The debate of propane vs. electricity seems to be never-ending. But we wanted to give you some reasons why you should make the smart choice and choose propane over electricity for your home in the North Texas area. First, let’s look at propane and electricity individually.
Propane Vs. Electricity
Propane is a primary energy source, while electricity is a secondary energy source. Energy from propane is used directly. Meanwhile electricity needs a main source to generate energy, like natural gas or petroleum.
Propane and electricity are not measured the same, either. Propane is measured in BTUs, while electricity is measured in kilowatts. Fortunately, there is a way to convert BTUs into kilowatts. Our conversion tells us that one gallon of propane is equivalent to 27 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity. This means that one gallon of propane contains the same amount of usable energy as 27 kilowatt hours.
Deciding between propane vs. electricity in your home might sound like a difficult task, but it’s really all about the numbers. The reality is that, while electricity is more common in modern homes, propane is more cost effective. One gallon of propane is equivalent to 27 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity. This means that one gallon of propane contains the same amount of usable energy as 27 Kilowatt Hours. How does this translate to cost?
Cost of Propane Vs. Electricity
As we mentioned before, propane and electricity have different measurement units. But it all boils down to how much does it cost to run an appliance on propane vs. electricity. There are multiple factors that determine how efficient and cost-effective an appliance is. For example, a water heater running on propane will heat water much faster than an electric water heater, resulting in less propane used. So even if the cost per gallon of propane is higher than the cost per 27 kWh of electricity, you’ll still be saving money when using propane.
How do we compare the cost per gallon to the cost per kWh? Since we already have a conversion above (1 gallon of propane = 27 kWh of electricity) the only thing left to do is look into price per unit. Let’s give propane and electricity dollar values, so we can make a correct analysis.
If 1 gallon of propane costs $3.00 and a kWh of electricity costs 14¢, then we have to multiply the cost per kWh times 27 to get a comparable cost. In this case, 27 kWh would cost $3.78, making it more expensive than a gallon of propane at $3.00.
Before deciding on propane vs. electricity for your home, it is important that you do some research and calculate the cost of using propane vs. electricity along with the efficiency of appliances running on either of them.
If you make the smart choice and go with propane, call Northwest Propane at 972-247-6121 to learn more about our pricing, rebates & incentives, packages and products.