Sunday, February 22, 2015

Propane Prices & Propane-Powered Appliances

By Cath Buhr


If you are studying up on different types of household energy sources, you might consider switching over to a propane tank instead of staying with natural gas or coal. This is an excellent option for many rural and suburban residents who want to lessen their dependence on the grid and be a bit more self-reliant.

If you currently are set up for natural gas, then you will need to convert your appliances so that they are ready to use propane instead. A technician should be able to do this for most appliances, such as your stove or heater. If your appliances are older, you might consider replacing them with new propane-ready appliances and you have many options.

Obviously, there are plenty of high quality propane furnaces and ovens and cooktops on the market, but there are many other propane-powered appliances to consider. You can purchase a cast iron stove powered by propane, which is not only a lovely decorative feature, it also provides plenty of heat. Of course, your fireplace also can run on propane rather than natural gas or wood.

While you probably use electricity for your refrigerator, you actually can purchase a refrigerator that runs on propane. There are all sizes and styles of propane refrigerators to consider buying. In addition, your washer and dryer also can be powered with propane. Most people can't afford to replace each and every appliance with a propane-powered appliance, so just consider upgrading one item at a time.

Whether you live fifty miles from the nearest city or five, you can go off the grid using alternative energy sources such as propane and solar power. You can use just propane or combine solar power and propane. It's a good idea for anyone, whether they have a propane tank or not, to consider buying a propane generator. In many areas of the country, poor weather can cause the power to go out for many hours or even for a day or more. A propane generator can help you continue to live normally, even if your neighbors do not have power.

Propane prices do fluctuate daily, so it is important to try and pre-buy propane if possible when the prices are very low. For instance, during one month the price might average at around $2 per gallon while at other times, it might be less than one dollar. If you can purchase your propane when it's under a dollar, you can save quite a bit of money. Be sure to buy from a service such as Thrifty Propane, which not only offers pre-buy specials, they also have a price cap program and other cost-saving programs.




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