Propane prices - somewhat OT

Just curious if any of this group uses propane for heating and if so, what price is it currently going for.

Last Friday I contracted next winter's propane (800 gallon) at $1.359 which is dramatically lower than last year's price of $1.899. I was pretty proud of my low price but today my neighbor got a notice in the mail that another company would do a "summer fill" for $1.249! I doubt if they would guarantee that price for all next winter but still the lowest that I have seen it in several years. These prices are in SE Iowa which for some unknown reason is normally lower than the rest of the lower 48 states.

Comments and current prices appreciated.

Don

Reply to
IGot2P
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Our gasoline proces in the western Chicago suburbs were $3.39 yesterday and $3.89 today. Understand there is some refinery problem involved. Don't know what's going on in the propane world around here, all I get are the barbeque grill refills that are the same $$ every place year in and year out.

Reply to
hrhofmann

Relatives in the Dakotas have been seeing 0.99/gal for agricultural use. Southwestern US, non-farm area, my last fill (March) was 2.24/gal, which I thought was outrageously high considering the price of oil, which it seems to be pegged to around here.

I need to call our supplier and see what it is now...

Reply to
Robert Neville

Our gasoline proces in the western Chicago suburbs were $3.39 yesterday and $3.89 today. Understand there is some refinery problem involved. Don't know what's going on in the propane world around here, all I get are the barbeque grill refills that are the same $$ every place year in and year out.

{{

Don't be too sure you're getting the same quantity year in and year out. I started weighing my BBQ gas and found that I was paying for a full bottle but getting 2/3 to 3/4 of what I though I was paying for. That and the exchange bottles weighed more empty by a significant amount than they did previously.

Reply to
NotMe

The exchange places are short filling to keep the price down. The better places that fill your tank charge by the gallon and you pay only for what you get.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Since the law is max 80% fill, a 20 pounder, would be 16 pounds full. There was an article a year or so back, Blue Rhino quietly changed to 15 pound fill, instead of raising the price.

I'd like to see some of your numbers, please.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Don't be too sure you're getting the same quantity year in and year out. I started weighing my BBQ gas and found that I was paying for a full bottle but getting 2/3 to 3/4 of what I though I was paying for. That and the exchange bottles weighed more empty by a significant amount than they did previously.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

They are keeping the price per tank down, but I suspect the price per gallon is going up.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The exchange places are short filling to keep the price down. The better places that fill your tank charge by the gallon and you pay only for what you get.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I don't really know the correct way, if their is one, to reply to someone who top posts so this is what you get. I just purchased a Blue Rhino 15 lb. and the exchange price was $24.60 including tax ($22.99 before tax). This was from a Casey's "C" store in Iowa.

Don

Reply to
IGot2P

it depends upon where you are. my last fill of 200g was at 3.02/gal in az.

Reply to
chaniarts

IGot2P wrote the following on 7/30/2012 11:26 PM (ET):

My last Propane delivery on June 27 was 66.4 gals @ $3.299 a gallon. ($219.05). I use propane for kitchen range (but not oven), water heater, and clothes dryer. Location in sig.

Reply to
willshak

Holy Crap, that is expensive. I pay $12 for a fill at BJ's Wholesale.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

It's the only place in this village of approximately 600 people so they have us by the balls unless we want to drive 40 miles round trip. 40 miles divided by 12 mpg (HEMI) = 3.33 gallons times $3.48 = $11.60. $24.60 less $11.60 = $13.00 so I am only paying a buck more than you by buying locally. :-)

Don

Reply to
IGot2P

No numbers but the result of several runs to fill/exchange BBQ gas for our neighborhood and my son's catering company.

Number of helpers unloaded the Blue Rhino 'cans' also unloaded the standard cans. The difference was instantly noticed if you had a BR can in the right hand and a standard can in the left.

I started using a crude balance scale and eventually found out the empty BR cans were physically heaver then the run of the mill standard cans. (there is a small difference in the standard cans but not near as much as we found in the BR cans.)

I'm told this is no longer the case but since we don't buy BR gas I have no way to know, much less care, one way or the other.

We stopped using BR and since we had the gage we would check anywhere we purchased. We found most of our complaints were at box stores and quick stops. I don't know who was ultimately the one doing the short change but we let them know why we stopped buying. (In season we use a *lot* of gas)

My son now uses only one make of can. Filling is done at a known vendor (unless there is an emergency in which case need trumps economy.) The vendors we use all have a balance scale and note the starting weight (not all cans are complete empty) and the full weigh, billing accordingly.

I know we may pay a bit more per unit but we get what we pay for and are treated fairly in the process.

Reply to
NotMe

I have about 5 tanks. Grill, smoker, garage heater. If you fill up a few of them when you have to make that trip, it is only a short diversion. Of course, you have to invest in tanks up front so it depends on how much you use.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Thanks for the field report. I'll patronize my local "fills by weight" place, for sure.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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No numbers but the result of several runs to fill/exchange BBQ gas for our neighborhood and my son's catering company.

Number of helpers unloaded the Blue Rhino 'cans' also unloaded the standard cans. The difference was instantly noticed if you had a BR can in the right hand and a standard can in the left.

I started using a crude balance scale and eventually found out the empty BR cans were physically heaver then the run of the mill standard cans. (there is a small difference in the standard cans but not near as much as we found in the BR cans.)

I'm told this is no longer the case but since we don't buy BR gas I have no way to know, much less care, one way or the other.

We stopped using BR and since we had the gage we would check anywhere we purchased. We found most of our complaints were at box stores and quick stops. I don't know who was ultimately the one doing the short change but we let them know why we stopped buying. (In season we use a *lot* of gas)

My son now uses only one make of can. Filling is done at a known vendor (unless there is an emergency in which case need trumps economy.) The vendors we use all have a balance scale and note the starting weight (not all cans are complete empty) and the full weigh, billing accordingly.

I know we may pay a bit more per unit but we get what we pay for and are treated fairly in the process.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Local family owned place that has 4 or 5 locations is $9.95 and that isn't for a short fill.

Reply to
George

A significant part of the difference in delivered propane pricing is due to the cost of transportation. For instance, it's a long way from North Bay Ont to Hearst Ont - and Hearst pays more for propane. The distributor is in Noth Bay.

Reply to
clare

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