Propane Facts

A: Our head office is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We maintain local area locations throughout Western and Central Canada from British Columbia to Ontario.

Q: What industries do you deliver and service propane to? Back to Top

A: For over three decades, we have built a reliable delivery program for the following industries:

Agricultural
Commercial
Construction
Cylinder Service
Industrial
Oil and Gas
Mining
Residential
Wholesale

Q: Does propane follow the pricing tendencies of other fuel sources? Back to Top

A: Since propane is extracted from crude oil and processed from natural gas, the price of propane tends to follow the price of these energy commodities – particularly the cost of crude oil. Overall, prices for crude oil and the cost of natural gas have experienced steady fluctuations over the last 12 months.

Q: What is Propane? Back to Top

A: Propane is:

Clean burning, efficient, portable and economical, therefore it is one of nature's most versatile fuels.
Suitable for household equipment and appliances, fueling automobiles and forklifts, and for use at farms and businesses.
A by-product of crude oil and natural gas production; it is extracted from the refining of oil and natural gas as a colourless, odourless, non-toxic, heavier-than-air vapour. An "odourant" is added to allow for detection.
One of several natural gas liquids (NGL). Other NGLs are ethane, butane, pentanes or a mixture of the latter.
A liquefied petroleum gas, not a manufactured gas.
Conveniently stored under moderate pressure in cylinders or tanks for portability.
Transported by pipeline, rail car, or truck.

Canadian Production

Canada produces approximately 8 billion litres of propane each year:
About 80% is from natural gas wells in western Canada.
The balance is from oil refineries throughout the country.
Canada’s production accounts for approximately 10% of the world's supply.
Roughly 40% of the propane produced in Canada is for domestic consumption.
About 60% is exported, primarily to the United States.

Propane Properties

Propane is a colorless, odourless gas to which an odour has been added to help you detect a leak.
Liquid propane boils (vaporizes from liquid to vapour) at -44F (-42.2C).
When the temperature of propane in a container rises, the vapour pressure also rises. Propane expands 1.5% for every 10 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature.
Propane is stored under moderate pressure. When the pressure is released, the liquid converts to a flammable gas at a ratio of 1:270.
Propane gas (vapour) is 1.5 times the weight of air, and will settle in low areas.
As a liquid, propane is half the weight of water.
About 23.5 cubic feet of air is required to burn one cubic foot of propane.
Complete combustion of propane produces water vapour and carbon dioxide, two elements that are found naturally in the environment.

Q: What happens if I smell gas? Back to Top

A: Although the flammability of propane is less than that of other fuels, it's best to be cautious should you smell gas. Here are the appropriate steps:

If you feel you're in danger, contact emergency services at 911 and evacuate the area immediately.
If you smell gas, call your local area Cal-Gas office. The odorant added to propane smells like rotten eggs.
If the gas leak is inside, do not turn on or off any light switches or electrical appliances. Open doors and windows to allow fresh air into the building then leave the building.
Turn off your propane tank by lifting the hood and turning the valve clockwise.
Emergency contacts - see local office location

Q: What are the advantages of using propane? Back to Top

A: Propane is a versatile, multi-purpose fuel that is highly portable, clean burning and non-toxic. In Canada, supply is abundant and a complex infrastructure makes it readily available and competitively priced. Also:

As a highly portable fuel, propane provides you with modern convenience no matter where you live, work or travel. Propane can economically go anywhere a portable cylinder can be carried, or wherever a propane delivery truck can travel to a storage tank.
Propane is a highly concentrated energy source – the typical 20-lb container that's connected to your barbecue holds enough liquid to fill a 1,000 gallon tank with usable vapour fuel.
Propane is environmentally friendly.
It does not contain lead and never has.
It has extremely low sulphur content and therefore does not contribute to acid rain.
Burning propane for fuel. It also creates lower greenhouse gas emissions than many other types of fuel.
Produces harmless water vapour and carbon dioxide – two things the natural environment uses and produces every day.

Q: What are the advantages of using propane equipment and appliances? Back to Top

A: Propane equipment and appliances are more durable than their electric counterparts. Also:

Propane water heaters heat twice as much water in an hour than electric water heaters.
Propane high-efficiency furnaces can provide energy costs savings of up to 1/3 over conventionally powered units.
Propane powered direct vent space heating units use outside air to support combustion while re-circulating inside air to further warm the room.
Propane pool heaters heat greater water volumes in less time than electricity.

Q: How do you schedule deliveries? Back to Top

A: It is both economical and convenient for an automatic delivery schedule to be based on your historical or projected usage and/or on the equipment you have. Delivery may be daily, weekly or monthly.Depending on circumstances we can deliver on a will-call basis.

Q: How often is 'automatic'? Back to Top

A: 'Heating degree days' is the category with the biggest influence on automatic scheduling, since for heating customers, the colder it is, the more frequent our delivery schedule is.

Q: How exactly do you calculate how much fuel I will use? Back to Top

A: Our local area managers will customize a plan to meet your needs based on a variety of different factors.

Q: What is your storage capacity: Do you have an adequate supply in the winter? Back to Top

A: With our own storage facilities and our guaranteed supply agreements we will always have an adequate supply of propane available to Cal-Gas. Because we've been in this business for over 35 years, we've developed long-standing relationships with the largest Canadian propane bulk suppliers.

Q: Do you offer budget payments? Back to Top

A: Absolutely - for residential customers only; our plans run from July 1st and through to June 30th. They're offered exclusively to our year-round heating customers. Please contact your local area office for more details.

Q: What payment methods do you offer? Back to Top

A: In person with cash, in the mail by check, automatic monthly billing to your credit card or "at will" charges to your credit card.

Q: How soon can I get a tank installed? Back to Top

A: Generally, tanks are installed within 5 - 10 days after initial contact, depending on the time of year. If a tank is needed sooner, arrangements can be made.

Q: Do you have a Service Department? Back to Top

A: Our strategically located, seasoned service professionals are all licensed and ready to go when you need them.

Q: What size tank do I need? Back to Top

A: It depends on your total BTU load. A gas range could use an 80 gallon tank, while a home with central heating, hot water, gas range, and gas dryer could use up to a 1,000 gallon tank. Contact your local Cal-Gas Inc. office for more information.

Q: May I paint my propane tank? Back to Top

A: Yes but only if you own your tank, provided you use a "reflective" colour to reflect heat-generating light away.

Q: What's the price of propane? Back to Top

A: Pricing depends on usage - how many gallons you use per year. Contact your local Cal-Gas Inc. office for a quote.

Q: How often will you bill me? Back to Top

A: Unless you're on a budget plan, you'll receive a bill three to five days after your delivery.

Q: Does Cal-Gas Inc. make a profit when propane prices increase? Back to Top

A: No. Rising propane prices do not mean increased profits for our company. Cal-Gas Inc. is a distributor of propane, not a producer. We buy propane from major producers and wholesalers, and resell it to our customers. When wholesale propane prices rise, we pay more to acquire the propane we need to serve our customers.

Q: Is the demand for propane seasonal? Back to Top

A: While propane is produced year-round, the demand for propane is highly seasonal and causes inventories to increase when demand is low (usually in the summer) and decrease when demand is high (usually in the winter). When demand is high and inventories are low, the price tends to rise.

Q: How will I know when I've had a delivery? Back to Top

A: We'll leave a delivery receipt. There is no need for homeowners to be home for residential deliveries.

Q: What steps can be taken by consumers to lower energy costs? Back to Top

A: There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and to lower your energy costs:

Change your furnace filter monthly. Clean filters will help your heating system work more efficiently. If you are on a monthly payment plan, use the receipt of your propane bill as a reminder.
Invest in a furnace thermostat timer that can save money by lowering your home’s temperature when you are not at home. Most of these are programmable and you can cut annual heating bills by as much as 10% by turning your thermostat back 10%-15% for eight hours each day.
Depending on your province switch to a propane water heater, which provides excellent energy efficiency. Propane water heaters heat hot water twice as quickly as electric water heaters. Call Cal-Gas Inc. for more information or to purchase these energy saving devices.
When using a water heater, turn it down from the standard 140 degrees to 130 degrees. You could save more than 10% on your water-heating bill.
Increase your water heater’s efficiency by draining it every six months to remove lime deposits and sediment.
Install flow-restricting shower-heads. You can reduce hot water usage by up to 50% without affecting shower pressure.
Run washing machines and clothes dryers with full loads. Switch to cold water when doing your laundry; 85-90% of the energy used to wash clothes is a result of heating water. Choose a propane dryer over an electric dryer – it is more energy efficient.
Protect against drafts by caulking and weather-stripping around windows, doors and other openings such as ducts, fans and vents.
Make sure your attic and basement is properly insulated. A lot of heat is lost through non-insulated or leaky basements and attics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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