AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- The McDuffie County School district is finding ways to cut the cost of fuel for its school buses.

Buses are ready to head out to the bus stops on Monday for the first day of school, but these buses will be different, running on propane instead of gasoline.

The school district has added four new propane buses.  Two more to be delivered next month.

“Primarily to save us on cost of maintenance and also on  cost of fuel plus they’re  much cleaner burning winter time you don’t have to wait on them to heat up sit there  like you do diesel buses” said  Neal Tam, Director of administrative services.

Buses in McDuffie County can run up to 100 miles per day.  The district’s transportation manager says the mileage for both diesel and propane is still the same.

“Typically The fuel mileage has been basically the same with diesel and propane some where 5, 6, 7  miles to the gallon it depends on the bus depends on the driver” said Juan Terrence Lowe, Transportation manager.

But most importantly its saving them money on fuel.

“At the end of the year Our diesel buses  our last load of diesel ran about five dollars a gallon our propane buses is running less than two dollars a gallon so it’s considerable savings on fuel” said Tam.