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Actually 100% efficient in baseboard form but high running cost, I assume that is what you mean.
I am refurbishing a house right now that has no usable heat in it.
The gas was cut off (they actually dug the pipe out of the street !!!) but I will be reconnecting......in the spring when they can dig again
Anyway, I compared the cost of electric and propane and in our town they would end up being the same today. But I am installing gas hot air anyway so decided to go with propane rather than buying and wiring baseboard.
Actually 100% efficient in baseboard form but high running cost, I assume that is what you mean.
Electric is actually not 100% efficient but it depends on where you are measuring the efficiency. Yes, at the baseboards in your house the electricity is quite efficiently converted into heat. However, if you go down the supply lines things become a lot more inefficient.
Here in the Boston area, most of our power plants burn natural gas. So, the gas is burned creating electricity which is then transmitted along the power lines. Of course, burning the gas is not 100% efficient and also there is some loss during transmittal. So, it's not 100% efficient.
Natural gas on the other hand is not lost during transmittal and while the burning of it in the basement of my house is not 100% efficient my HE boiler is around 95% efficient which is pretty good.
Actually 100% efficient in baseboard form but high running cost, I assume that is what you mean.
You are correct, and I wasn't clear. I meant in terms of cost, I'm not talking heating/conversion at all.
And even then, I suppose different parts of the country could have different enough costs to change the equation. Although not as bad as it was in the days before deregulation.
In Texas, it costs far more to heat with electricity than gas. During the winter, my gas bill on the gas heated home jumps about $50/month (from $20 to $60/$80). On the electric heated home, it jumps about $150. This is anecdotal, of course, but similar stories abound.
Far more important than your heating fuel source is the energy efficiency of the home as a whole. How well the home is sealed and insulated, and how the homeowner operates the unit is far more important than the fuel source. How old is the HVAC unit? What is the efficiency, and how often has it been serviced? If there is ductwork, how well sealed and insulated are the ducts?. Is he/she using a heat pump incorrectly by turning it up or down by more than a few degrees at a time? What temperature do they set the heat and A/C at, and do they set it back properly at night and when the home is unoccupied? All of these factors will have a much greater influence on the bill than heating fuel source. After many years as an energy specialist, I think I have seen it all, but am still flabbergasted when my neighbors (with an almost identical home) tell me their bills are 5 times what ours are! Virtually the same home, same fuel sources, same builder, same insulation, similar appliances. The difference is all in the homeowner's behaviors and attention to the correct details.
wow, all this stuff makes me wonder if we should get into all of this....would any of you forgo a home just because of propane usage?
There are many homes we didn't bother looking at because of propane. Our winters can get pretty cold, and I just didn't want to be surprised by a hefty bill. If you are somewhere where it doesn't get very cold, then I think it would be just fine.
We bought a new construction house in NY Long island 5 monthes back. 3500 sqft home propane for heat,fireplace,stove and hot water. The builder and realtor told us propane is about 30% more in price then natural gas.They were WRONG. I am filling up my 500 gallon tank every month @2.70 per gallon. thats about $700 a month. We keep out thermostat at 68 degrees. Stay away from propane very expensive...
People in my semi-rural area of NC all have propane tanks. Some are above ground and some are buried. The propane burns very cleanly, deliveries are simple (no one needs to be home), and we have never had a problem. If you get a pre-buy contract, you can save money. You can also request regular deliveries, mine are monthly. My tank is supplied by the propane company, and if it starts to look a little dingy, they come out and re-paint it for you. I have never heard of anyone's tank exploding.
Propane is much more pleasant than electric heat. Electric heat creates static and dries your skin and the air, which makes you feel much colder in winter.
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We're just outside Bahama, NC and we're on Will Call with our propane company (means I check the tank-top gauge and call the co. When we need a fillup). And agreed: refills are convenient / delivered when you're not even home.
We have enough LP by my guesstimate for the rest of this winter, so I'll call our propane co roundabout the hottest day in August and order a refill at mid summer prices (hopefully cheaper than winter prices, per supply and demand). Agree also that propane is pleasant. Heats our house quickly and cozy. Seems like it does a lot of heating for the amount of time that the Beast (LP furnace) is running. FWIW.
M.
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Agree with luv4horses
