isn’t available to everyone—and the cost and hassle of connecting can be prohibitive. But once they learn more, most people are discovering the many benefits of propane. But what exactly is propane?
Propane is a byproduct of natural gas. Because it is compressed and stored in a liquid state, it is sometimes referred to as Liquid Petroleum Gas or LPG, for short.
Propane is one of the cleanest, most versatile, and efficient fuels around. It’s a domestically sourced alternative fuel that can provide steady, reliable heat at an affordable price. It also offers exceptional performance and efficiency in a wide range of home appliances at a much lower cost than electricity. Here’s what you probably didn’t know about propane, and why so many customers in North Carolina and southern Virginia are making the switch to it for whole-home, or supplemental use:
Propane generates more Btus than an equivalent amount of electricity, and it delivers more than twice the Btus of natural gas, so you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy.
Also, propane appliances are very efficient as well, so they waste very little fuel in the combustion process. On the other hand, nearly two-thirds of the energy used by a power plant to generate and transmit electricity is wasted along the way.
Because propane is so energy efficient, it’s a smarter choice than electricity for a wide variety of appliances in addition to heating your home.
For example, propane water heaters generate much more hot water at a cheaper cost per gallon on average. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes that heat water with propane rather than electricity can see average annual savings of $174 or more.
The same technology that makes propane ideal for space heating and water heaters makes it a smarter choice than electricity to power all kinds of appliances that use hot water or heat:
While it’s a highly flammable gas under certain conditions, leaks are rare, and propane is a notably safe and clean-burning way to heat your home and water and run many of your appliances.
Propane can also help keep your home and family safe in cases of emergency where electricity falls short. When storms knock out power, a propane-fueled backup generator will keep your lights and everything else running until the utility companies can make repairs. In addition, a gas stove will continue to work during a power outage. Now that’s some added peace of mind!
Whether you’re ready to make the switch or have more questions about the right solution for your home—the team at Pico Propane has the knowledge, experience, and resources to answer all your questions. And we can get you started, with the right size propane tank for your needs, reliable propane delivery and more!
Contact us for more information today—we’ll be happy to help.
