We’ve been enduring scorching weather in Kingman, Prescott, Flagstaff and other cities in northern Arizona. It might feel impossible these days, but the temperatures will drop in the coming months, which means your home’s propane usage is likely to increase soon.
At Superior Propane, we regularly discuss fuel usage with our valued customers. How can they determine when their propane tank will run out? When should they plan to order more fuel?
In this post, we’ll look to explore the answers to these questions, using a 500-gallon propane tank as an example.
A 500-gallon propane tank typically accommodates about 400 gallons of propane. Fuel companies like ours never fill aboveground propane tanks beyond 80% capacity. This precaution is necessary because propane expands significantly in hot weather, and allowing space in the tank ensures safer fluctuations in volume.
Several factors can impact the speed at which you use propane. Most significant is how many pieces of propane equipment you own and how often you use them. Water heaters, gas ranges and laundry dryers see pretty consistent usage throughout the year. Conversely, a standby propane generator won’t use a lot of fuel on a week-to-week basis (unless there is a grid-power outage).
Home heating can be the biggest consumer of propane in the colder months, and the larger your home, the more fuel you’ll need to heat it. It’s also important to consider the age and energy efficiency rating of your current heating system.
Finally, the specific weather conditions of the heating season will affect your fuel usage. If we have a mild winter, you won’t need to run your furnace as often and won’t consume as much propane.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has found that the average propane-powered American home uses about 750 gallons each winter. Of course, homes in colder climates will use more. With that said, here are some usage rates for standard propane products:
A full 500-gallon tank would have 400 gallons of fuel. In the winter, if you’re running a propane furnace for 8 hours a day along with a propane water heater, stove and dryer, it will take you approximately 40 days to use a full 500-gallon propane tank.
We suggest that “will call” propane customers arrange a propane delivery when their tank reaches 30% to 25%.
When you use Superior Propane for your home fuel needs, you don’t need to do these usage calculations yourself or run outside to check your tank gauge all the time. We offer free “Keep Full” delivery service. Superior Propane’s computerized system factors in how many gas appliances you have, how large your home is and what the current weather patterns are so we can determine when you’ll need more propane. Even better, our “Keep Full” customers receive a discount on their propane!
Choose Superior Propane for your home fuel needs and never run out. Become a customer today!
