propane gas tank

[Deere9986]

i have a tank with a meter on the house and only pay for what i use. if i use over 50 gals a yr tank rent is free. best thing about it all is my tank is always full because i just run a 5 bar heater in dire emergencies.

 

[kensnelling]

Sounds like if you pay your tank lease then that should solve the problem. Since you owe them, if you unlock/unplug/whatever they have done to disable your service it WILL cost you more in the long run.

Legally they have over a barrel on this one. Just because you didn't recieve a statement from them doesn't mean you didn't owe them by the due date. For example, if I don't get a renewal notice on my truck tag, if I don't renew it in time I pay late fees, and if I get an expired tag ticket I pay a fine. In my case it was a $154 fine, $38 late fee, for a $62 tag. It's my responsibility to keep up with my monthly, yearly, whatever obligations.

Your best course of action would be to renew your lease, then after you use your 50 gallons of propane follow the lease termination procedure in your contract if you want to be rid of your current supplier.

Ken

 

[DanD78]

I may have missed it but do they require a 200 gallon minimum order? That might be why you got 200 gallons. My dealer has a 200 gal minimum and also charges extra delivery for short notice, night and week end delivery. I don't blame them either.

Dan

 

[Haywire]

My dealer charges an extra fee for deliveries less than 200 gallons.

Ian

 

[North Country]

Should have explained the situation before we all jumped on you.

One could argue that sentence should be inverted.

It really disturbs me the number of big businesses that seem to have free reign to screw you over, yet, "you" (the small guy) can't seem to have any way to fight them back. Even when they are clearly in the wrong. Sure you can go to court, but they have more money to spend on lawyers than us.

I got the impression that he's legally in the wrong - he missed a lease payment and they've prevented use of their equipment until he pays for it. Legal? Perhaps. Good business? Of course not - they just lost a customer if he has any other options at all. They were stupid, rude and shortsighted IMHO. The lease fees are piddly compared to the cost of the gas.

Vermont has "maximum minimums" - they aren't allowed to set minimums higher than a certain size. It depends on the tank:
250 gallon tank- 125 gallon minimum
325 gallon tank- 175 gallon minimum
500 gallon tank- 225 gallon minimum
1000 gallon tank- 300 gallon minimum

They also aren't allowed to disconnect without advanced written notice, and they have to present and give you a chance to comply with a payment plan before disconnection. Basically, to get shut off you have to really ignore them completely.

 

[mrrob1908]

First of all the payment was not even due yet and second of all there is a 100 gal min to fill. the tank rental is 65.00 year give me a break its not that. I did not get anything in writing.

 

[North Country]

Didn't mean to imply that you did get anything in writing, just saying my state has different rules. The laws here tend to protect the lowly consumer from the big bad corporations more than most states.

As a matter, of fact, propane's unique here in that disconnect *is* allowed. Utilities cannot disconnect electric or natural gas primary heat during the winter. It doesn't matter if you're late, it doesn't matter if you got a notice, it doesn't matter if you brought the owner's daughter home past curfew - no shutting off electric heat in the winter is allowed.

My personal opinion, which is worth exactly what you paid for it, is that you got screwed and they lost a customer. Business works better when both sides agree to agree.

 

[wedge40]

Around here, everyone I've every talked to charges extra or refuses to deliver less then 200 gal. I heat and cook with propane so what I usually do is in the July-August time frame I purchase 750 gal or so at the "summer" price when propane is cheapest.

Wedge

 

[mrrob1908]

That my be so in your area but in this city where I live propane is not used alot just for pools and emergency generators in case of huricanes. Most people have electric. I choose to have gas hot water and gas cook top and dryer. If I can get the use of my 50 gal then I will switch to electric. It not worth this much trouble. I looked again yesterday and still cant figure out how they did it and I dont see that a plug was used? confused

 

[Haywire]

Just go pay the lease. They'll unplug it for you.