Just wondering which way is cheaper?I use the fridge a lot on propane camping and I even use it to camp in the winter where I snowmobile so the furnace gets used also.With all that use in 3 years I only used 12 gallons of propane. I can get propane for 3 bucks a gallon. So I used 36 dollars worth in 3 years.Seems really cheap. At home though I leave it on auto which means it's on electric.My electric cost about 15 cents a kilowatt hour after taxes and delivery. I'm not really good enough at math to figure out which is cheaper. Anybody have a clue or/and is it better to use one over the other?

3 buck propane is expensive for around here. It's currently $2.65 the place I go. But even so, I run it on shore power as much as possible. Plugged in at a campground, the electric is generally built into the site price, whether I use it or not (meaning it's free to use, since I already paid for it). On the road or boon docking, I have no choice but propane. Neither is going to break the bank, though.

With so little usage the difference between the cost of the 2 wouldn't buy you a cup of coffee. Interesting exercise if you want but not worth the time.

Hi,On electric it will use about 4.8 kwh per day.

I will say that's some pretty expensive electricity.

I used to have a chart of which is cheaper but throw it out when I was driving to propane re-fill place at 10 mpg (Class C) to get tank to re-filler.

Run reffer on electric or propane when home? | Good Sam Community

28 Replies

KD4UPL
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2014
Capt.Storm wrote:
KD4UPL wrote:
With those costs propane is cheaper. I've worked out the math on home appliances. Around here I pay about $.11 per kWh for electricity. If propane is $3.24 per gallon or less then propane is cheaper. So for you, propane is much cheaper.

Thank you!
I was thinking it was but could not yet bring myself to run the fridge on propane sitting out there in the driveway when it could be cheaper on electric.

Is the 11 cents after taxes and delivery?

I just take my total bill and divide the kilowatt hours into it.

I do the same, total bill divided by kWh is about $.11.
Dakzuki
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2014
KD4UPL wrote:
With those costs propane is cheaper. I've worked out the math on home appliances. Around here I pay about $.11 per kWh for electricity. If propane is $3.24 per gallon or less then propane is cheaper. So for you, propane is much cheaper.

How much is one's time worth having to go fill up with LP....and the fuel expense getting there and back.
Calisdad
Explorer
Jun 24, 2014
Isn't your electric bill tiered? Our has 3 different tiers and rates with the top rate about 4 times the initial rate. We really try to watch our use to stay off the top rates.

Do you have LP at home? Our service guys say they aren't supposed to fill RV's but everyone of them do it. I rarely have to stop on the road to fill propane.
Tom_M1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2014
My Class C has about a 100lb tank and takes about 20 gallons when I fill. When I'm home I turn the refrigerator off.
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 24, 2014
Not sure if this changes your thinking or how you did your calculating a 20 pound tank holds 4.7 gallons of LP

20# Cylinder - 5 Gallon Bottle
OPD is required
Filled by weight - weighs about 40 pounds when full
Holds 20 pounds of propane (4.7 gallons of propane)
Contains 430,000 BTU when full
Widely used for grilling, camping, and cooking
17.5"H X 12.2"W
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 24, 2014
Capt.Storm wrote:
Lantley wrote:
For me the inconvenience of having to get the LP tank filled makes electric cheaper.

Well now I'm trying to think how long 20 gallons of propane would last.
If I have to fill it once or twice a year instead of going 3 years that doesn't seem like a big deal.

You may have a 20 pounds tank, but it does not hold 20 gallons of LP.
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 24, 2014
Don't forget to factor in the time and gas used to get that LP cylinder refilled
Capt_Storm
Explorer
Jun 23, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Capt.Storm wrote:
Well if I use a 1/4 gall a day 20 gallons would last 80 days for 60 bucks.
If electric cost 75 cents a day times 80 days that would be 60 bucks also.
I guess it is close in my case. Course these are just estimates.

But you need to factor in the electric used for battery charge cause without charging battery you will lose battery voltage due to propane operation.

So it would cost you the propane plus the electric for charging battery or just electric and no battery charging cause converter would supply the needed dc for fridge controls

Yep but I could use my small solar panel to keep the house battery up. I would have to look but i think it's 5 amps...should do it.
I still think the propane is cheaper for me but probably by not all that much.
I think if it's just going to set a few days in the summer I'll just let the propane keep her cold..if it looks like a week or more I'll plug her in.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 23, 2014
Capt.Storm wrote:
Well if I use a 1/4 gall a day 20 gallons would last 80 days for 60 bucks.
If electric cost 75 cents a day times 80 days that would be 60 bucks also.
I guess it is close in my case. Course these are just estimates.

But you need to factor in the electric used for battery charge cause without charging battery you will lose battery voltage due to propane operation.

So it would cost you the propane plus the electric for charging battery or just electric and no battery charging cause converter would supply the needed dc for fridge controls
Capt_Storm
Explorer
Jun 23, 2014
It seems like the gas does a better job when it's really hot out.

Anybody else think that?