Propane Price Lock in Rate is a Joke

[bogieb]

So my propane company just tried to get me to lock in at $3.44/gallon. Plus, I would enjoy the convenience fee of $119 to lock in the price. Ha, I haven't used the 150 gallons I got in December yet.

Now I just have to find someplace I can actually buy a propane tank - preferably 250 gal, but could go 500 gal if push came to shove - then have it delivered and set up. Then I can tell Amerig*s to KMA, come get their tank and go away (I inherited that company when I bought this place). Of course last time I did that, at my previous house, they gave me a service charge equal to what the propane in the tank was worth. I still have 35% of a 500 gallon tank, so will have to wait a while to replace tank. And, I have a feeling they are gonna start charging me rent - arrgghh, I hate them.

Pellets prices still look mighty good to me!

 

[boo boo]

My neighbor has propane not sure what size tank but he says its over 700 sometimes 800 each time to fill it
Pellets do look good compared to that

 

[cachunko]

Wood looks even better if you have a place to cut for free and don't mind a little work. I spent approx $200 to heat my house last winter

 

[fire_man]

I'm no lawyer, but it seems strange you entered into an automatic contract with this company by virtue of buying the house.

I'd want to read the fine print on that one.

 

[bogieb]

Wood looks even better if you have a place to cut for free and don't mind a little work. I spent approx $200 to heat my house last winter

I burned wood at my previous house and much prefer pellets. I'm not spending the dollars to cut a hole in my brand new standing seam roof to put in a chimney. Nor do I have a place to cut wood, or the equipment - the EX got all that (and he's welcome to it). And, that presupposes that I could find a place big enough in my 950 sq/ft that I have clearances to put in a woodstove; I literally don't have the space unless I put it where my stairs are (which kinda makes for other problems ). So, all-in-all, I'm okay with what I have.

 

[cachunko]

There are times I'd much prefer to dump in a bag of pellets, so I totally don't blame ya there. Cutting wood is a tough job sometimes. My dad heats with corn. He just goes out, fills a bag of corn, and dumps it in. Often times I wish I had that luxury

 

[Pete Zahria]

Wood looks even better if you have a place to cut for free and don't mind a little work.

Yabutt not many have that option...
A choice between buying wood, or buying pellets, pellets would win in my book.
Even where it is a few dollars more..
Coal beats them both, though...

Dan

 

[MCPO]

Whatever works for you at the time is the right fuel.
I burned wood for 12+ yrs and loved it but advancing age and a bad back caused me to switch.
Pellets are working right now but I sure wish I had natural gas on the street. I`d be doing a conversion real quick like.

 

[maple1]

So my propane company just tried to get me to lock in at $3.44/gallon. Plus, I would enjoy the convenience fee of $119 to lock in the price. Ha, I haven't used the 150 gallons I got in December yet.

Now I just have to find someplace I can actually buy a propane tank - preferably 250 gal, but could go 500 gal if push came to shove - then have it delivered and set up. Then I can tell Amerig*s to KMA, come get their tank and go away (I inherited that company when I bought this place). Of course last time I did that, at my previous house, they gave me a service charge equal to what the propane in the tank was worth. I still have 35% of a 500 gallon tank, so will have to wait a while to replace tank. And, I have a feeling they are gonna start charging me rent - arrgghh, I hate them.

Pellets prices still look mighty good to me!

What all do you use the propane for?

 

[moey]

I'm no lawyer, but it seems strange you entered into an automatic contract with this company by virtue of buying the house.

I'd want to read the fine print on that one.

They own the tank in his yard that is where the agreement came from. Get rid of the tank and the agreement goes away.

 

[3650]

lock in is $1.27 here.

make sure you are home when they come get it. 10 years ago when I told them to come get mine, they cut down two trees to get to it. Its taken that long to get my shade back on the Wes side of my house. They also tore up the line that was buried in the ground.

 

[the pony boy]

My pre pay is 2.44.

 

[billb3]

I'm no lawyer, but it seems strange you entered into an automatic contract with this company by virtue of buying the house.

I'd want to read the fine print on that one.

At closing utilities responsibilities are usually addressed in some manner. I had 3 to 7 days to get everything put in my name last time. Signed some paper ( may even have had a latin name ) promising to get er done.

 

[bogieb]

What all do you use the propane for?

DHW, cook stove and FHW boiler (didn't use it this year as I got all my heat from pellet stoves). But, can't get rid of boiler since I regularaly take a week out of town in Dec or Jan, so need the back up heat.

 

[bogieb]

They own the tank in his yard that is where the agreement came from. Get rid of the tank and the agreement goes away.

Need to get a tank and so far, haven't found anyone who sells them (I've heard they go for a pretty penny too - don't know how accurate that is). Then there is transport and install and testing. still have 35% in this tank.

 

[bogieb]

At closing utilities responsibilities are usually addressed in some manner. I had 3 to 7 days to get everything put in my name last time. Signed some paper ( may even have had a latin name ) promising to get er done.

Amerig*s owns the tank. I can't legally let anyone else put propane in it - and since it has their name and disclaimers on the tank, no reputable dealer would touch it anyway. I know how they operate so don't want to try to swap to my own tank, or someone else's until that darn thing is empty (which I'm afraid would be middle of winter - not good). They WILL charge me an excessive removal and service charge fee. I can't imagine what they would charge me to remove a 500 gal tank since when I had them remove a 100# tank in 2002, they charge $46.xx (amazingly, the same value as the gas left in cylinder). Plus, their contract states that if they have to remove over a certain amount of gas from the tank (I don't remember the number), I get hit with even more extra charges.

 

[bogieb]

I'm no lawyer, but it seems strange you entered into an automatic contract with this company by virtue of buying the house.

I'd want to read the fine print on that one.

I didn't get an automatic contract by buying the house. I signed up for lock in last summer at $3.11, since the previous winter I had been paying over $5/gallon. They were trying to automatically renew my lock in at this year's price. I called them and told them I wasn't going to lock in this year. I have to go check to make sure they took the charge off my account.

 

[Peterfield]

Need to get a tank and so far, haven't found anyone who sells them (I've heard they go for a pretty penny too - don't know how accurate that is). Then there is transport and install and testing. still have 35% in this tank.

I believe Tractor Supply sells tanks. Others are Allen & Matthewson in Peterborough, Suburban Propane in Milford, and other propane companies. Some propane companies sell them but they will want you to rent so stick to your guns. Sometimes you can buy the tank already in the ground from your existing propane company rather than have them dig it out and pay to put your own in.

 

[bogieb]

I believe Tractor Supply sells tanks. Others are Allen & Matthewson in Peterborough, Suburban Propane in Milford, and other propane companies. Some propane companies sell them but they will want you to rent so stick to your guns. Sometimes you can buy the tank already in the ground from your existing propane company rather than have them dig it out and pay to put your own in.

Don't want the existing tank - it is very old, rusted and always has a faint odor of propane around it at all times (it's above ground and they say it is fine). Tractor Supply doesn't sell big enough tanks - or at least not according to the website. They are supposed to build one around here at some point, so will probably wait until they come in to check on availability of larger tanks. I don't want a 40 mile delivery charge to get one from another store. At the rate I don't use propane, figure I have at least a year's supply in the current tank.

 

[bogieb]

lock in is $1.27 here.

make sure you are home when they come get it. 10 years ago when I told them to come get mine, they cut down two trees to get to it. Its taken that long to get my shade back on the Wes side of my house. They also tore up the line that was buried in the ground.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for my view), the tank is in the middle of my side yard - between my house and vegie garden. the would have to tear down a shed or my house before they could find a tree on that side of the house (actually, they would have to take down an electric pole if they took the tree down).

Unfortunately, when I put in a replacement tank, it really can't go anywhere else and be accessible for both filling and transporting the propane between the tank and my house, so my view on that side of the house will still suck. The gas inlet pipe runs to along the back of the house (almost all 40 ft) and then into the basement where the boiler and HW heater are. The tank cannot go on that side of the house and if I moved it anywhere else, it would be even further than the 60 or so feet the line has to run now. I really wish I had looked closer at the utility hook-ups (all of them, the electrical hook up is in a sucky place too) more closely and understood the ramifications before buying this house!

My whining is done for now

 

[maple1]

Sounds like you use very little propane, and just having a tank there is a PITA in general.

I would spend some time pondering not using propane at all, and switching to maybe electric. That's what I did, except the electric replaced oil not propane. Some glad I sent the oil tank & man down the road, should have done it years ago....

 

[ccmac]

Approx $1.00 per gallon here in southwest Indiana.

 

[MadMax31]

Wow, 2.19 prebuy "deal". A competitor was charging 1.69 during -20 snap in Feb.

 

[bogieb]

Sounds like you use very little propane, and just having a tank there is a PITA in general.

I would spend some time pondering not using propane at all, and switching to maybe electric. That's what I did, except the electric replaced oil not propane. Some glad I sent the oil tank & man down the road, should have done it years ago....

I have been thinking about it. Don't know if it would affect the perceived value of the house (one way or the other) if I decided to sell later. But, it would get all those pesky FHW pipes out of my way and I wouldn't have to run the boiler 2-3x/day during really cold weather to make sure they don't freeze (pipes run thru unheated garage). I also have trouble with spending the $$ to convert, but you did give me a good reminder that maybe that is the way to go and I should think more deeply about it before I go and get a hug, self-owned propane tank. I could then just buy a 100# bottle for my gas stove (love cooking with gas, hate electric), but that would be much more versatile on where I could place it.

 

[maple1]

I have been thinking about it. Don't know if it would affect the perceived value of the house (one way or the other) if I decided to sell later. But, it would get all those pesky FHW pipes out of my way and I wouldn't have to run the boiler 2-3x/day during really cold weather to make sure they don't freeze (pipes run thru unheated garage). I also have trouble with spending the $$ to convert, but you did give me a good reminder that maybe that is the way to go and I should think more deeply about it before I go and get a hug, self-owned propane tank. I could then just buy a 100# bottle for my gas stove (love cooking with gas, hate electric), but that would be much more versatile on where I could place it.

On the perceived value part - sounds from your description that the current condition of the tank would be a negative impact on that. And maybe also in how where it sits affects how you can use the rest of the property. I'd have to think that a shiney new tank that has no ties to a propane company (the prospective new owner would own the tank) would be a lot more attractive to a new buyer than what is there now - if you wanted to still use propane.

I don't think I would yank any pipes inside or dismantle any part of your hot water system. Not many better ways to heat a house, comfort wise. If you wanted to not use them at all, I would just drain the system. But more likely, I would install a small electric boiler for infrequent backup use. Or for more frequent non-propane heat, maybe a mini-split system (that could also air condition). For DHW, an ordinary electric water tank heater is very economical - a HPWH even better, $/mo wise. I think as a new buyer I would consider redundancy or the ability to use different fuel/heat sources a plus.

Not all prospective buyers are created equal though.

(I think the smaller tank is a good idea if you want to use just a stove though, or maintain the ability to use propane...)