PERC surveys propane users on contractor habits

WASHINGTON – More than 85 percent of contractors currently using propane commercial lawn mowers in their fleets are likely to continue adding propane equipment to their businesses, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Propane Education & Research Council.

Of these contractors, nearly all started their transition to using propane by installing a propane conversion kit on existing equipment, a path for contractors to reduce fuel costs and downtime on nearly any brand of commercial lawn mower.

“This latest data is proof positive that contractors who make the initial transition to a propane mower are satisfied with their purchase, and frequently end up purchasing or converting more equipment to propane,” said Jeremy Wishart, PERC director of off-road business development. “The fact that most contractors start out using a propane conversion kit and end up staying with the fuel just shows that the initial investment is often offset by a quick return on investment and leads to long-term use as contractors observe the fuel’s benefits.”

The survey was answered by 374 landscape contractors. Through surveying contractors, PERC hoped to gain a better understanding of existing perceptions and purchase habits toward commercial propane equipment in the landscape market.

A similar survey was conducted by PERC in 2016. In the years since, fewer contractors overall are finding propane unapproachable, with 82 percent of respondents to the recent survey saying they were neutral or favorable toward the fuel. In contrast, the number of contractors responding they were unfavorable toward propane dropped by more than 60 percent compared to the 2016 survey, with just 14 percent of all respondents in the recent survey saying they were unfavorable toward propane.

More information on the incentive is available on propane.com.