GREEN LIVING
- Propane Is Energy Efficient
- Ninety-eight percent of homeowners believe it is important that their home be as energy efficient
- As possible, yet only 41 percent of homeowners think it is easy to make their homes more efficient.
- Propane gas appliances offer easy, practical solutions for homeowners who want to be green, because of its unique natural properties, propane gas works more efficiently with less waste.
- Propane tankless water heaters can reduce wasted standby energy by up to 20 percent.
- Propane furnaces are more efficient than oil furnaces: propane furnaces can reach efficiency levels over 95 percent, while peak efficiency for an oil furnace is 80–85 percent.
- Propane furnaces also have a long life — with operating lives of 15–20 years; 10 years longer than electric heat pumps.
- Propane fireplaces are excellent secondary sources of heat. Wood-burning fireplaces can lose as much as 90 percent of the heat they generate, whereas propane fireplaces (and log sets) are up to 100 percent efficient.
Propane Is Clean
When asked about the factors they consider when selecting an energy source for major home appliances, nearly three quarters (72 percent) of homeowners want a clean-burning fuel*. Propane-fueled appliances leave a smaller carbon footprint than their electric counterparts.
- Burning a pound of propane gas releases less than half the amount of carbon dioxide than burning a pound of coal that generates electricity.
- Electric water heaters are responsible for 2.5 times more greenhouse gases than propane water heaters.
- Oil furnaces produce a considerably higher amount of greenhouse gases than propane furnaces.
- Propane is nontoxic and insoluble in water. Because it is released as a gas, it doesn't spill, pool, or leave a residue.
- Propane radiant heat can improve indoor air quality by cutting down on dust and allergens.
Propane Appliances Can Save Water
Propane tankless water heaters heat water on demand instead of storing it in a tank, saving the average American family 10–20 percent of its daily water use.
* Source: CARAVAN® Omnibus Survey, March 2008