Nearly every residential standby generator can run on either natural gas or propane. The right choice usually comes down to one question: does your home already have a natural gas line?
Natural gas
- No tank to buy, place, or refill.
- Can run as long as the utility keeps gas flowing — often for days.
- Your meter may need to be upgraded to handle the extra load; your installer coordinates this with the gas utility.
Propane
- Works anywhere, including rural homes without gas service.
- Requires a tank sized for how long you want to run. A larger tank means longer runtime between deliveries.
- Fill the tank before hurricane season — delivery trucks get backed up once a storm is coming.
Bottom line
If you have natural gas, use it. If you don't, propane is a solid, proven option — just plan tank size and refills ahead of storm season.