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I'm not from CA but in my area, we have a few propane providers. Most are scammy- contracts, annual minimum purchase, etc. However, my house came with a 100 gallon tank for the generator and it was not a rental, so I called around until I finally found a provider that would fill it.
The only concession is that the price per gallon is higher when you use less, mainly because they drive all the way out to your house and don't get to sell much propane. This was worth it though- I probably buy 30 gallons a year in a bad year, or like 5 in a good year without a lot of outages.
OP~ since you rarely use propane, you might get a couple 5 gallon tanks, and switch them out as needed. This should eliminate the "theft" problem, reduce your cost, and you won't need a hazardous material commercial driver's license to haul them to be re-filled. (10 gallons is below the RQ for propane, as long as it's for self-use.)
Good luck. And don't make anymore decisions when in an emotional mindset.
I live in an area where propane is a necessity, no nat gas lines at all. Most people have 250 gallon above ground tanks. There are several companies that service them, since so many people need propane. You can either buy your tank, or lease, but most companies urge you to buy them. It's cheaper in the long run. They just fill them when you need it, and charge you for the propane only.
I have a 1,000 gallon buried tank. It services our heaters in the winter, a tankless water heater, fireplace log-lighters, and the cooktop. It also feeds our standby generator when needed.
I live in an area where propane is a necessity, no nat gas lines at all. Most people have 250 gallon above ground tanks. There are several companies that service them, since so many people need propane. You can either buy your tank, or lease, but most companies urge you to buy them. It's cheaper in the long run. They just fill them when you need it, and charge you for the propane only.
I have a 1,000 gallon buried tank. It services our heaters in the winter, a tankless water heater, fireplace log-lighters, and the cooktop. It also feeds our standby generator when needed.
That's is how it works in Maryland also. I'm wondering if the $360/year charge is a maintenance charge/contract for the tank and furnace, that's about what I pay for and oil fired oil unit. It covers all service and maintenance on the furnace (and hot water tank if I had an oil fired one), tank maintenance and auto-fill for the oil. It also has a balanced billing component so I don't get a $1000 bill to fill it.
While I don't use a propane tank I heard plenty about it from a coworker. In northern AZ 500 gallon tanks are the norm from propane companies and it was a bit too much for my friend. (500 gallons at 3 something a gallon,1500 to fill up?) They ended up hauling small tanks and getting them refilled. I asked about buying a one hundred gallon tank, but the propane company wouldn't do it and wanted 500-gallon tanks. she also mentioned that it was illegal to haul a 100-gallon tank in a truck or trailer. If I ever want propane, maybe for a gas grill I will just haul it myself and find a place to get it. The local store has a rack in front with exchange bottles. I imagine it's different everywhere and the owner of the propane delivery place makes a difference also.
Setting aside the funds that would've been spent on small refill trips to pay for the big fill-up bill
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapie9969
illegal to haul a 100-gallon tank in a truck or trailer. If I ever want propane, maybe for a gas grill I will just haul it myself and find a place to get it. The local store has a rack in front with exchange bottles. I imagine it's different everywhere and the owner of the propane delivery place makes a difference also.
The 100 pound tanks are +23 gallons and usually legal to transport in an open vehicle (pickup truck, etc). Weighs upwards of 170 pounds full, I don't think I'd want to transport anything bigger!
The fewer gallons you buy at a time, the higher the price per gallon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapie9969
n northern AZ 500 gallon tanks are the norm from propane companies and it was a bit too much for my friend. (500 gallons at 3 something a gallon,1500 to fill up?) They ended up hauling small tanks and getting them refilled.
Penny-wise and pound foolish. They'd do better monitoring their tank level and putting aside 30 bucks each time it drops by 10 gallons, and then when the 500 gallon is running low, call around for the best one-time delivery price on 380 gallons delivered -- you'll get a much better price per gallon that way.
I'm on natural gas and the only thing we use it for is our heat. But we still pay $5-$8/ month while not using it
I would, over time anyway, go to natural gas for water heating and for the stove, anyway. Not sure how practical that would be for you, might have to run some piping. Now is probably not the best time to do the gas plumbing, guys are likely busy, but in the spring something to think about.
One of the beauties of propane is that it will not go bad, at least not for quite a few years. Most "going bad" of fuels is oxidation, and the pressurized propane tank should have very little air/oxygen in it.
I have a 500 gallon tank, I own it, the local co-op will fill it without any problem. The price of propane will generally hit a minimum for the year in late August, at that point I would top off the big tank. It can be a big bill but it gets the best per-gallon price. Anymore I don't use it at all, not using the forced air furnace that is the only propane equipment I have. Heat almost entirely with wood. I do use an oil-filled 110V radiator type heater in the garage, set to a low level just to keep it above freezing in there. And a small oil-filled radiator heater in the pump house.
I have a 500 gallon tank, I own it, the local co-op will fill it without any problem. The price of propane will generally hit a minimum for the year in late August, at that point I would top off the big tank. It can be a big bill but it gets the best per-gallon price. Anymore I don't use it at all, not using the forced air furnace that is the only propane equipment I have.
Everyone that uses propane, needs to see your last paragraph. They could avoid "fuel cost shock" when it comes in Jan/Feb. Like it does every year.
The only thing I'd add, is to wait until you're below 10% then call for a fill up. This way, you'll get the best price break per gallon. If you call and only take 75 gallons, you're gonna get a service charge, and they won't be in a hurry to service your account in the future. (See: Boy who cried "Wolf!")
When I marketed propane, I had 6 different prices, depending upon amount...
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tanks a lot.
Setting aside the funds that would've been spent on small refill trips to pay for the big fill-up bill
