- By gb0iL-admin
- In Propane
How Propane Can Save Energy Throughout your Home
If all or most of your home appliances run on electricity, the cooler months are probably a pain in the neck for you. Trying to keep your home warm while keeping energy costs down is a challenge, and when you are not getting the most out of your home appliances, that challenge becomes even harder.
Why confine yourself to a season of sweatshirts and tube socks inside the house when you can cut your energy costs by simply switching to propane-powered appliances?
Here’s how propane can save energy in every corner of your home:
Water Heating
Water heating accounts for a fifth of overall household energy consumption, which is a significant percentage in terms of cost. A propane-powered water heater can cost less than half of the operating costs of an electric water heater.
Those savings compare an electric storage tank to a propane storage tank heater. If you take it one step further and install a propane-powered tankless water heater, you’ll be heating more than twice as much water in an hour than an electrical model, and save 60 percent in operating costs (just make sure you’re using Energy-Star qualified tankless water heaters).
Receive up to a $400 rebate on a Rinnai tankless water heater installed by G&B Energy
Home Heating
Supplemental heating takes up 41% of the average American home’s energy consumption. That’s more than any other appliance in the home. Why is this the case when most of us have a central heating system? Well, oftentimes an electric heat pump does not produce warm enough air to heat up an entire home and people turn to supplemental sources, like space heaters, to keep the more popular rooms at an ideal temperature.
Propane furnaces, however, are available with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 95 or higher, making them far more efficient than an electric furnace.
A propane gas furnace will heat air to about 130 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit and operate in short intervals to minimize operating costs while maximizing warmth. This is different than an electric heat pump, which actually produces heat below our body temperature and therefore feels cool when being pushed through the vents. In addition, propane furnaces last 5 to 10 years longer than electric heat pumps.
Propane Boilers
If you have a gas boiler, replacing it with a new propane boiler can cut your energy use significantly. If your gas boiler is only 60 percent efficient and you replace it with a propane boiler at 90 percent efficiency, you’ll use one-third less energy at the same heat output, and also spend less on maintenance in the long run.
Fireplaces and log inserts
If you haven’t already updated your wood-burning fireplace with gas log inserts or replaced it altogether with a gas fireplace, you are missing out on an entire host of benefits. With a gas fireplace, there’s little to no maintenance required, thanks to the lack of ash and soot.
They are far less of a safety hazard than a wood-burning fireplace since they can easily be turned off and on with a switch. It costs anywhere from 30 – 60% less to operate a gas fireplace per hour than a wood-burning fireplace.
High-efficiency direct-vent propane fireplaces also have a heating capacity five to six times better than that of electric fireplaces, so if you’re looking for efficiency, practicality, and warmth, a gas fireplace is the appliance for you.
If you’re worried about your energy bill this season, make the switch to propane power. G&B Energy offers several rebates on an array of home appliances so that you can start saving money on your energy bill now!
If you’re interested in learning more about all of our rebates and promotions, click below.
