I'm considering a move to an area where propane is the only heat source available and low-maintenance. Any suggestions / experience out there with cost, etc?
Regards, Joe - VROC #8013 - '86 VN750 - joe @ yunx .com - 973.571.1456 24/7
1986 Jeep Commanche 4-sale - email me.Ask me about "The Ride" on July 31, '04:
If the propane company owns the tank, you will pay a modest annual rental fee, and have to buy your propane from that company. If you own the tank, you can buy propane from whatever company will give you the best price and service. Typically, you can get your propane a few cents a gallon cheaper if you own the tank. It may or may not be worth it to buy the tank, depending on how long you will live in the house, and how much propane you use. If you're buying an existing home, the current propane supplier can tell you how much propane it uses.
Fill the tank with cheap propane whenever you can. Prices are usually lowest at the end of the summer. Consider getting a larger tank to take best advantage of low prices when they happen.
Make sure your propane supplier has some means of predicting when you're going to need propane, so that they bring it to you *before* you get close to running out. When we had propane heat, our supplier used a spreadsheet based on number and type of gas appliances, and heating-degree days. They never let us run out, and only once in 13 years did the tank ever get below 10% full (about 5 days supply for us).
You can connect a gas grill to your house propane supply, and never have to worry about the grill running out of propane.
Final suggestion: crosspost your request for info to misc.rural also.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Depending on where you are at, it might be a good idea.. However, we rip those out all the time and install heat pumps....
Cheaper to run here.
I have propane in my house and love it. We have a 500 gal tank buried. On a budget we pay approx. $54 a month. I have people at work who have heat pumps and they tend to pay much more than that. Everything in the house is gas; dryer, hwh, heat, stove. The gas company has us on a schedule, and have never even gotten close to running out. They usually come to top-off once a month in the winter and once in the summer. Hope this helps. HM
Propane in western New York is quite competitive with natural gas (sometimes cheaper, mostly not). I have a 500gal tank and the company fills it on a schedule. It is very painless and works fine. With our electric rates and climate a heat pump would never come close. However, we burn wood, and my
92% efficient furnace runs about 50 hours a year. This is not what I intended when I built the house, but whatever.
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