Which is cheaper? Propane or Electric

[Fiesta48]

Electric Heat vs. Gas/Oil Heat Cost Calculator/Comparator

You determine.

Mine #s are:
.15 $/kw
$3.10 including tax per gallon propane, 3.70 delivered
Most RV furnaces are at best 75% efficient.

Not logical but:

Electric is way cheaper especially at delivered price.
My 1500w Space heater (yes we keep it away from flammables) is quieter than the furnace that keeps waking me up.

Were now going on 2 years without filling our 38 Gallon Propane tank.

[530ktm]

If you are hooked up all the time then yes it makes sense to use the electricity. I dry camp most of the time and still do not use the furnace that much, I use the Buddy and it works great. I still have to heat my water and use my stove though so you do pretty good at not having to fill in 2 years.

[USA-RVNomads]

Where we are at now propane costs $1.90/gal. Electricity is .11/kwh plus tax. We're consuming about $4/day in electricity and we're not doing much in the way of conserving to save $$. We use the furnace when the outside temp drops below 40F because the heat pumps loose their effectiveness. We subsidize heating with an oil filled electric space heater. We also use LP on occasion to supplement the electric side of the water heater because we like long hot showers.

Typically I only have to refill the MH twice a year with propane and the most I've ever had to put in was 18 gal to refill its 38 gal tank. I've paid as little as .87/gal and as much as $4/gal for LP.

A lot has to do with your rig, the appliances and the local costs for LP and electricity. Our neighbors are replacing/refilling their 80# LP bottles every fourth day and supplementing their heating with electric heaters because their rig is poorly insulated and they like it a bit warmer than we do.

[Scottybdivin]

If you look at a gov website that monitors propane, there is unbelievablle disparity in prices across the country. Sometimes as much as 2X in some places.

[Old-Biscuit]

IF in above freezing temps we used a 1500W electric space heater to 'maintain' warm temps in area that we were in....living room/bedroom
But when in below freezing temps it was the RV Furnace regardless of propane costs (which varied greatly....NM $2.70/gal, WY $1.39/gal, CA $3.60/gal etc)
Electric heat just wouldn't keep entire RV warm enough and protect enclosed underbelly.

Costs for electricity and/or propane are so minimal overall it just NOT a big factor when we FTd.

[alank]

Doing the math with your numbers:


$3.70 per gal. propane delivered will provide 91,000 btu of heat and 68,250 inside with your 75% efficient furnace.

Using $0.15 per KWH, 68,250 btu of resistance heat will cost $2.99 delivered using space heaters.

If you are using heat pump/s, the electric cost should be less depending on the efficiency of the heat pump.

[alank]

My edit time ran out, but I forgot to mention that the quoted electric rate of $0.15/kwh doesn't likely include all the taxes and other charges they tag on to the utility bills. That can make the 2.99 cost considerably higher.