Increased propane usage and higher propane bills in the summer may come as a surprise to you.
In fact, you may wonder if your increased propane usage is because you have a propane leak.
First of all, if you suspect a propane leak, have your system tested immediately. If you don’t have propane leak detectors installed, we highly recommend you do so.
This is a good time to remind you that you should know about propane safety, and what to do if you smell the rotten-egg odor of propane gas.
But most of the time, the cause of your increased propane bill isn’t a leak. You likely have underestimated how much propane you’ve been using.
Want to keep better track of your propane usage this summer? Use this guide below!
You are probably not running all your propane appliances at 100% 24 hours a day. So we’ve created the example below to estimate propane usage for running them at 25% and 50% capacity for 2 to 6 hours per day.
The estimate for potential propane use can vary a great deal, between 1.2 and 7.2 gallons a day. But you’d be surprised at how much your usage can change. Let’s say you have guests staying over for a long weekend. Just a few days where you have extra loads of laundry and hot showers, and are running the dishwasher more, can have a bigger impact on your propane usage (and bill) than you realize. Here’s an example:
For a gas water heater, clothes dryer, and range run at 25% capacity for 2 hours a day:
220,000 BTU/hours (the total for all the appliances) ÷ 91,547 BTU/gallon of propane = 2.4 gallons per hour
2.4 gallons x .25 (25% capacity) = .6 gallons per hour
.6 gallons x 2 hours = 1.2 gallons
This number can then be used to calculate greater use of propane appliances:
If you have a propane pool heater (at 425,000 BTU/hour) that operates for one hour a day at 75% capacity, which adds about 3.5 gallons to your daily usage:
425,000 BTU/hour ÷ 91,547 = 4.64 gallons/hour
4.65 x .75 = 3.48 gallons
If you use a propane pool filter, know that it uses a lot of propane. We recommend using a swimming pool cover to help retain as much of the pool’s heat as possible so your heater won’t have to run as much.
A propane generator can throw a monkey wrench into your calculations. That’s because you don’t know when or if you’ll be using it in a power outage, or for how long. Keep track of any time your propane whole house generator is in use so you can prepare for any increases in your propane delivery bills.
When doing your estimates, knowing the size of your propane tank will give you a good idea of just how much you have left.
Want peace of mind when it comes to propane? Our Automatic Delivery plan ensures you’ll always have propane when you need it. Contact us today to enroll!
Written By: on August 16, 2021