Heating and cooling costs account for around 40%* of Australian household energy use, so we would all be well advised to pay attention to the efficiency and cost of the system that we choose for our homes.

Advantages of LPG Heating

LPG heating offers a number of advantages over electric heating, including environmental friendliness, heating efficiency, and cost. Perhaps the most important quality of LPG as a fuel—whether for heating, cooking, or hot water—is its high efficiency, which means you get greater heat output for every unit of fuel. Better yet, modern gas heaters are also highly efficient devices, meaning you can take full advantage of LPG's amazing thermal efficiency.

In practical terms, this is most apparent in LPG's ability to quickly heat a room. Gas performs well when rapidly heating large spaces, which then translates to cost advantages compared to other fuels that have to struggle over a longer period to heat the same area.

Speaking of cost, LPG heating will save you tremendously over the course of a year, with some estimates putting the savings at around 60% compared to electric heating. For the environmentally conscious among us, LPG is also among the cleanest fuels that we use for heating. LPG does not contain sulphur, so burns much cleaner than oil, and releases significantly less carbon dioxide compared to coal.

Gas Heaters

There are two types of gas heaters that you will want to consider—flued and portable. Flued gas heaters have a pipe (called a flue) that vents exhaust gases from the heater outdoors, preventing those fumes from filling up in your room. Portable (or unflued) heaters are smaller units that can be picked up and moved from room to room, or set to face in particular directions.

Portable Gas Heaters

Portable gas heaters have the advantage of being, well, portable, as well as being exceptionally efficient and able to provide large amounts of instant heat. They are generally cheaper to run than electric heaters, and usually have a range of safety features just in case something goes wrong. However, you should be aware that it is illegal to use portable gas heaters in bedrooms or bathrooms (or any other small room), and some Australian states have further restrictions on their use.

Flued Gas Heaters

Flued gas heaters, on the other hand, benefit from carrying all of the waste emissions from the gas burning out of your house. Although these emissions are relatively small—Australia has some of the strictest standards in the world for gas emissions—they can still cause issues for people with respiratory problems such as asthma.