Calculate your propane usage

While many factors influence propane consumption (climate, humidity, appliances, space, etc.) it is useful to know that on average, American households use 464 gallons of propane every year. In December 2011, average propane prices were $2.856/gal (according to the US Energy Information Agency). This amounts to $1,325/year per unit.

Measuring propane usage

Propane is measured in British Thermal Units, or BTUs. Propane appliances use a certain amount of BTU per hour. And one gallon of propane has 91,574 BTUs. This gives you a vague idea of how much energy your propane appliances are likely to consume: their performance is measured in BTUs, whereas you buy propane at a certain price per gallon.

Estimating your propane usage or consumption is very different from figuring out how much you will pay your propane dealer per gallon. Propane costs depend on crude oil price, supply and demand and propane transportation costs for the supplier (depending on how far your home is from major supply sources on the Gulf Coast or in the Midwest).

Factors affecting propane usage

On the one hand, propane usage depends on what appliances you use propane for. People use propane for cooking, water heating, refrigeration, indoor heating, clothes drying and even as an alternative fuel for cars. For example, if you only use propane for an outdoor grill, your usage will be significantly lower than if you use propane for indoor heating. The first step in calculating your propane usage is knowing what you need propane for.

Propane use for outdoor lighting (1), clothes drying (2), water heating (3), indoor heating (4), fireplaces (5), outdoor grilling (6), spas (7), pool heating (8), cooking (9), refrigeration (10) and even cars (11).

Propane usage depends on a variety of other factors. A household in the Midwest (in Michigan, for example) uses more propane than a household in the South (in Texas, for example). Rural homes use more propane than urban homes. Climate (cold/warm, dry/humid, marine) changes how much propane you are likely to use. The newer your home is, the less propane you will use. And a house with five people in it will consume more propane than a flat with one occupant.

Propane usage figures

It is difficult to know exactly how much propane you will probably use. Your best bet is to contact a propane company and get a quote. However, if you want a rough idea of what propane consumption might be in your home, you can use the table below, which lists average yearly residential propane consumption using different indicators, including square footage, region and number of household members.

Source: US Energy Information Agency, 2009