Propane Tank, rent or buy 500gal

[Torvy]

So how come prices are rising all over the world? The U.S. doesn't have that much clout.

Got the bill today for my last propane fill up. $4.55/gal!! Glad we don't use it for heating! The good news is that they waived the tank rental fee they originally billed me for.

Yes, the US does have that much clout. We were a net exporter of Natural gas. If we are not selling, prices rise everywhere.

 

[ultrarunner]

safety check required any time supply valve turned off prior to fill so no more auto fill…

Only come when called and I know price…

Back in 1964 grandpa rented with option to buy for $200.

I exercised that option when rental increased to $150 and they were not to happy.

Since turning off valve at tank saved thousands.

Twice bears have ripped apart supply line with hundreds of gallons lost each time…

 

[Oaktree]

Twice bears have ripped apart supply line with hundreds of gallons lost each time…

Wow, I guess I shouldn't complain about them getting into my compost bin.
Something about propane tanks seems to attract wasps, seen it quite a few times at worksites with generators.

 

[LD1]

safety check required any time supply valve turned off prior to fill so no more auto fill…

Only come when called and I know price…

Back in 1964 grandpa rented with option to buy for $200.

I exercised that option when rental increased to $150 and they were not to happy.

Since turning off valve at tank saved thousands.

Twice bears have ripped apart supply line with hundreds of gallons lost each time…

Dang bears....

But reminds me of one time I walked outside and heard the dreaded hissing. Shut it off fast so don't think I lost more than 10-20 gallons.

Birds had built a nest under the cover and the dogs had it trapped and bit through the soft copper line trying to get it.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep the bear population increasing and homeowners attacked inside their homes in the early morning hours...

Bears walking down residential streets no longer unusual in the Tahoe Basin.

The line from the tank is no match for a bear even is going on sheer weight.

Once it was bear climbing that ripped the line off...

 

[coaster]

I'd be very surprised if they'd come out an pull an inground tank. It would cost them way more to excavate to remove it than the used in-ground tank is worth. Around here (Douglas County, NV) no one would even install a rental in-ground. You want it in-ground, you buy it and install it, (which is what I did with my 1,000 tank). I'd say they are calling your bluff. I'd be ready with an alternate company to install a temporary 250 gallon while you shop for an in-ground to put in the whole they leave (assuming they pull it out of spite!).

I was thinking the same thing. So far, I've called around to various companies and with the shortage of almost everything these days, apparently there's a shortage of 500 gallon propane tanks too. Companies have them, but they are saving them for people who will lease from them. At least that's what I'm being told. Yes, they are definitely calling my bluff, but I'm prepared to go all the way on this. I'd rather pay for a new tank and have it installed than pay that over-inflated price for what's already in ground.

 

[check]

So how come prices are rising all over the world? The U.S. doesn't have that much clout.

Got the bill today for my last propane fill up. $4.55/gal!! Glad we don't use it for heating! The good news is that they waived the tank rental fee they originally billed me for.

Gheez, that’s awful! We pay $1.99 here.

 

[AGreenFarmer]

We have Amerigas here too, and this summer for the first time I got a bill for tank rental. I basically told them (call center employee who had such a thick accent I could barely understand her) I wasn't paying it. They charge a good .15-.20/gal more than anyone else, d@mned if I'm gonna pay tank rental on top of it. So far they seem to have backed down, tank just got filled this week, we'll see if they try to sneak in the tank charge when I get the bill.
Only inertia has kept me from going with another provider.

Nice to have that option, but many don't have city gas available anywhere near us.

Surprised you've gotten away with owning your own tank, period. Most companies around here won't fill one they don't own.

Curiously, I've never heard of a buried propane tank. Why would anyone want to do that?

I just buried a 500 gallon tank on my property. I prefer to see a little green box to a big tank sitting on my property. I purchased mine so I am not stuck with 1 provider.

 

[ning]

We've had two 1000 gallon tanks since '97; we fill up once a year after calling about 15 companies in the surrounding 40-50 miles and find the best price; typically we've got about 850-950 gallons to fill.

The difference in price per gallon between a large fillup in midsummer vs the top-offs that the rental companies lock people into (ie subscription model) makes the payback pretty quick; occasionally a company that delivers requires a $10-15 "test" but either we get them to wave the price for the sale or the overall cost is still under what anyone else will charge.

This year my wife was looking into gas prices at one point in the summer and then something more important came up and she forgot to complete it, and I checked the tanks at one point and was like "hey don't we usually get propane by now" and we'd missed the bottom price by about 15 cents. The range of prices I was quoted was from 1.70 (which I took) to 2.89 (this was August if I recall); the big guys around here will probably be charging over $4/gallon mid-winter.

 

[coaster]

I just buried a 500 gallon tank on my property. I prefer to see a little green box to a big tank sitting on my property. I purchased mine so I am not stuck with 1 provider.

Did you just buy your tank recently? If so, was that a local purchase?