Propane vs. Natural Gas Generator: Which is Right for You?

What You’ll Learn

Which is better for my home: a propane vs natural gas generator?

Choosing propane vs. natural gas depends on what you need most—cost savings, reliability during outages, or long-term efficiency.

If you want a fuel that stores well and keeps working even when utilities are down, propane may be the better fit. If you prefer a constant fuel supply and potentially lower operating costs, natural gas could be the way to go.

In this blog:

Spring is in the air. Do you know what that means? Time for a propane switch!

It might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of spring, but it is the perfect time to switch to a new propane tank company.

Why is spring the time for this? What do you need to do when spring comes?

All of your questions and more will have answers below!

The Details on Propane

There is always a lot to consider when dealing with propane. Propane can fuel a wide variety of things around the home. For this article’s purpose, we will be focusing on the heating function of propane, but the tips here can apply to all uses.

For those who live in mobile homes, their heat usage may be higher overall than that of those in a non-mobile home. This is due to a lack of an insulating foundation. 

For those who use propane for other things, such as stove and grill cooking, the different propane setups will influence how, why, and when you want to replace or refill your tank. 

Be mindful of pricing when it comes time to fill or replace your propane tank. If prices have spiked in recent months, you might want to monitor and control your usage to tide you over until a drop in pricing.

How to Switch Companies

For a more detailed look into switching propane companies, read our guide here.

For the quick and easy explanation, read below.

Switching companies for any service comes with fees, service charges, potential plans for dealing with rented equipment, and more. Whenever you switch companies, keep the following questions in mind.

Does the company you are leaving have early termination fees for leaving? Does your new company have startup fees?

Do you need to replace your tank? Does it belong to you or your old propane company? We will go over propane tank details more below. For the moment, consider what fees may apply regarding the tank when switching.

Be careful of “Too good to be true” sales. They can often be a sign that a company covers its flaws with deals. A good company and cheap propane are not always one and the same. 

Why Spring is The Best Time to Switch

Your propane is important, and getting the best deal is important as well. So what makes spring such an important time to make that fateful decision to switch propane companies?

Let these 3 reasons explain why!

1. Minding the Weather

When propane is the major supplier of your heat, you don’t want to mess with replacing it while the cold winter months are upon you! 

As the weather starts to warm up, though, you will soon not need your propane heating at all. Now, having your propane tank unattached, replaced, and fiddled with is not a big deal.

Now spring is a wide range of time, so be careful that you are well out of the winter cold to afford a bit of downtime. 

2. Going Without for a While

As the weather warms up in spring, you are now in the clear for several months of warm weather. Your propane needs drop very fast as the summer months approach.

What if you need to get out from underneath a bad company, but can’t get the right plan to replace your propane? Well, you have an entire summer that allows you to live with propane heating. 

This gives you plenty of time to do your research, get the right info, and settle for only the best when you install your new propane tank.

3. Beating the Rush

When it comes to propane heating, what time would be the worst to buy? Well, when the cold starts rushing in, of course!

That means as fall approaches faster and faster, the rush to get that last-minute propane installation gets direr!

There will almost always be people who wait till the last minute to get their propane dealt with. With that rush of people comes delays and waiting lists. The last thing you want is to suffer through a cold front because you waited too long.

Spring is the first real time you can live without propane heating. Don’t sit around and wait for the opportunity to get your new source of propane up and running!

The Details on a New Propane Tank

When dealing with a new propane tank, think on these points. 

The first, and obvious, one is that if you own the propane tank, you won’t need to get a brand new one. This helps smooth over the transition process to a new company.

If you do own your propane tank, you will need to have proof of ownership. Most companies will be hesitant to work with a propane tank with an uncertain owner. 

If the tank is not your own, consider the details below.

If you rented the propane tank, there is a good chance that there will be a rental termination fee. This can be an unexpected cost if you do not check ahead of time.

If you had borrowed the tank, as in it was part of your old contract with the old company, you will need to sort out the extraction and replacement process.

Outside of very rare circumstances, the old company will take back their old tank. Only once you have this settled can the new company come in and install their new tank.

If the old company does not take their old tank, for a variety of reasons, your new company will often have a setup plan to come in and replace or use your old tank for their purposes.

Make sure that the plan is clear before hiring a new company.

Keeping You Fueled and Ready to Go

Now that spring is sprung, it is time to get moving and switch to a new propane tank company that you can trust! 

Interested in seeing if Kauffman gas is the right switch for you? Contact us today and see what we can do for you!

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