The United States uses 384.74 million gallons of gas every single day. Approximately 264 million of those gallons are consumed by the vehicles we drive. Over 115 million of those gallons are imported from other countries. And 100% of those gallons release greenhouse gases into the air we breath when they are burned.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our dependence on gas is a growing issue. Our heavy usage of gas is bad news for the planet Earth that we love so much. It makes us dependent on the foreign countries who supply it and creates a risk for instability in our country. If only there were some kind of gas products that didn’t deplete natural resources, that is produced domestically, that we could afford. Oh wait there is. We have propane fuel.
Propane fuel is a cost efficient fuel that is produced here on American soil, and is better for our health and the health of the planet. If you don’t believe it, please check our overview of the value of propane, below:
- Propane fuel provides security.
Approximately one-third of all of the petroleum that Americans consume is imported from foreign suppliers. Many of the most productive oil fields are in politically volatile locations, which creates a huge risk of disruption. Because we are so dependent on oil, if the one of the foreign sources that we heavily rely on suddenly became unavailable, it would have a devastating economic impact on us. Not to mention, a sharp oil shortage would interrupt life as we know it.
Meanwhile, propane fuel is produced during the petroleum refining process, when it (along with butane) is removed from the raw gas, to prevent condensation of these substances from seeping through the gas pipelines. Petroleum is refined after it has been imported to the United States, this means that propane produced on American soil. This also means the infrastructure to create and distribute propane fuel is already in place, we are not dependent on other countries for it.
The more we gravitate towards utilizing propane services instead of natural gas, the more diversified our energy sources are. This creates an added level of security and stability for our country. - Propane fuel is an economical choice.
Typically, propane fuel costs about 25% less than gas to the end consumer. This means any energy consumers that you convert to propane will quickly pay for itself in fuel savings.
Propane can be used in the home for cooking and heating water, as well as fueling a fire place. It is even possible to obtain vehicles that are fueled with propane. Propane-powered vehicles cost a little more than their gas counterparts, but the cost is quickly recovered through gas savings.
Because propane is cheaper (and better for the environment), some people retrofit their vehicles with propane fuel systems. If you are considering this option, just make sure to follow federal guidelines for propane conversions, so that it is safe. - Propane fuel gives your vehicle a longer lifespan.
When you put gas in your car, you can choose between octane levels of 87 to 92 (you’ve seen the yellow sticker at the gas pump with these numbers). On the other hand, the octane levels of propane are 104 to 112. Propane also produces less carbon, and is less likely to contaminate the oil in the engine. These factors put less stress on the engine, and so propane-powered engines typically are capable of far more mileage than their gas counterparts. - Propane fuel is better for your health.
As we touched on previously, propane has a lower carbon content than other forms of fuel. As a result, it has fewer emissions when it is burned. This means that driving a car that runs on propane (or running your hot water heater and stove with propane) doesn’t release toxic greenhouse gases that harm our health. Additionally, the impact of using propane is far milder on the planet than other forms of fuel.
Our dependence on gas is bad for us in a number of ways. Although using propane is not a fix-all solution, it relieves our dependence on foreign oil, it is cheaper than natural gas, and it is better for our health and our planet.