Propane in Delaware (DE)
Propane in Delaware is relatively expensive so it is all the more important to find the best propane deal if your home uses propane gas for energy. The following is designed to provide you with useful information, statistics and advice if you are looking for propane in Delaware. On the basis of the averages and official data below, you should have useful tools for your search for the right propane company.
Propane usage and prices
The table below illustrates average energy consumption and spending for Delaware, as opposed to the rest of the country. It is clear that people in Delaware use more electricity and natural gas than the equivalent national usage, based on the US Energy Information Agency official statistics for 2009. However, people in Delaware use considerably less propane gas than Americans on average (231 gallons per year vs. 464 gallons per year averages for 2009). Yet people in Delaware spend more on propane, relatively speaking: through 2009, propane price per gallon was $2.42 in Delaware and $2.10 in the United States as a whole, almost 25% less; over the last winter season, the data is comparable - whereas people in Delaware paid $3.05 per gallon on average, the national average price was $2.436 (almost a fifth less, again).
|
Delaware |
US |
Average propane price (2012-2013 winter season) |
$3.05 |
$2.436 |
Propane usage per household (gallons) |
231 |
464 |
Propane spending per household (dollars) |
561 |
973 |
Propane spending per household on heating (dollars) |
494 |
957 |
Electricity usage per household (kWh) |
14,100 |
11,320 |
Electricity spending per household (dollars) |
1,666 |
1,340 |
Electricity spending per household on heating (dollars) |
356 |
222 |
Natural gas usage per household (thousand cubic feet) |
63 |
66 |
Natural gas spending per household (dollars) |
904 |
804 |
Natural gas spending per household on heating (dollars) |
740 |
607 |
Average energy spending per household (dollars) |
2,313 |
2,024 |
Average energy spending per household on heating (dollars) |
713 |
N/A |
Propane and energy statistics, 2009 figures / Source: US Energy Information Administration
Propane prices
The graph here shows propane price trends in Delaware over the last winter season, beyond the average price worked out above. Remember, although Delaware propane prices are affected by many factors, such as climate, region, supply and demand, availability, individual propane prices are also (mostly) determined by how far you are from the propane company you decide on and how much propane you use. The more propane your home in Delaware requires, the lower the price you are likely to pay for it; the closer you are to your Delaware propane company, the lower the price is likely to be, once again. Therefore, use this graph to check that, when propane companies in Delaware provide you with quotes, their pricing trends roughly follow the same lines.
Propane companies
Although not have all have outlets in Delaware, all three national propane companies, that is, Amerigas, Ferrellgas and Suburban Propane, operate and deliver propane in Delaware. Superior Plus Energy Services and Sharp Energy are known for their Delaware propane operations, as well as United Propane and Eastern Shore Gas Company. Although Delaware is a relatively small state, there are various propane companies that operate in Delaware from neighboring states. You should not neglect smaller, more local, companies and cooperatives, either, in your research.
However, it is difficult to establish which company is the best, given how different consumption types are for propane in Delaware. Your best bet is, therefore, to list the services you might need from a propane company and call propane dealers in your area in Delaware to see which of these propane companies offers the deal that best suits your needs in terms of pricing, certainly, but also tanks, services, maintenance, etc.
The propane industry and regulations
The Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is the state propane gas association in charge of Delaware. The members propane industry that have joined the MAPGA use it to lobby the Delaware and national authorities on propane issues, organize communications and outreach events and, crucially, train their employees on key issues, including safety (e.g., the Certified Employee Training Program). In Delaware, the propane industry's activities fall under the Delaware Code, Title 16, Chapter 72, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Containers.