Ranch-style homes are heated and backyard barbecues fueled by Suburban Propane Partners, a leading US retail propane marketer which competes with Energy Transfer Partners, AmeriGas, Ferrellgas and other propane providers. With more than 300 service centers in 30 states, Suburban Propane serves some 608,000 retail customers. It annually sells about 300 million gallons of propane and more than 37 million gallons of fuel oil and refined petroleum products to wholesale and large end-users. It also sells natural gas and electricity and installs HVAC systems. In a major expansion, in 2012 the company acquired Inergy's propane assets for $1.8 billion.