Who uses propane?
People use propane as a source of energy. It is sought after because it is more efficient than electricity, natural gas or heating oil. It is also popular among homeowners who are not linked to the natural gas pipeline network or who wish to control their energy supply: propane is stored in a tank directly on your property. A propane consumer only needs road access and enough space for the tank to be installed.
The different propane users
Propane fuels various appliances, including clothes dryers, central heating, water heating, cooking or outdoor lighting. There are 14.3 million residential propane customers in the United States (roughly 4.5% of all Americans). Around 47 million people use propane for grills and another 6.8 million Americans use propane to heat their house. Close to 110,000 people in the US have a propane standby generator.
Propane users in the US
Propane users by sector
Residential |
14.3 million |
Commercial |
1 million |
Industrial |
240,000 |
Forklift |
456,000 |
Agricultural |
81,000 |
Fleet |
660,000 |
Standby Generator |
110,000 |
Residential Heating |
6.8 million |
Grill users |
47 million |
Regional propane consumption
The Midwest is the region where propane is most popular, with 8% of households using it as their primary heating fuel, twice as many as in the West, South or Northeast regions.
Regional propane usage