Electric Furnace vs Propane furnace?

Question

We are getting a new double wide home and putting it on a crawl space. In the house now is an electric furnace. We have the option of switching it out for a propane furnace if we want. We want to know what would be better(cheaper) to get. The last time I filled my current propane tank was back in Feb or March i think and it was over 700 Bucks! We probably get 3-4 tanks filled a year which is turning out to be a lot of money! And the prices just don't seem to be going down at all. So what would be better for us to have? We live in Northwestern PA. So it gets pretty cold and snowy here.

Answer 1

Pete is correct.  Energy costs will only get higher.  ELE and Propane are both expensive.

Double wides are harder to heat than most homes as a rule of thumb.

Check out "Pellet stoves"  they are safe efficient and easy to maintain with little mess.  They are costly and may not heat the entire home.  Using you conventional heating unit as backup during extreme temp drops you should be able to heat your home.

The pellets come in bags like dog food.  And they cost too.  I did a comparison some years ago and estimated I would save on heating costs with the pellets not counting the original cost of the stove itself.

Answer 2

Go with the propane and have a heat pump installed. This would give you a Dual-fuel or "Hybrid" system.

For the most part, heat pumps are more efficient to operate that other types of heat until it gets really cold outside. There will be an outdoor temperature sensor that tell the heat pump to shut down and to start the propane furnace.

There are calculations that need to be performed for the system to operate properly and save you money on your heating costs: Manual J load calculation, Thermal Balance point, economic balance point, cost of propane per 1,000,000btus, cost of electricity per 1,000,000btus, etc.

Find a contractor that can do these calculations and you'll be surprised at the cost differences for heat operation.

Answer 3

The numbers I am about to give you are for Ontario Canada so they will be a little different where you are, but the ratios should be roughly the same.

For every dollar you spend on heating a home with electricity, you would spend roughly $0.90 to heat with propane. Oil would be around $1.30 and natural gas is by far the cheapest at about $0.57

I would go propane if you have the option. While you are at it, look at propane water heaters and especially clothes dryers! Those appliances, especially if you have kids and are doing lots of laundry will save you more money by getting off electric than your furnace will!

Answer 4

A new gas unit will cost around 3500$ to get it installed not including the tank and the refilling charge.Your already around 5000$.

Try the electric furnace out this coming winter and make a decision next year.

That would be the best thing to do.Good luck.

If the option to change is included with the price your already paying for the mobile home,go with gas heat.

Answer 5

There aren't any easy answers to your question. The prices of propane and electricity are always fluctuating. Historically, propane has been cheaper to use than electricity, so if I were to pick one over the other I would pick propane. If you do find electricity is cheaper, you could always plug in a few space heaters.

Another alternative is wood. The price for cord wood doesn't fluctuate all that much. You may be able to save money by installing an outdoor wood furnace, if it is allowed in your area.

In my area its pretty common to pre-buy your propane for the coming season. The suppliers give you a pretty good discount for buying ahead of time. They hold it for you and deliver it as its needed.