Is the difference between propane and natural gas meaningful here? The Internet(TM) seems to think that “gas” specifically refers to methane, whereas propane seems to show up as “LPG” in a few of those charts.
The Internet(TM) also seems to think that propane is cleaner-burning but more expensive than “gas” aka methane.
However, propane is colloquially referred to as “gas”, in the sense that I have a gas stove but it runs propane and would require special conversion to safely burn methane. I wonder how much this distinction confounds reporting about how many households use “gas”?
A glance at https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=4070 suggests that propane might be more of a rural thing, which would make sense as its higher BTUs per volume compared to methane make it more economical in areas where much of the actual cost is the expense of bringing out a truck to refill one’s tank of it.
Which type of gas someone uses varies on their location for the reasons you mentioned. The piped gas is cheaper and is preferred, but propane is still more economical than electric resistance heat. (probably not more economical than heat pumps)
Is the difference between propane and natural gas meaningful here? The Internet(TM) seems to think that “gas” specifically refers to methane, whereas propane seems to show up as “LPG” in a few of those charts.
The Internet(TM) also seems to think that propane is cleaner-burning but more expensive than “gas” aka methane.
However, propane is colloquially referred to as “gas”, in the sense that I have a gas stove but it runs propane and would require special conversion to safely burn methane. I wonder how much this distinction confounds reporting about how many households use “gas”?
A glance at https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=4070 suggests that propane might be more of a rural thing, which would make sense as its higher BTUs per volume compared to methane make it more economical in areas where much of the actual cost is the expense of bringing out a truck to refill one’s tank of it.
Which type of gas someone uses varies on their location for the reasons you mentioned. The piped gas is cheaper and is preferred, but propane is still more economical than electric resistance heat. (probably not more economical than heat pumps)