Will attempts to ban natural gas appliances include propane ?

[Captcolour]

As a chemical engineer, I can't believe all the bad information out there on this topic. But of course this is typical and what we've come to expect! Tom T did a great job explaining the correct information. Here is one statement from an energy company (you would think is a reliable source) that sells propane:

"Propane is clean burning and non-toxic or damaging to the environment, which makes it a “green fuel”. Natural gas is a carbon product and a greenhouse gas which is very damaging to the environment. Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Choose Propane."

I love how they point out that natural gas is a carbon product, so I guess that means propane is not! Idiots!

[OshawaDave]

This non-sense was on the Canadian news as well.......I watched it in disbelief, shook my head......let out a big [text removed].....then turned it off.

[Dadeo6472]

And then there is this article from the NY Times. The propane industry is using money from customers bills (separately itemized on bills in my state) to lobby for propane use and against electrification.

And I've always wondered what the safety fee was really for.

Look, I am not really a fan of propane, we use it in our home because the choices were limited to all electric or partial electric (lights, water pumps, refrigeration and appliances) plus some combination of coal, oil, or wood for heating, cooking, dryer, generator, and hot water. We don't have air conditioning and its not needed. Electricity was and remains the least reliable and most expensive (thanks to high rates, being at the end of the electric line, and a site that is too shady for solar). A windmill can only capture wind from the north. So we use propane for nearly everything but the electric water pumps, lights and refrigeration.

If propane were banned, I'd probably need to buy an expensive and huge battery storage system to pump water into our house and up to the septic field when the power is out, plus a wood or oil fired boiler for heat and hot water!!! An electric heat pump for hot water and heating would require a massive investment of between $10,000 to $15,000 and leave us vulnerable to frequent power outages and high rates. Our small permanent propane generator would have to be replaced by a large battery storage system, which would still be dependent on the expensive grid.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/c...smid=share-url

[edontheroad]

Tom; well done. I appreciate the read.

[IBEW Sparky]

Even the basic of residential household stoves, propane or natural gas could easily be retrofitted with a gas solenoid that only opened after verification of an operating exhaust fan... possibly via a sail switch similar to an RV furnace.

[HappyCampersJandT]

Thank you for this information. I have been wondering about some of these things.

[poppyandnana]

I certainly hope you are correct! As we also live upstate NY! And yes my electric bill is in access of 175.00 a month!
See ya down the road…..

[Scott'n'Wendy]

This non-sense was on the Canadian news as well.......I watched it in disbelief, shook my head......let out a big [text removed].....then turned it off.

Yes, I noticed it too. I had a similar reaction.

[Ranchertx]

I predict this topic will become politcal, hope not.

I think the real issue here is people not using proper ventilation while using gas type of stoves. Propane or natural gas water heaters, when installed correctly are vented to outside the house, but some people either don't know or don't care to run some type of ventilation while using a gas stove. Maybe education is the right answer vice a mandate. Mandates and laws can't solve everything.

Proper ventilation is the problem?
Huh?

[FT4NOW]

Proper ventilation is the problem?
Huh?

One of the articles I read related to this proposed ban was due to the health issues caused by use of the gas stoves. If people aren't ventilating the space, then sure, there could be some problems. I was always taught to use the vent fan when running a gas stove, not sure that everyone follows this practice.