Propane

[Malsua]

Sorry for the completely off subject thread here. I'm curious as to what other folks are paying for Propane. The pirates at Ferrel gas who fill our tank(about once a year) charge us $5.25/gallon for the stuff. I find that completely ridiculous considering they charge us $55/year for the tank. We bought the tank 6 years ago then the company that sold it to us was bought out by Ferrel and now we have to pay these frackwits $55/year for the pleasure of having this rusty POS next to the house.

So my question...how much do you pay for Propane?

[Ryan Ruck]

Tell me that your $5.25 you posted is a typo... If not, that is OUTRAGEOUS for propane!

Right now, I need to get our tank filled. Due to being unemployed for a short while, our tank has dipped down to 2% capacity (the only appliances that use gas in the house are hot water and heating). We normally do not let the tank get under 10%. When we called to get a price on propane, we were told $2.55/gal.

Last time the tank was filled (about November last year), it cost approximately $900 to get the entire tank filled from 8% up to 80% (as I'm sure you know, they won't fill it more than that due to propane expansion). So, with it down to ~2% I am anticipating a higher bill though the propane prices are about $0.30 lower than last year.

By the way, if your tank is rusty on the outside, Ferrel should come by and paint it for free. Our propane company does and we just had it done a couple months ago in fact (complete with overall tank inspection).

[American Patriot]

I don't use propane, I'm connected to city gas here at my place.

I NORMALLY do keep four tanks of propane to handle a grill. Those are 20 lb tanks, and last time I purchased gas was last year. I paid 19.50 per tank to fill it. So.. roughly a dollar a POUND.

I don't know about "gallons" for that stuff since they charge by the pound, not gallon. Now, on the BIG tanks that power homes, I don't have a clue. Also, I need to go over and fill my tanks up, so... I will update you with in a day or so.

[Malsua]

Yes, $5.25 a gallon. It's probably why i'm so irritated with Ferrell gas.

-Mal

[American Patriot]

No other propane places in the region you can contact?

[Ryan Ruck]

In that case, NJ must have a ton of taxes levied against propane.

NYMEX propane is trading at around $0.96/gal.

[Malsua]

I don't think it's taxes. I think they just charge me whatever they want. I can't find anyone willing to quote me unless I sign up with a new service.

[Joey Bagadonuts]

Mal.....I just had my propane tank for the BBQ filled this afternoon.....a 20 pound tank....$20.

But I still haven't seen any of that UNDER $2. a gallon gasoline down here yet. Cheapest I saw was $2.13 up in Sarasota.


***

PS....They won't give you a quote till AFTER you sign??......I have 2 words for them...and they ain't Happy Birthday.

RYAN---Jersey has taxes on EVERY damn thing, and PLENTY of them.....thats one of the reasons I left.

[Ryan Ruck]

I just cannot fathom ~$1800 to fill a home propane tank! And I thought $900 was bad...

[Malsua]

Just to be clear Ryan, it's a 50 gallon tank we use for the stove and dryer. Needs filled about once a year.

I just looked it up, a 20lb($20) tank of propane holds 4.72 gallons or $4.21/gallon. That essentially means that RETAIL propane can be purchased cheaper than bulk. Which means I am getting shafted above and beyond. I wonder if I can contact BBB or state attorney general or something and really make their lives miserable.

-Mal

[Ryan Ruck]

Gotcha Mal... I figured such was likely the case as you weren't more hopping mad!

I was adding that I, personally, could not see paying near $1800 to fill our tank.

You know, maybe it's time to consider a conversion over to electric? When we moved into the house we are in, it was setup for a gas stove and gas dryer (in addition to the hot water and heating). When propane prices started getting really outrageous, I wired up the kitchen and laundrty for an electric range and dryer.

To completely get off propane (I'm not much of a gas fan to begin with), I would love to get the heating changed over to a wood burning furnace and the hot water changed over to electric but, since we are renters, that isn't very likely. The breaker box is only a 100 amp box so it likely couldn't take the additional load of a hot water heater (though we are trying to talk the landlord into upgrades) and, the furnace is only about 5 years old and we were lucky enough to have central A/C installed last year.

[Malsua]

I like propane for the fact that it still works after the EMP goes off(or a tree falls on the line ).

I heat primarily with firewood already. I wouldn't want to be 100% of anything. I've got battery and genset backup for electric, propane for cooking and firewood for heat. I can survive a couple weeks without issue.

I did a regional propane search from suprisingly enough, the ferrell gas website and found 8 providers of propane in my area. The problem is, they all want a piece of me before they're willing to talk prices. It's real frickin annoying.

-Mal

[samizdat]

In no manner is this off topic. Here's Sen. Lugar's graph chart on oil imports. I would imagine a higher percentage of nat gas and lp come from Mexico, and currently from Venezuela.



http://lugar.senate.gov/energy/graphs/oilimport.html

Today, the United States uses 20.7 million barrels of oil per day. Its net imports number about 12.4 million barrels, or 60%. Nearly 98% of transportation vehicles in the United States depend on oil products. Oil is also used to heat homes and businesses, and as raw materials in manufacturing and industry, and (in small quantities) to produce electricity. In 2005, the top five suppliers to the United States in descending order were Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria. The latter three will likely embargo or be embargoed soon imho. Good idea to fill up now. I'm likely to go for a 300 liter tank next week.

[samizdat]

Here's a govt residential price graph.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...df/tablec1.pdf