Propane vs. Electricity for Your Home

A look at how they stack up against each other

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the electrification movement—the push to use only electric-powered home equipment. A lot of municipalities are trying to bring about the complete electrification of homes. Quite often, the goal is combatting climate change. However, while being environmentally conscious is a great goal, electrification is not the perfect solution that some would have you think it is. When making decisions for your Central or Western New York home, you should consider all the pros and cons of propane versus electricity.

Electricity gets a lot of buzz, but there are lots of reasons propane may be the better choice for your New York home. Here are eight ways propane out-performs electricity:

1. Propane saves you money. Appliances that run on propane are extremely efficient and so cost less to operate. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save $174 a year just by using a propane water heater instead of an electric one. Overall, propane water heaters can cost between 30%-50% less to operate than their electric counterparts.
2. Propane is very versatile. Propane can do more than warm your home. It can also power appliances like your oven, clothes dryer, and water heater. Propane is also useful for outdoor appliances such as grills, pool heaters, and patio heaters.
3. Propane is reliable. When extreme weather (or any other event) causes the electric grid to fail, your access to propane won’t be affected. Propane can keep your generator running. And a whole-house generator can keep your whole home up and running (from your HVAC equipment to your security system to all the electronic devices you want to have charged).
4. Propane is easy to store. Propane doesn’t degrade over time and propane tanks require very little maintenance and offer a lot of longevity. You can keep one in storage for up to 40 years! And when you’re ready to dispose of your propane tanks, bring them to Irish Propane. For a small fee, we will dispose of your used propane tanks for you according to all of New York State’s regulations for recycling and waste disposal.
5. Propane is wherever you need it. Using electricity can get expensive. However, Irish Propane offers reliable propane delivery and fair and honest propane gas prices. Regardless of weather or market conditions, rest assured that we’ll keep you supplied with all the propane you need at a competitive price.
6. Propane gets the job done quickly. Propane water heaters work faster than their electric counterparts. A propane water heater can produce twice the volume of hot water as an electric heater in the same time span. Propane clothes dryers can dry your laundry 25% faster than electric dryers and cause less static. Propane space heaters are also significantly more efficient than electric heaters.
7. Propane is greener than you think. Propane water heaters produce roughly half the carbon emissions of electric water heaters with a storage tank. In fact, because most of the US electricity supply comes from coal-burning power plants, electricity is the second-largest greenhouse gas source in America (only transportation ranks higher).
8. Propane offers longevity. The average lifespan of a propane gas furnace is 20 years. For an electric heat pump, it’s just 14 years.

There are a lot of reasons to choose propane for your home, and the professionals at Irish Propane dependably deliver propane to our customers in and around Buffalo and Rochester, New York. We also refill and dispose of propane cylinders.

If you’re looking for a reliable propane supplier in or around the Rochester or Buffalo areas of New York, choose Irish Propane. Contact us today to schedule your next propane delivery and ask about our convenient payment plans.