Natural gas: the convenient choice
If your home already has natural gas service, this is usually the easy answer. The generator connects to your existing gas line, and you never think about fuel again — no tanks, no deliveries, no refueling during a week-long outage. The gas keeps flowing as long as the utility delivers it, and gas utilities rarely go down (their compressors often have their own backup power).
The catch with natural gas
Two things to know. First, a generator is a thirsty appliance — your existing gas line and meter may be too small to feed both the house and a 20+ kW generator at full load. We check gas pressure and line size during the assessment; sometimes the gas company needs to upgrade the meter. Second, natural gas produces slightly less power per unit than propane — a generator rated 22 kW on propane might deliver around 19–20 kW on natural gas. We size with that in mind.
Propane: the independent choice
No gas line? Propane is your fuel. A tank on your property — usually 250 or 500 gallons for residential standby — feeds the generator through a dedicated line. Propane doesn't degrade over time the way gasoline does, so the fuel sitting in your tank is good whenever you need it. And propane delivers the generator's full rated power.
The catch with propane
It's a finite supply. A 500-gallon tank (filled to 80%, so 400 usable gallons) running a 20 kW generator at half load lasts roughly a week of continuous running — less at full load. During a long regional outage, propane delivery trucks may be delayed. The fix is sizing the tank generously and keeping it full going into storm season. Many of our rural customers in Nanjemoy, Charlotte Hall, and Hughesville — where natural gas simply isn't available — run propane happily with a 500-gallon tank.
The bottom line
Have natural gas? Use it — it's the lowest-hassle option. Don't have it? Propane works great; just size the tank for the outages you actually worry about. Either way, Send the form and we'll sort out the fuel side during your free assessment.