Posted: February 16, 2026
When you’re making decisions about energy and your home, you have a lot to think about these days: efficiency, cost, and the environment. Lots of customers these days want to know more about propane. But how does propane stack up against electricity or heating oil? This question matters a lot in a cold climate like ours, where heating oil is common. Does propane burn hot enough to handle water heating and space heating and keep your home and family comfortable?
Energy is measured in British thermal units, or Btus. A Btu is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1° F.
One gallon of propane generates about 91,452 Btus. Natural gas is measured in cubic feet, so a comparison requires some mathematical gymnastics. But when you compare propane to an equivalent amount of natural gas, you’ll see that natural gas generates about 1,012 Btus of heat. That’s less than half as much. And you would need about 27 kilowatt-hours of electricity to produce the same number of Btus.
That’s a lot of math, but what it boils down to is that you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy. That makes propane a great value. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes that heat water with propane rather than electricity can see average annual savings of $174.
In a nutshell, even with our frigid winters, propane can hold its own against oil for home heating. But it packs the additional punch of being versatile. You can use it to power a wide range of equipment and appliances in your home.
Because propane is so efficient, it’s a smarter choice than electricity for a wide variety of appliances, in addition to heating your home. For example, propane water heaters generate much more hot water at a cheaper cost per gallon.
The same technology that makes propane ideal for water heaters makes it a smarter choice than electricity to power all kinds of appliances that use hot water or heat, including washers and dryers, dishwashers, patio heaters, space heaters, and pool and spa heaters. It’s also a chef’s choice for cooking because it offers power and control that you can’t get with an electric cooktop. Propane is also ideal for outdoor grills.
With propane, your supply is right there at your home. When you have a propane-powered standby generator, propane will keep your home powered and safe through electrical outages, too. And our automatic delivery and wireless propane tank monitoring services mean you don’t have to do a thing. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ll always have the propane you need to stay comfortable.
And when ice and snow take out the overhead lines, a propane-powered standby generator will keep your home powered and safe until the utility company can come through and make repairs.
Did you know that propane is a domestically sourced fuel that is also one of the cleanest fuels around? Propane is named as an alternative fuel in both the 1990 Clean Air Act and the 1992 National Energy Policy. It’s also nontoxic and nonpoisonous, so it doesn’t contaminate groundwater or soil if it leaks, which means propane tanks can be safely buried out of sight.
Whether you are remodeling your existing place, shopping for a new home, or just looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, propane provides tremendous value.
Talk to the team at Davis Oil & Propane. We have the experience and knowledge to answer all your questions and help make it easy to add propane to your Monadnock Region home. Ask about all the great propane services we provide, like on-time deliveries, smart payment plans to help keep costs manageable, and so much more.
Contact us to learn more and become a customer today.
