The gas man cometh

[Butcher]

He unreeled the hose from the truck to the LP tank, opened the lid and looked at the gage. He reeled in the hose and walked back to the cab of the truck. He came to the back door with a calendar for me and said "Your tanks still full." Smiling I said yeah, I know but thanks for checkin on me. We talked awhile about the weather and deer hunting and such and he said he would be back next month to check it again. I s'pose by then I might need 25 gallons or so.

 

[gzecc]

Probably hit you with a service charge in the future.

 

[northernontario]

Yup... I got my tank rental charge last month because I didn't use enough propane last year. They topped me up in October (put in $25 worth)... came back at the beginning of December and managed to squeeze $45 in there. Used a bit of propane while I was away hunting, and cooler temps mean a little more space in the tank... Been trying to use 100% wood, and keep the furnace turned way down low.

 

[basod]

I own my tank. haven't had to put a drop in it for 2 years now.
It's a nice feeling

 

[Butcher]

Probably hit you with a service charge in the future.

Not a chance. Here in Iowa the farmers coops dont operate like what you are used to dealing with. They know what side thier breads buttered on and aint gonna forget it niether.

 

[ScotO]

I loved it when the gas company would send an 'estimated use' bill one month, then NO bill the next month, etc.....until we called and told them no more estimates. They wanted to come and inspect our meter because our gas useage dropped to next to nothing, and we explained that wasn't necessary as we were done heating our home with gas, we heat it with wood now. That was almost 5 years ago. We still use gas for our hot water, dryer, and kitchen stove......but that's it. Yeah, I have two gas furnaces that I test from time to time (to make sure they still work), but we never even use them....

 

[Fiziksgeek]

They don't calculate how much gas you're using and adjust their delivery schedule?It costs money to drive out there only to find out your tank is still full.

I saw my oil company last February...and again in November....and don't expect to see them till next November. Their automatic refill calculator keeps extending time between visits....4 months, 6 months, 10, months, hoping for 12+!

 

[Butcher]

They don't calculate how much gas you're using and adjust their delivery schedule?It costs money to drive out there only to find out your tank is still full.

I saw my oil company last February...and again in November....and don't expect to see them till next November. Their automatic refill calculator keeps extending time between visits....4 months, 6 months, 10, months, hoping for 12+!

This is a farmers co op that is basically a costomer owned company. We sign a contract every year for the approximent amount of L.P. we will use weather it be for home heating, grain drying etc. You can elect to keep on a stay full basis in which case they usually come by once every so often and top off the tanks or you can call in on a as need thing. Most generally it is up to the driver to determine when he stops as they have a certain route to deliever to. Most times they pull in to my place when they are in the area since the gravel roads can get impassable in the winter like they are here today in N.E. Iowa. 12 inches of snow last night and winds clocking in at 40 mph.

 

[lukem]

I used to be on a schedule too...but they must have gotten tired of $50 fill-ups so they just stopped coming out. I called them in Nov to top it off since prices were pretty cheap ($1.59). Should last a couple years or more if everything goes according to plan.

 

[Butcher]

I used to be on a schedule too...but they must have gotten tired of $50 fill-ups so they just stopped coming out. I called them in Nov to top it off since prices were pretty cheap ($1.59). Should last a couple years or more if everything goes according to plan.

This year I contracted heating L.P. for $1.20. I really should get off the stay full deal but there are a number of us out in these flatlands that have the same supplier so the driver hits us all when in the area.

 

[lukem]

Not a chance. Here in Iowa the farmers coops dont operate like what you are used to dealing with. They know what side thier breads buttered on and aint gonna forget it niether.

My contract has a rental fee if I don't buy enough. I think I have to buy 800 gallons a year to avoid the charge. I don't think I've bought 500 over the past 3 years and have never been charged. Its probably because it is buried and they know i'll tell them to come get it if they charge me for a rental....and they don't own a big hoe to get it out.

 

[Butcher]

My contract has a rental fee if I don't buy enough. I think I have to buy 800 gallons a year to avoid the charge. I don't think I've bought 500 over the past 3 years and have never been charged. Its probably because it is buried and they know i'll tell them to come get it if they charge me for a rental....and they don't own a big hoe to get it out.

I own my own 500 gallon tank. They send me a statement in August as to how much I used in the previous year and I decide how much I want to contract sending them a check for .05 cents per gallon. That good faith payment comes off my bill unless I dont use the contracted amount of L.P. then I forfiet whatever the differnce is which usually amounts to just a couple of bucks a year since I keep good records of what I use in the past according to the conditions. I am surprized to hear you have an underground tank. There used to be alot of them around here but they pretty much put the end to that.

 

[lukem]

It was installed back in the 60's.