If your home has natural gas service, use it — unlimited runtime with no refueling. If not, a properly sized propane tank (250–500 gallons) is an excellent, storm-proven alternative. Here's how the two fuels compare for Grand Strand homes.
Natural Gas: The Convenience King
Advantages
- Effectively unlimited runtime — no tank to empty during a two-week outage
- No fuel deliveries, no tank in the yard, no monitoring
- Usually cheaper per kWh generated than propane
Considerations
- Not available in many Grand Strand neighborhoods — large parts of Conway, Longs, Loris, and rural Horry County have no gas mains
- Your gas meter may need a free upgrade from the utility to supply generator demand
- Slightly lower power output — a dual-rated generator produces about 10% less on NG than LP
- In an extreme regional disaster, gas distribution can be interrupted (rare, but not impossible)
Propane (LP): The Independence Option
Advantages
- Available everywhere — the only option for much of our rural service area
- Stored on your property: your fuel is YOUR fuel during an emergency
- Doesn't degrade like gasoline; stores indefinitely
- Slightly higher generator output than natural gas
Considerations
- Finite supply: a 250-gallon tank runs a 22kW generator at half load for roughly 3–5 days; a 500-gallon tank roughly doubles that
- Tank costs: buried or above-ground tanks are often leased from fuel suppliers with delivery contracts
- Post-storm deliveries can be delayed, so tanks should enter hurricane season at 80%+
What About Diesel or Gasoline?
Diesel dominates large commercial and industrial installations (like our Multiquip line), but for homes, the fuel-storage and maintenance burden usually isn't worth it. Gasoline is only for portables — and it's the worst storm fuel because stations lose power too.
Our Recommendation
- Have natural gas at the street? Use it. We'll coordinate the meter upgrade with your utility.
- No gas service? Install a 250–500 gallon LP tank sized to your generator and outage-risk tolerance.
- Either way, choose a dual-rated (LP/NG) generator so a future fuel change doesn't require a new machine.
Get a quote matched to your home's fuel situation at palmettopower.net/quotes or call 843-466-4488.