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Discussion Forum

Propane v Natural Gas

Varoom | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on June 18, 2008 12:02pm

We bought our place 4 years ago, north of Toronto.  Heating season runs basically non-stop Nov to April.  We are out in the sticks.

House was forced air propane heat, about 3500 sq ft living space, ranch house with a basement walkout.  H/w was also propane, power vented.

We were paying about $1000 CAD to fill the storage tank, in the heart of winter that would last us 6 weeks, 7 if we streched it.  We would spend about $3500 in fuel costs for the winter.  We were paying almost $1/litre of propane by the end.

The natural gas company ran a gas line past our place in the fall of 2007.  Time to tap into it and convert the furnace, as the gas company was offering free connection from the main line to the house with a meter installed.  I switched the h/w to electric.

We converted the furnace mid-December, using a local gas fitter.  $1200 to disconnect the propane, run the pipe from the meter to the furnace, and convert the furnace.

Our natural gas usage from mid-Dec to end of May was $1050.  The conversion paid for itself in one winter.

I am still floored at the price difference.

Anyone else’s experience the same?

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Replies

  1. hasbeen | Jun 18, 2008 12:08am | #1

    I don't burn gas any more, but there has been a price difference for a long time. I know that local prices on natural gas vary widely. Are you near a gas producing area?

    Edited to say: Good for you on the money savings!!!

    "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

    ~ Voltaire

    Edited 6/17/2008 5:09 pm by hasbeen



    Edited 6/17/2008 5:09 pm by hasbeen

    1. rich1 | Jun 18, 2008 01:11am | #2

      "Are you near a gas producing area?"

       

       

      Canada.   LOL.

      1. Varoom | Jun 18, 2008 09:25pm | #5

        Rich,

        Yes, we do seem to have a lot of natural gas in Canada.  I thought Has was referring to methane.

        Paul

    2. Varoom | Jun 18, 2008 09:22pm | #4

      Has,

      "Are you near a gas producing area?"

      He, he - I'm sitting on it right now.  Shouldn't have had that second helping of beans.

      Paul

  2. Clewless1 | Jun 18, 2008 02:59am | #3

    What is your gas cost per therm? Should have went gas domestic hot water, too.

    When everyone switches to gas ... the playing field will level again. It happened out here in the west. Electricity was like 4x the cost of gas. La ti da ... everyone switched, now gas is like 60+ % of electricity ... 2nd law of thermo ... ain't no free lunch.

    1. Varoom | Jun 18, 2008 09:37pm | #6

      Clew,

      "What is your gas cost per therm? Should have went gas domestic hot water, too."

      Not sure what "per therm" means, but per cubic meter, it runs about $0.38.  Our first bill for 2400 cubic meters (mid Dec to end of May) came out at the $1050 number, with 13% taxes.

      I contemplated running the h/w on natural gas, but it would have had to remain as a power vent, as there is no chimney access to run a direct vent.  Power vents suck a lot of conditioned air out of the house.  Operating costs come out pretty even with electricity once that is factored in. 

      Paul

      1. junkhound | Jun 18, 2008 11:33pm | #7

        A therm is 100,000 BTU

        Most NG runs about 1 therm per 100 cuft,  1 m^3 is about 35.3 cu ft, or about 0.35 therms. 

        Thus 38 cents per m^3 is about $1.10 per therm (doing numbers in my head, may be a little off)

        Lotta places in the US are $1.50/therm.  Electricity at 10 cents kW-hr thru a Heat pump running at -7C equates out to about $1.17, so you are still cheapest with NG unless ontario hydro is below 8 cents kW-hr. 

        WSJ article today says in US most NG distrubutors have already applied to state regulators to raise NG by 20% or more, but same with US elec rates.

         

         

        1. Clewless1 | Jun 19, 2008 04:34am | #8

          whew ... thanks for the convert ...

          1. roger g | Jun 19, 2008 06:07am | #9

            In Canada, natural gas is sold by the gigajoul. That's metric for something.roger

          2. Clewless1 | Jun 19, 2008 06:56am | #10

            You're confusing it w/ the Delorean ... gigawatts ... :)

          3. junkhound | Jun 19, 2008 07:08am | #11

             1 gigajoule = 9.47 therms = 983 cu feet of New Mexico well # 12 NG (varies by well composition, NM has more butane than most)

            OK, made up the well #12 part, cant remember everything. <G>

          4. roger g | Jun 19, 2008 04:18pm | #12

            Phew! Thanks. I can now sleep well:)
            rogerroger

          5. smslaw | Jun 19, 2008 07:42pm | #14

            1 gigajoule = 9.47 therms

            I always thought a gigajoule was what the big time athletes like David Ortiz wear in their ears.

          6. frammer52 | Jun 20, 2008 02:24am | #15

            that be funny right thar!

          7. rez | Jun 20, 2008 06:10am | #16

            yep.

            Congratulations!

            smslaw receives the much coveted

            MrT/brownbagg OneLiner Award.

            Saaalute!View Image  View Image 

        2. Varoom | Jun 19, 2008 05:25pm | #13

          Junk,

          Your $0.08/Kwh for elec is pretty close.  Notice went out recently here of increase in natural gas prices as well ... 20% or 30%, not recall which.  Eeek either way.

          At least the hassle of running out of gas has been removed.  That happened to us x-mas a few years ago.  Fun times.

          Paul

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