Propane shortage

[charlz]

I've heard there is no shortage of propane available, but the delivery/distribution system is maxed out due to high usage.

In Maine, propane is never a "cheap" fuel.

Makes sense, everyone probably burned a lot during the 'polar vortex' but then didn't get topped back off. Second cold blast hits and everyone is short on propane.

I have heard shipment by rail is not exactly a speedy process so for those areas where the local dealers get their shipments by rail they probably can't get additional propane supplies fast enough.

 

[NoTrespassing]

People with no savings are going to be hard pressed to absorb this extra expense this winter. Prices are up over 3X here in Central IL. We just paid 4.69/gal. My coworker is locked in @ $1.69.

 

[BMod]

LP today from Lakes Gas out of Frederic WI. $6.90 per gallon.

 

[charlz]

LP today from Lakes Gas out of Frederic WI. $6.90 per gallon.

Gotta wonder if there will be some gouging investigations.

 

[charlz]

In planning to build a new house out of our barn frame we are considering going geothermal (possibly a horizontal ground loop system), with NG as a backup, but are still considering what will be best. Having 80 acres of mostly woods the temptation to burn wood is high, but I have to consider ease of use for my spouse if something happens to me.

I would at least look at putting in a woodstove for power outages and supplemental heat. If energy prices go crazy you could always burn the stove some to offset costs.

 

[PastTense]

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.

Here in Iowa the local dealers all offer contract rates. My dealers offers the rate in July or August for an additional $.10/gallon for each gallon you want to contract (or you can simply pay the entire price when you contract--which I do to save the $.10/gallon fee). There is also a summer fill.

 

[PastTense]

Cool calculator. I'm not sure if it takes into account the efficiency of the various heating appliances. For example radiant heat via a wood stove is going to be far less efficient in terms of transfer than a gas furnace.

.

If you have Microsoft Excel available download this spreadsheet:
http://www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
(which you then modify with whatever values you need to change (cost of fuels...)

If you don't try this hearth.com calculator:
Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator

 

[ultrarunner]

This thread has got me thinking...

My friends in Europe are all multifueled and spend a lot of time designing their heating systems.

Most are radiant in the floor and many can heat with solar, wood, pellets, oil or propane...

When one showed me his system I said something like this would be beyond the capability of most Americans... if the heat doesn't come on when the turn up the thermostat... they would be left in the cold.

I really like radiant with wood... this works best when someone is home most of the time.

Another friend heats with pellets or natuaral gas... the pellets come from a large truck and are blown into what once was a single car concrete garage... there is an automatic hopper and shut mechanism to feed the pellet boiler in the basement... works real slick unless the power goes out.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Again, every situation is different. And not saying anyone in this thread said it, but I know alot of guys that swear pellets are cheaper heat than propane. And that just aint the case. And I dont think I need to mention that all of this changes as the price of propane goes up or down too. Obviously that changes the game. The fact that I have a heat pump and only need propane for backup allows me to buy in the summer. And others just dont have that luxury. Heat pumps are even more efficient than pellets. ANd given the "normal" climate where I live, It makes more sense to spend your few grand on a heat pump to supplement the propane vs buying a pellet setup as sole heat. Just my :2cents:

It's all in where you live. Here in Southern Oregon, propane costs about $2.25 to $2.50/gallon in the summer, just slightly cheaper than fuel oil. $200/ton is winter time fuel shortage price for wood pellets. A local store had quality pellets for $145/ton last August. Since the area is heavily wooded, probably 30% of homes have some form of conventional wood heat.

The lesson of all of this is not which is better, but that homes need more than one source of heat in case one kind is unavailable. With propane, what do you do when there is no propane? With wood pellets, what do you do when the stores are sold out? I just saw an interview on TV with a woman who claims propane cost her $5/gallon, and filling her tank cost as much as her mortgage. That's just lack of planning. We have all seen wood pellet shortages, fuel oil shortages, power outages, and now propane shortages. Over the life of a mortgage, we are going to see them all.

 

[mikim]

I just filled my 1000 propane tank here in Tx @ 2.44 gal .... for 640 gal. We've used it more this year than past - I can normally just fill once a year in the summer when prices are down. We have a wood stove as backup but use LP for everything that heats except the oven. It also runs the genset every wed a.m. and twice this year with power outages.