Propane vs. Electricity

How propane and grid electricity stack up on efficiency, versatility, eco-friendliness and more

Propane and grid-based electricity are two energy sources that Central Texas families use for heating, hot water generation, cooking and many other things. If you have electric equipment in your home right now, you might be spending too much to operate it — especially in comparison with more efficient propane alternatives. You might also be surprised to learn that making the switch to propane is better for the environment.

Here’s a comparison of how propane and electricity compare on a variety of factors.

Propane vs. electricity — efficiency

When you compare propane appliances with their electric equivalents, you’ll see that propane is almost always more efficient.

• Propane water heaters give you twice as much water as electric units in the same amount of time, meaning that propane water heaters generally cost 30% less to operate.
• Propane tankless water heaters efficiently generate virtually limitless hot water right when you need it. You’ll never worry about your showers going cold on you!
• Propane clothes dryers can dry laundry up to 25% faster than electric models, and they do it while producing less static electricity and fewer wrinkles.
• For whole-house heating, you can’t get much more efficient than propane. Today’s propane furnaces boast efficiency ratings in the high 90 percents!

This efficiency means you lose almost no heating energy in combustion, which in turn means you burn less fuel. That’s good news for your home energy budget.

Propane vs. electricity — reliability

When your home has electric appliances, they all go offline when the power grid fails. In 2021, Texans experienced 20 hours of grid outages on average. That was the third most of any state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But propane-powered households control their own power source with an on-site propane tank.

Many gas-fired products, like ranges and gas logs, are totally insulated from power-grid outages. And if you have a propane-powered standby generator, you can keep your whole home powered when the grid fails.

Propane vs. electricity — versatility

While some products can be powered by both propane and electricity, many are only available to you with propane gas, including fireplace inserts, firepits, fire tables, gas grills and whole-house generators. Those fire features can also improve the “curb appeal” of your home.

Propane vs. electricity — the planet

There is a misconception that electric home comfort systems and appliances are the greenest options, but the facts don’t align with that.

Electric appliances only lower a home’s carbon footprint if the grid electricity powering them has a low carbon intensity (CI). Unfortunately, Texas’s grid electricity is far from clean. Right now, about 56% of the Lone Star State’s electricity comes from natural gas and coal. Our grid’s overall CI is 140 grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule. Propane’s CI is 79 grams.

When you consider the superior efficiency of propane equipment, you can see how a Texas home that heats rooms, water, dryers and cooktops with propane is much greener than one using all-electric products.

Have more questions about propane vs. electricity? Talk to Star Tex Propane!

Without a doubt, propane has a lot to recommend it, and switching from electric equipment in your home to high-efficiency propane products could save you a lot on energy costs. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the Star Tex Propane team to discuss the viability of switching home energy sources. And feel free to drop by the propane appliance showrooms at our Waco and Burnet locations.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Propane Education & Research Council and Choose Energy.