Are You Familiar with Propane’s Benefits and Versatility?
There’s so much to consider when building or buying a new home. Some things are subjective and personal—such as architectural style—but others are more practical that can affect your bottom line, as well as your day-to-day comfort. Choosing appliances is one of those.
Of course, appearance and features are part of the decision, but so is efficiency. Along with that, it’s whether they’re powered by electricity versus propane.
Why Power My Appliances with Propane?
Propane—isn’t that for grills? Yes, but it’s also an incredibly versatile and efficient option for running a wide range of equipment and appliances in your home—including heating systems!
In areas where electric heat tends to be more common, people are often surprised at the benefits that propane offers. In fact, propane is one of the cleanest, most versatile, and efficient fuels around. Propane offers exceptional performance and efficiency in a wide range of home appliances at a much lower cost than electricity.
If you’ve never lived in a propane-fueled home before, you might be surprised to know all the benefits. Let’s detail those for you below:
Your Energy Options: Propane vs Electricity
Propane generates more Btus than an equivalent amount of electricity, so you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy.
Also, propane appliances are incredibly energy efficient, so they waste very little fuel in the combustion process. On the other hand, generation of electricity is the second-largest creator of greenhouse gases in the United States. Why is that? It’s because most of our electricity supply is generated by coal-fired power plants. In fact, only the transportation sector creates more greenhouse gases.
Because propane is so 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. 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.
Propane Can Power Several Popular Appliances
The same technology that makes propane ideal for water heaters makes it a smarter choice than electricity to power all kinds of appliances that use hot water or heat, including:
- Clothes Washers and Dryers
- Dishwashers
- Outdoor Lighting
- Patio Heaters
- Pool and Spa-Tub Heaters
- Outdoor Grills
- Cooking Ranges
Propane: It’s Cleaner and Greener!
When it comes to environmental impact, propane gas is one of the cleanest and efficient fuels around. It burns cleanly and produces minimal carbon emissions. Another important factor when it comes to evaluating whether a fuel is “green” …propane also doesn’t harm soil or groundwater.
Further, did you know propane is also an American energy source? About 90% of the United States’ supply of propane is domestically generated. Most of it comes from the processing of natural gas—which is considered a greenhouse gas when burned. Propane, however, is not considered a greenhouse gas.
Dependable, Accessible Supply
One of the biggest reasons people prefer using propane gas for home heating and water heating is that they know they will always have propane when they need it most. That type of security is invaluable!
When you use propane, your supply is delivered and stored in a tank on right your property, so you’ll always have it right on-hand. Compare that to the reliability of Texas’s energy grid in the face of extreme weather and the additional challenges posed by a complete switch to electricity. At the same time, natural gas companies continue to struggle with severe cold, and we only narrowly avoided the outages experienced in the wake of winter storm Uri in 2018.
And consider this, too. 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. Now that’s peace of mind!
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, propane delivers more bang for your buck, all while protecting the environment. It’s a win-win for homebuyers—and builders—who care about the environment, but also want to keep costs under control.
Locally, the professionals at Pico Propane and Fuels have the knowledge, experience, and resources to answer all your questions about the benefits of a propane-powered home. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services—including delivery, appliance sales, tank sets, installations, and more!
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