Heat pump?

[trophyhunt]

Not much more to add, love our heat pump also.  I will add this, it's a great idea to buy your own propane tank if it isn't owned by you already.  The propane companies can really screw you if your leasing the tank, we own ours and we get to shop around.  I just filled up for 1.16 a gal, lowest I've ever seen since we moved in 10 years ago.  My neighbor paid over 6.00 a gal one year when I paid 2.40, he told them to come get their tank and he bought a new one.

[Special T]

I think its best to own the tank.  My folks have a gas cook stove and a gas fireplace 500 gallons get them through the year pretty easy with the heat pump and they live up in the mountains where they get snow fairly often. They save a BUNCH by filling up and shopping around in the summertime. If it were me id get a second 500gal tank since you have then generator. 

[Antlershed]

When we bought our house, it only had propane heat. After the first winter (2009), and getting $400-$500 propane bills each month (we didn't own our tank at that time), we made the plunge and bought a heat pump. For ours, roughly 33 degrees is the temp in which it switches over to propane. Below that temp, propane is just more efficient. We also bought our propane tank so we can shop for the lowest cost. Our house is 1100 square feet, and in the summer we keep it at 69-70 degrees and in the winter, we keep it around 70-71. We now only get two propane fills each year (250 gal tank), and were able to find a place that consistently has it for $1.79-$1.99/gal, and that is with being on their auto-fill program. Also, our PSE bill has never been over $125/month since making the change. Most PSE bills are under $100.

I should mention, our hot water tank and range are both propane, so those contribute to the use, and take away from the electric bill.

[MagKarl]

As others have mentioned, there are leased tanks and owned tanks.  The difference is when you own it, you can price shop for propane.  The price range varies a lot between vendors and seasons.  One thing I didn't know at the time I bought mine was they only fill to 80% and you don't want to run out, so your "working" range is probably only 60-70% of the tank size.  A larger tank is obviously more expensive to buy, but if big enough to only need one fill per year you can do it in the summer when prices are lowest. 

[baker5150]

LP prices vary by the size of your tank as well.  Basically the more you buy the better the price since it offsets the delivery cost.

Buy vs. Lease you should do that math considering your usage.

A 500 gallon tank runs about $1600.

If you own it,  you can also bury them.  You will need a riser and anodes, as well as a coating on the tank.

[Fl0und3rz]

Tagging.  The wealth of information here is astounding.

Hunt-WA delivers again. 

[jackelope]

Tagging.  The wealth of information here is astounding.

Hunt-WA delivers again. 

Thanks to all you guys.

[BD1]

Went from oil heat  to electric heat pump...no complaints...I love it and the AC too when needed. Only thing I miss is laying next to the heater on cold days and feeling "hot" air coming out. It is like luke warm air but a better setup and much cheaper once it is paid off. Initial investment was about 12K. Also when Aux heat is necessary if can be very expensive as it basically runs off heat strips and in like a straight electric furnace, only has happened a few times. There are some "trick" to running them more efficiently then the factory setting sometimes. Not sure if these things apply to a gas set up though.
Mike BD1