First propane delivery since I started burning

[John_M]

My 1,000 gal. propane tank was topped off (90% max. capacity) at the end of April. Yesterday my dealer topped it off again for the first time since I started burning in September. The tank took 159 gallons. Compare this to the 400 - 450 gallons it has taken at top-off during the last four years in the same 8 month period. Each year I purchase propane from the same dealer on a pre-buy annual contract because he has always offered the lowest price. As I recall, I paid about $1.679 per gallon during this contract period. Do the "savings" math. Savings is in quotes because this year my expenses for the stove, hearth, pipe, chimney, saw, splitter, etc., and some installation costs were very high (you know) and will probably take about five to seven years to be offset by propane savings.

September is when I started burning and have used about 1.33 cords of wood to date. My wood is essentially "free" (those quotes again) because all the wood comes from dead trees on my property. I cut, split, and haul/stack my own wood.

The pleasure offered by burning a wood stove during these winter conditions is so relaxing and calming as to be priceless. In my case, it is as close to nirvana as any earthly being is capable of achieving.

Will post an end-of-year cost analysis next April.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

John_M

 

[Greg123]

John – I have a 500 gal propane tank, they made a delivery to top up the tank in September, the meter on the tank read 85% full when they finished. I called the propane company and explained that I don’t want them to come out every month like last year because I installed a wood stove, they agreed to allow me to do a will call with them, where I would check the meter on the tank and call 1 week in advance to schedule a delivery when I needed it. I just check my tank today and it’s at 80% full. The 5% was used by my hot water tank and cook stove, my furnace is basically shut off. If it wasn’t for my Wood stove I would have easily gone thru almost a full tank by now.

 

[basswidow]

I have Suburban Propane where I am at. They got me good the first year I moved in $ 5500 for the season. I was still paying it off by the fall I installed my stove. We got through all last year without a fill and they topped me this fall. It was about $ 600 for a full year propane for my dryer and HWH. I will change both of those appliances to electric - should I ever have a problem with them.

The beef I have with suburban is the rate. They are still ripping me off at $ 3.46 per gallon. They own my tank. I have threated to dig it up and tell them to come get it.

Feels good to stick it to them.

 

[Greg123]

I have Suburban Propane where I am at. They got me good the first year I moved in $ 5500 for the season. I was still paying it off by the fall I installed my stove. We got through all last year without a fill and they topped me this fall. It was about $ 600 for a full year propane for my dryer and HWH. I will change both of those appliances to electric - should I ever have a problem with them.

The beef I have with suburban is the rate. They are still ripping me off at $ 3.46 per gallon. They own my tank. I have threated to dig it up and tell them to come get it.

Feels good to stick it to them.

I don't own mine, and I don't have Suburban, and 3.49 is nuts. Mine is $1.79 and that's with my propane company owning the tank. Even last year when oil was high I was paying $2.49.

 

[LLigetfa]

I'm a mainliner so my natural gas addiction has a constant supply. No big payments and no equal billing either. I just pay as I go which is under $2 per day including DHW and cooking. I've been burning wood since I built the house so I have no idea what it would cost me without wood. Still, I'm glad gas prices are much lower than they were last year. It doesn't hurt so bad now to hear the furnace and water heater come on.

As it gets colder I burn more wood and less gas as can be seen by the nice graph the gas company was so kind to provide.

 

[onion]

I have Suburban Propane where I am at. They got me good the first year I moved in $ 5500 for the season. I was still paying it off by the fall I installed my stove. We got through all last year without a fill and they topped me this fall. It was about $ 600 for a full year propane for my dryer and HWH. I will change both of those appliances to electric - should I ever have a problem with them.

The beef I have with suburban is the rate. They are still ripping me off at $ 3.46 per gallon. They own my tank. I have threated to dig it up and tell them to come get it.

Feels good to stick it to them.

I have the same setup as you, except I am in Ohio and Suburban just topped me off @ $2.00/gallon...200 gallons in ~ 3 months! I can't wait for my stove to get installed!

 

[rustynut]

I'm with you guys.........
These propane people are nutz
We were up to about $500 a month
Lost track of things due to multiple funerals in a very short time span a few years back
Company charged me $200 bucks to get a truck out in short order
didnt bother to tell me that I probably had enough in the tank for 4 or 5 more days.
Had a little chat with them and decided that that was enough !
Got the stove in place, the 1000 gallon tank in place and so on............
now they are begging me for business
"dont for get to pre buy, time is almost up for our prebuy offer"...........
EAB has got it covered around here
that wood fired water tank wasnt too bad but the wood fired dryer was a bit challenging
now getting the better half used to the idea of a wood fired dryer was the real challenge
;-)
rn