Renewable Propane Arrives at U-Haul Autogas Locations in California

Company buys its first million gallons to expand environmental fuel options

PHOENIX, Ariz., and LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Oct. 6, 2020) — U-Haul® today announced its latest green initiative with the purchase of its first million gallons of renewable propane, which is available to customers at U-Haul autogas facilities across Southern California.

U-Haul, the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., teamed with national distributor Suburban® Propane Partners, L.P., to supply the ecofriendly fuel. U-Haul plans for this product offering to be ongoing as it continues to pursue sustainable solutions as an industry leader.

“The introduction of renewable propane is a welcome disruption to the industry,” stated John Barnett, U-Haul propane program manager. “Carbon-neutral fuels are in demand. It’s all about sustainability. While U-Haul is paying a premium for this product, we have chosen to absorb this cost so our customers will benefit the environment at no additional charge. Californians can feel even better about fueling with propane in the growing autogas sector.”

Find a U-Haul Alternative Fuel Refill Station near you at uhaul.com/propane/autogas.

Renewable propane is derived from renewable sources such as beef fats, vegetable oils, grease residue and other biomass feedstocks. It boasts a lower carbon intensity than traditional propane while providing similar performance metrics. Renewable propane also has one of the lowest carbon intensity scores compared to gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas, thus reducing harmful contributors to greenhouse gases.

“We are very excited to align with U-Haul to supply renewable propane in support of our collective efforts to lower carbon emissions in the state of California,” stated Nandini Sankara, Suburban Propane spokesperson. “This arrangement, along with our recent investment in Oberon Fuels, are part of our continued commitment to developing innovative solutions to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, particularly at a time when so many states have established aggressive carbon reduction targets over the next few decades.”

This initial U-Haul purchase and customer offering of renewable propane has the global effect of eliminating 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, according to the Western Propane Gas Association.

Joy Alafia, WPGA President and CEO, added: “WPGA applauds U-Haul for its demonstrated leadership in transportation decarbonization. U-Haul’s decision to power fleets with renewable propane is a clean energy trifecta; the move provides an opportunity for the community to drive a vehicle powered by a sustainable fuel solution, reduces U-Haul’s carbon footprint, and has the global effect of taking 1,000 cars off the road.”

U-Haul began selling propane in 1984 and became the largest U.S. retailer by 1987. Today, U-Haul safely supplies propane to thousands of customers daily across the U.S. and Canada.

U-Haul promotes sustainable solutions through its core business model of truck and trailer sharing; by reusing old and often vacant buildings for its new stores, cutting down on new-construction emissions and helping cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings; by curbing emissions through fuel efficiency and the proximity of neighborhood dealers to residential areas; by offering green products like biodegradable packing peanuts, boxes made from recycled cardboard, the reusable plastic Ready-To-Go Box, and furniture blankets made from recycled denim; and by offering in-store programs like Take A Box, Leave A Box and Re-Use Centers that serve as redistribution hubs for gently used household furnishings.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul has remained open throughout 2020 to meet the needs of its communities. For details on what U-Haul has done to enhance cleaning protocols, protect Team Members and customers, and encourage the use of programs that inherently promote social distancing and contactless business, please reference: Moving Safely and Smartly during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

About U-HAUL

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.

Contact:

Jeff Lockridge 
Sebastien Reyes 
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-263-6194
Website: uhaul.com