Consumers giving propane a closer look

Most people think of propane as the little green cans they use to fuel their camp stoves or the bulbous chrome tanks that provide heat to grill their burgers and shish-kebabs.

This fall, however, as oil prices continue their meteoric rise, more and more Mainers may turn to propane as a source of home heating.

However, according to local propane stove retailers and propane distributors, homeowners aren’t rushing to switch to propane just yet.

“We still see an interest [in propane], but not as much lately,” said Wade Beebe of Finest Hearth and Home in Bangor, formerly the Black Stove Shop. “Mostly people come in because they are tired of burning wood; they don’t want to mess with it.”

“We’re about average for the season right now,” added Kara Lavertu, a sales manager at Amerigas Propane in Brewer. “But I think we’ll see more people buying propane stoves as winter approaches.”

Propane has been around for a long time and is similar to natural gas and petroleum in that it is a fossil fuel. Since it takes up so little space in liquid form, propane is sold that way and because it burns efficiently and cleanly, a little goes a long way. That’s one of the reasons propane is thought of as a “portable gas.”

Propane can be used in two ways to heat a home: either through a furnace or through a stove. Propane furnaces are not that common in Maine and stoves, which look similar to old-fashioned wood stoves, tend to be a supplemental source of heat rather than a primary source.

“You can use propane as a primary source, but when people do that, we hope they have a propane furnace,” Beebe said. “A stove is a single-point heat source,” meaning the warmth it produces is not as intense.

Another drawback is that stores don’t exactly give the stoves away. Lower-end models start at $800, but top shelf stoves are upwards of $2,000 and Beebe said that limits the amount of customers that tend to buy stoves.

“People come in looking for a look,” Beebe explained. “They are going to get some functionality, but [as salespeople] we say they get a little sizzle to go with their steak.”

Looking strictly at numbers, propane seems to be a bargain. The average price of propane in Maine is about $2.18 a gallon, compared that to about $2.56 a gallon for oil.

“There are advantages to propane. It’s much cleaner; oil requires much more maintenance,” said Beth Nagusky, director of Maine’s Office of Energy Independence and Security. “It depends on how the price [of propane] fluctuates, but propane is very competitive even in small-scale use.”

But the numbers are slightly deceiving because, all things being equal, you need more propane than oil to heat. Still, Nagusky said as more and more people learn about the benefits of propane, it could become a valuable supplemental heating source.

“Interest has increased in recent years, primarily because there are new and very efficient heaters,” she said. “People who are not on natural gas pipelines can fuel with propane.”

Following are some details about the use of propane from the National Propane Gas Association.

. A propane furnace consistently supplies air at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Electric heat pumps dispense 95-degree air, which is less than body temperature (98.6 degrees), so the air feels cool, not warm.

. Propane gas furnaces last an average of 20 years, while electric heat pumps last an average of 12 years. The cost of repairing propane gas furnaces is also lower than the cost of repairing electric heaters.

. Vent-free propane-fueled space heaters are 99.9 percent efficient and include oxygen depletion sensors that automatically turn units off if oxygen levels drop below specified levels. They can also include thermostats and heat distribution blowers.

. Propane-fueled space heaters produce fewer air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions than those fueled by fuel oil and electricity. In fact, the energy used to power electric heaters produces emissions two to four times higher than the energy produced to power propane heaters.

. Propane-gas water heaters cost approximately $10 less per month to operate than comparable electric units. On average, propane water heaters are 42 percent less expensive than electric heaters.

. Sales of gas-burning fireplace units are increasing. In fact, some propane marketers report that nearly one-third of their new customers are coming to them specifically for propane hearth products.

. Propane gas fireplace systems cost between 30 percent and 60 percent less per hour of operation than wood-burning fireplaces.

. Propane gas fireplaces emit 40 times fewer emissions than wood-burning units and cost less to operate.

. Propane gas fireplaces can be turned off easily with a switch, eliminating concern about remaining embers.