Propane shortage

[charlz]

Looks like propane supplies are getting short due to the 'polar vortex'. Also interesting was the link to high corn crop yeilds. The more corn the more farmers use propane to dry the crop and the less propane available for heating later in the year.

Propane shortage sends suppliers scrambling, prices jumping | The Exchange - Yahoo Finance

 

[tractchores]

Interesting. Around here houses not on a gas line are being aggressively switched to propane. We use oil, which has stayed surprisingly steady at least in our area despite the temperatures.

 

[charlz]

Propane is expensive, I mostly use wood pellets. Seems there has been some consolidation in the industry. Prices and customer service sucked before, haven't had to deal with the new company yet. If you are on heating oil can you go buy it in bulk somewhere and bypass the middleman if you want?

 

[tkappeler]

This is our first time ever with propane. I've always had natural gas but it is not available at the house we just built. First load in August when it was installed was $2.99/gallon. Today's refill was $3.59/gallon.

We will have to see how to lock in prices for next year.

 

[tractchores]

Not sure on if you can buy bulk oil from a distributor and cut out the middle man, but we're able to fill our tanks when the price is right (have big tanks) and manage cost that way. I think a lot of new construction and contractors push propane because it's cheaper per gallon, but they neglect to mention that it has fewer BTU's per gallon so you need more of it to generate the same heat. If we keep getting this cold spells its going to be a very expensive winter!

 

[LD1]

Interesting indeed.

Funny I found this thread, cause just last friday I had a propane bill stuck in my garage door. I was a bit upset as I did not request it. And they even had the name and address wrong on the bill:confused2: with a note in the comments section of my address.

Bill was for ~150 gallons @ $2.59 or something. Now I am set up where they are only supposed to come fill when I request, cause I have a 500 gallon tank, and it only needs filled once every 4-5 years. At the start of this winter I was somewhere aruond 60-70% as I just had if filled a few years ago.

So I called them and the driver wasnt back yet from his route so they had no clue but would be sending someone out to pump out what they put in. I have no idea what they were thinking. But If I had needed propane I would have topped off this summer when it was ~$1.35/gallon......

 

[teejk]

Somebody made the call that propane was next on the "sucker" list. Last 2 years 1.49, 2 weeks ago 2.39 and with our lack of "global warming", I expect to see another delivery in a week or two at 2.59. I think so many people are converting to nat gas that the propane industry is gouging those that remain because they have no other option. Maybe it's just me but the marketing campaigns for anything (in the case of propane they were flooding TV and radio in the past few years), it's a sign that bad things are coming.

 

[Industrial Toys]

This is during times of normal civility. I'm guessing you could pretty much say bye bye to propane in any dire circumstances or disaster. As such, it is my last choice as a fuel. You can always beg, borrow or steal fuel oil!

Every new house I have seen for a long while is without any wood heating appliance and almost everyone has some LPG or NG fireplace. FOOLS! Exchanging convenience for lack of self sufficiency!

 

[deerseeker001]

The shortage is bad here they are rationing here only deliver 200 gallons at a time.it might take 2-4 weeks before delivery.

 

[hawkeye08]

We have a thousand gallon tank and get filled once per year in the summer/early fall, but still it is more each year. They try to get us on monthly schedule every so often but I just tell them I only fill annually and I'll call when I need it filled. For a number of years, we had a delivery driver that called when the price was low in the summer and ask us if we wanted a fill... He retired and the new guy has not figured things out yet...

 

[deerseeker001]

Price here 2.29 for LP home heating oil 4.00 gallon

 

[jdzaya]

The shortage is bad here they are rationing here only deliver 200 gallons at a time.it might take 2-4 weeks before delivery.

That's interesting Ron, I was at a Restaurant here in Central Wisconsin and overheard the owner talking about his LP gas being limited to a certain amount of gallons and taking forever to be delivered. Last winter I had LP and I think it was around $1.59 a gallon, I've since moved and am on Natural gas. I thought GREAT! However, this winter has been hard on the old check book.

 

[tractchores]

It's amazing to see the regional price differences, I didn't realize there was so much variability by region!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I'm surprise there's a shortage, as all the shale drilling in Ohio / WV / PA are putting out large quantities of LP and gas. They are building processing plants in Ohio like crazy. Natural gas prices been low, so it hasn't been selling as well.

 

[kenmac]

I've since moved and am on Natural gas. I thought GREAT! However, this winter has been hard on the old check book.

How old is your NG furnace ? What is the efficiency of your NG furnace? How much house are you heating? House well insulated ? windows,doors,etc, You can get a 95-98% efficient gas furnace which, will pay off

 

[jdzaya]

How old is your NG furnace ? What is the efficiency of your NG furnace? How much house are you heating? House well insulated ? windows,doors,etc, You can get a 95-98% efficient gas furnace which, will pay off

I just bought the house this past summer. I have two furnaces in the house. One is rated at about 92% efficient and one that I just had installed is around 80% efficient. I'm heating around 5500 square feet. Half of the house is insulated to 1990 standards, the older section of the house I'm not sure.

 

[kenmac]

80% is standard. I would have gone with least 92-95 on the 1 you just replaced. For you're area and the SQ. FT. you're heating, I would expect your bill to be on the high side. Unlike propane, with NG you'll run out of $$ B-4 you run out of gas

 

[jdzaya]

80% is standard. I would have gone with least 92-95 on the 1 you just replaced. For you're area and the SQ. FT. you're heating, I would expect your bill to be on the high side. Unlike propane, with NG you'll run out of $$ B-4 you run out of gas

I totally agree with you, My problem is that the furnace was, and is in the garage. It was already set up for the chimney vent and I don't have a drain for the water that is produced with the higher efficiency furnace. By the way, thanks for the smart remark about NG and the funny face, I needed a good laugh!

 

[ultrarunner]

We kept propane at the cabin... own the tank from 1964.

Thinking we should have switched to natural gas in 1985 when it was brought in and then all of Lake Tahoe lost natural gas for more than a week... the main line blew out in the middle of winter and we were sitting pretty with 85% full tank of propane.

Unfortunately... wood heating is being phased out and not even permitted in new construction.

 

[Tomtint]

We have both LP and oil at our house. We heat with oil and the LP is for hot water, cooking,gas fireplace,and the BBQ grill. Oil costs just as much as on road diesel, about 4.00 per gal. LP is 3.75 per gal here. Our home is 4 years ols and is built with all top shelf mechanicals. We have a Renai on demand water heater, Budarrus furnace, Andersen 400 windows, and Icenine foam insulation through out the home. We use about 550 gal of LP a year and about 800 gal of oil a year and we keep it at 72* heated area is aprox 4000 sf.