2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)

A healthy propane industry depends on a healthy residential marketplace, as the residential sector alone accounts for more than half of all gallons sold – 51% in 2021.

According to recent EIA data, 9% of all U.S. households utilize propane for at least one residential application, excluding outdoor grilling. Of course, propane’s residential presence is not evenly distributed across the country. In fact, it ranges from a high of 39% of households in Vermont to a low of 4% in Illinois and New Jersey.

Propane highlights from the 2020 U.S. RECS:

• Space heating: 4.2% of households use propane as their primary heating fuel. This ranges from a high of 16% in North Dakota to a low of 2% in Arizona, California, and Texas.
• Water heating: 3% of households use propane as their primary water heating fuel. This ranges from a high of 20% in Vermont to a low of 1% in Florida.
• Clothes drying: 1% of households use propane as the heating element in their clothes dryer. In contrast, 80% utilize electricity for clothes drying, and 19% natural gas.
• Cooking range: Of the households that have a kitchen cooking range, 4% have a propane range, 59% have an electric range, 31% a natural gas range, and 5% a dual-fuel range.
• Grilling: Of the households that have an outdoor grill, 61% have a propane grill, 32% have a charcoal grill, and 7% utilize a natural gas grill.

For additional information and materials on residential propane applications, visit the For My Home section on PERC’s website. For more information, contact NPGA’s Director of State Affairs, Jacob Peterson.