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While natural gas and electric dominate in homes across the U.S., propane is still a major contender.

In fact, more than 10 percent of all homes in the country run on propane or heating oil. While the majority of these homes are concentrated in rural areas in the Midwest, there are also plenty in the northern, southern, and western regions, as well as in urban or suburban areas.

Whether you prefer propane or it is the only option in your area for heating your home, propane can be an excellent choice. But because it is used less often than gas or electric, it can also be difficult to estimate your potential costs.

Luckily, there is an easy solution: our propane usage calculator can help you estimate your propane costs so that you can accurately budget for the coming month or year. But before you put the calculator to work, check out this guide on estimating and preparing for propane costs.

What Runs on Propane in Your Home?

When it comes to estimating your average propane use per month, the first thing you need to do is determine where you are using propane.

For instance, if you own a home, propane might provide your heat. If you live in a mobile home, then propane could be fueling your stove too. Other uses of propane include water heaters, clothing dryers, generators, and more.

The more appliances you are running, the more propane you are using. Also, the larger your home is, the more propane it will take to heat it.

Once you’ve figured out what is running on propane in your home, it’s time to determine to what extent those appliances and features are being used.

For example, if you use propane to heat your home, you’ll need to consider how much square footage is being heated. Before you presume the amount is equal to the total square footage of your home, there are a few things to consider: Do you have a sunroom that you don’t heat during the winter? Does your home have an attic that isn’t included in your square footage, but will need to be heated as well?

You will need to determine exactly how much of your home you want to heat to estimate your propane use accurately.

Now that you know what runs on propane and how much it runs, it’s time to use a propane use calculator to figure out how much you will need to keep those appliances or features running.

Understanding the Average Propane Usage

When it comes to estimating the amount of propane you’ll need to heat your home or power your appliances, a propane use calculator is a great tool.

But there are a few things that a calculator can’t account for.

For instance, temperatures can vary significantly from day to day, month to month, and year to year. The region that you live in will be a factor in determining the amount of propane you will need.

Your home itself will also have a significant impact on your propane usage. If your home is older or in need of new windows or doors, it may leak heat, causing you to use more propane to keep it warm.

If you have a large family, your water heater may work harder to keep up, while a home with one or two people won’t need as much propane to power their water heater.

One way to account for these factors when estimating the amount of propane you may use is to look at national and local averages.

Monitoring Your Propane Usage

Besides helping you to better estimate how much your propane will cost you from one year to the next, estimating your propane usage has another benefit: knowing your average yearly propane usage, or how much propane you will use if you are new to the home or appliances, can help you figure out when there is an issue.

A propane leak or faulty furnace, water heater, or other appliance can cause a spike in your propane usage. If you find that you go through far more propane in one month than the previous, it could be a sign that you have a potentially dangerous leak.

Propane causes an average of 1,170 structure fires each year. While many of these fires are the result of accidents involving backyard grills, plenty of others are linked to propane leaks or improper use of appliances that run on propane.

While a spike in your monthly propane usage could indicate a leak that needs fixing, it is also important to consider other possibilities as well. If the weather was unseasonably cold or you had visitors for whom you cranked up the heat, you may use more propane than usual.

If you determine that your increase in usage isn’t because of a leak, it may be time to put a few propane-saving hacks to use, such as getting a programmable thermostat, wearing warm clothing, or not heating rooms in your home that you don’t use.

Check Out Our Propane Usage Calculator

Now that you know the factors you’ll need to consider to get an accurate estimate, it’s time to put our propane usage calculator to work. This calculator can help you more accurately estimate your propane cost for your home or mobile home and the appliances that you use.

Whether you’re new to using propane, considering making the switch to propane-powered appliances, or just looking to get a better idea of next year’s costs, our calculator can help. Use it to start estimating your costs today!