Propane or electric?
Question:which is more cost efficient when it comes to household heating and air.. i.e. 2100 sq. ft. house. currently using, but wants to change over from wood and electric and propane. needs to know what is better on the pocket and environment. is it really worth switching to electric central heating and air, or is propane the better way to go?
Answers:
Electric is extravagantly expensive for heating. Propane isn't bad, but you have to have a tank refilled and it would be a minimum of 150 gallons, probably more. Natural gas is the way to go, cheap and efficient.
electric
The question cannot be answered without knowing where you live and what the costs are for propane and electricity. A responsible heating contractor in your area can answer those questions almost off the cuff. The trick, of course, is to find a responsible one.
first check the electric rates in your area and the price of propane and do the math . propane is probably more efficient but the dirtier of the two...
propane is cheaper and it creates less pollution, its cleaner burning
Propane is usually much less expensive than electricity and more efficient.
However,check out the rates for both in your area.
1gallon of propane gas has 91600 btu's of energy
1 Kilowatt electricity has 3413 btu's of energy
It takes 26.9Kilowatts to equal 1
gallon propane. anything over .059 cents per Kh for electric would cost most then propane gas at $1.49/gallon
Take use cost per Kilowatt hour times 26.9 (.059 x 26.9=1.59)
so anything over .059 cents per Kh for electric would cost more then propane gas at $1.59/gallon
(059 x 26.9= 1.59)
(.069 x 26.9= 1.86)
(.079 x 26.9= 2.12)
(.089 x 26.9= 2.39)
(.099 x 26.9= 2.66)
Cost for 1 million btu's of heat delivered into the with different types of heating systems.
95% efficient propane furnace with a propane cost of $1.60. $18.51
78% efficient propane furnace with a propane cost of $1.60. $21.98
Electric resistance heat with a cost of $0.65 per KWH. $19.06
Air source heat pump with an HSPF of 6.8. Average heat pump. With a cost of $0.65 per KWH. $9.56
Air source heat pump with an HSPF of 9.4 . Superior heat pump. With a cost of $0.65 per KWH. $6.91
Geothermal heat pump, with average efficiency, COP of 3.5. With a cost of $0.65 per KWH. $6.07
Geothermal heat pump with high efficiency, COP of 4.7. With a cost of $0.65 per KWH. $4.39
There are many different types of heating systems. Geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient, but $$$ may come into play, as these are sometimes more costly to install. You have to decide if the pay back for installing this type of system, warrants it's purchase. These systems have the least impact on the environment, as they use the least amount of energy and use the natural heat of the earth to warm/cool the home.
Air source heat pumps are the next in line as far as efficiency. These are typically not as costly to install, but generally cost more than a typical A/C system. These types of systems are not the greatest at heating when temps outside are below 30 degrees. But, If you also purchase a new high efficiency gas furnace and couple the two together you can have what is called a duel fuel heat pump system. This setup is great for when outside temps are low.
If you need more help find a good HVAC contractor, that will explain more.
that depends on the state you are living in some areas the electric is cheap other areas is not,i converted my electric baseboard heating to propane it is much cheaper for me you also have to take into consideration the insulation in house.heat pumps are pretty good they supply heat and ac.
In most parts of the United States and Canada, propane, natural gas and heating oil are much cheaper than electric heating. The other respondents are right: find out prices from your suppliers and talk to others in your area to find out if this is the case where you live.
A simplified reason why using electric power to heat your house is often more expensive, wasteful and bad for the environment is because much of our electricity has been created in the first place from heat or other combustion or fission (ie. propane, coal, thermal energy, nuclear energy). If you are then converting this energy back to heat in your home, there is a percentage of that power that is lost in both the initial conversion and the conversion in the heating and air conditioning appliances in your home.
The website below has some calculations that may be of use to you. Keep in mind that it is the site of the Propane Education and Research Council, which has an entrenched interest to promote propane. Still, it has some useful information. There are also a number of blogs from private individuals who talk about how much money they saved after they converted from electric to propane (I am one of them). Type in google: propane vs electric
www.usepropane.com
Good luck!
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