Propane vs. Natural Gas Appliances

Indoor Appliances

• Propane and gas can fuel your refrigerator, stove and clothes dryer and maximize the energy you save with the new high efficiency (HE) models. Each can fuel appliances like your water heater, boiler, your furnace and your fireplace, providing hot water and home heating. Your water heater, boiler and furnace can all be fueled by natural gas or propane and connected to the overall HVAC system for your home.

Outdoor Appliances

• Propane or natural gas can provide the fuel for outdoor cooking. Gas and propane can also power the heat to warm the water for a swimming pool and provide the energy to light exterior lamps along walkways and paths. When the weather turns cold, you can fuel an outdoor fireplace or fire pit with natural gas or propane to keep outdoor areas warm and comfortable even after the sun goes down at night.

Appliance Conversions

• Converting to propane or gas is an option that many homeowners explore (and complete) every year. Some people prefer the continuity of a single energy source and opt to use natural gas for as many appliances as possible. Others use propane for outdoor appliances and natural gas for indoor appliances. Converting to a gas or propane-operated stove from an electric stove is usually one of the first (and simpler) types of conversions that homeowners make. Alliant Gas reports that propane stoves can use as much as 30 to 50 percent less energy than electric stoves. People who are seeking ways to live "off the grid" often explore propane as an alternative to natural gas for operating their heating and cooling systems or to combine with solar-powered energy systems.

Fuel Accessibility

• One of the biggest considerations when switching or converting to gas or propane appliances is accessibility to fuel supplies. Natural gas, in most cases, is more accessible because of existing natural gas pipelines all over the United States. However, many people who decide to convert to propane do what homeowners in remote and farmland areas have been doing for decades: they install their own aboveground or underground propane tank and set-up arrangements with propane suppliers to deliver and refill their propane tanks when needed.

Cost Considerations

• Major gas or propane appliances, such as stoves and refrigerators, usually cost more than electric appliances to purchase. However, the cost differential can pay off over time in lowered electric bills. An electric water heater costs about three times as much to operate as a natural gas water heater, according to the California Energy Commission.