7 Natural Gas Uses

Jun 4, 2021 | Natural Gas Facts

There are several natural gas uses because the fuel produces a significant amount of energy. As one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels, natural gas has become essential in many industries. Not to mention, many homes use natural gas for heating and cooling.

What are some uses of Natural Gas? 

In the past, many industries used natural gas to power light bulbs on the streets and buildings. But as technology advances, the applications of natural gas have increased significantly. It can be used to power up appliances and generators.

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According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), here are the uses of natural gas. 

  1. Energy Sources
  2. Electric Heating
  3. Air Conditioning
  4. Cooking 
  5. Power Plants
  6. Transportation
  7. Emergency Power

1) Energy Sources

Natural gas is one of the most reliable energy sources in the United States. Gas plays a significant role in electricity generation. According to EIA, about 38 percent of electricity generated in 2019 came from natural gas, and its usage will likely increase.

2) Electric Heating

Almost half of the U.S. population uses natural gas in their homes for heating because it is more efficient than electric heating pumps. The heat generated from a natural gas system is around 50-60 degrees Celsius while an electric heat pump is 30-35 degrees Celsius.

3) Air Conditioning 

While natural gas is mainly used in heating applications, you can also use it to cool your house, either directly or indirectly. In most cases, we use natural gas to power AC units indirectly through electricity generated by the fuel.

4) Cooking

One of the direct applications of natural gas is cooking since it offers better temperature control. Since natural gas is energy-efficient, it consumes less energy than the electric oven. You can also use natural gas indirectly through electricity generation.

5) Power Plants

Power plants that generate electricity using natural gas do so by burning natural gas as the primary fuel. They use gas turbines, where natural gas gets added together with an air stream that combusts and expands in the turbine. That causes the turbine to spin. 

6) Transportation

Transportation takes one of the largest parts of the U.S. natural gas consumption. Even though it’s not the primary energy source in the transportation sector, many people have already discovered its potential in the industry.

7) Emergency Power

Another critical application of natural gas is emergency power. You can use the gas in natural gas generators for power backup. Natural gas generators are easy to manage as they don’t need special equipment. You can connect it to the gas pipeline.

Natural Gas: Extremely Versatile Energy

Now that you’ve learned all the natural gas uses, don’t hesitate to invest in the fuel. As one of the cleanest-burning fuels on the market, many industries have significantly exploited it in their industrial processes. Also, it’s widely useful for heating in homes.

Contact us to learn other uses of natural gas.