Pulling the Plug on Electric Water Heating: How you can save using Propane
Water heating makes up almost 20 percent of your home’s energy bill, but did you know that by switching out your electric water heater for a propane-powered water heater can save you money?
The type of water heater you choose has a direct impact on not just your energy bill, but also your home’s environmental impact, your family’s safety, and your home’s resale value – and propane really is the best choice.
Water heaters have a huge impact on your everyday life and are an essential home appliance. Every time you take a hot shower, wash your dishes or use your washing machine, you are using your home’s hot water heater.
Propane water heaters are a cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly option for your home or cottage.
A propane water heater can save you significant money
In a comparison study from the Propane Education and Research Council, the annual energy cost for a propane tankless water heater in a 2,400 sq ft home was $355 (US) a year cheaper than an electric storage tank model. Not only that, but the propane water had around 70 percent fewer emissions.
The price of propane is far cheaper than that of electricity. When you factor in the costs of installing, maintaining and the average lifespan of your propane water heater, it’s around 30 percent less expensive than an electric water heater.
Propane water heaters are also less expensive to repair, have a longer lifespan and do not diminish in performance as they get older, meaning the long-term savings can be significant.
What other benefits come with a propane water heater?
Improved efficiency – Propane water heaters heat twice as much water in an hour than electric heaters. That means from a smaller sized tank you will be able to get far more water, reducing the amount of energy it takes to heat and store your hot water. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration you get 91,333 Btu from 1 gallon of propane and just 3,412 btu from 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity! Btu or British thermal units are a measure of heat energy and are 
commonly used for comparing various energy sources. Tankless water heaters, also known as demand-type or instantaneous water heaters, provide hot water only as it is needed, making them even more efficient. They do not produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters, which can save you money. We proudly offer Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters.
Environmentally friendly – Made from the process of refining crude oil and natural gas, propane is one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels in the world. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved clean alternative fuel, propane offers lower greenhouse gas emissions than electricity and is non-toxic to the environment.
Safety – Propane tanks are far more puncture resistant and are very difficult to ignite since propane is a non-toxic gas. However, if this was to happen and your propane water heater was to leak, it would vaporize and dissipate into the air rather than puddle and cause a fire threat. The strong pungent smell, resembling rotten eggs, will let you know immediately if there is a leak.
How old is your electric water heater?
Over time, the performance of an electric water heater diminishes, wasting energy and costing you more money than you should be paying. Even worse, your old electric water 
eater could quit or fail at any moment, costing you even more money for a replacement and cleanup.
Do you know how old your electric water heater is or how well it is performing? It’s important to not wait until your current electric water heater is past its prime. It’s probably the case that your water heater is performing well below the level of when you first bought it, and significantly below the level that a propane water heater would perform at.
The sooner you make that switch over to propane, the sooner you will be able to reduce your energy bills and save money on monthly energy costs.
Want to learn more about propane water heaters? Contact us today!
I was surprised to know that propane is a lot cheaper than electricity and installing a propane water heater is 30% more affordable than the electric type. It is also less expensive to repair and lasts a lot longer. For my grandparents household of 12, heaters not only get used up a lot but consume so much power, so plans to getting a propane heater is a worthy investment.
Thank you for your comment Angel. Most of the efficiency comes from the amount of BTU’s (British thermal unit) you get from propane as compared to electric. A British thermal unit (Btu or BTU) is a traditional unit of heat; it is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. You get 92,000 BTU/gallon of propane compared 3,413 BTU/kWh. Please make sure your grandparents purchase an appropriately sized water heater for that amount of people. One that has the right capacity.