Tell them when they lift the lid to check the guage, let the lid slam a time or two, then check it again. They stick all the time. My friend had his own propane business for a while. He also worked the tank exchange gig, and said that the number of tanks returned that are still full and near full is astounding. I guess when the wind blows the flame out in the grill, it's time for a new tank He sold his business a few years ago, and works for the company that bought it. When I talked to him last week, they were at $2.99.
Shortage in MN has been interesting. Prices 4.09-4.50 locally. People complaining of rationing going on with fills only happening if you are below 20% and limited 100 gallons. In light of the natural gas mishap in Canada, The Dakotas, Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Excel is asking customers to limit their temps to 60 degrees and are cutting off businesses supplies. Funny thing is I tried to sell my 400 gallon contract back, and my Co-Op wasn't too interested as of yet. Still sitting at 75% from the summer fill.
First year with ability to completely heat with wood - propane furnace has been turned off since Dec. 1. Was feeling pretty smug until I started hearing some stories of people suffering from situation - fixed income with no ability to cut wood or heat from other source. Called my propane dealer on Friday and asked what true story was. He was very stressed and said some of his supply contracts had been cancelled which normally offset his prepaids. He is not sure how he is going to survive. Putting ton of hours and miles on trucks making 100 gal drops. Told him to let me know of needy families in dire situation from no fault of their own and I would step up and help pay fuel bill. Real people are hurting in this deal.
I wonder if this means that some 500 gallon propane tanks will become available next year to use as hot water storage for a wood fired boiler. Will be interesting to see if this pushes people to another form of heat. At $5 per gallon, people could EASILY turn to oil filled electric heaters and SAVE money (no Sav.. not talking about you).
Is there any way you could say..... Donate/sell that propane that's been sitting in your 500 gallon tank since January of 1932 and you don't anticipate needing?
Goes to show, the only real control you have if what you have independent control of. Good reason for wood hoarders and pellet pigs that have the wherewithal to prepare ahead just like so many other creatures of the woods. Look at the excuse the given excuse was farmers using it to dry corn, the line down for maintence and the prolonged cold weather. Now, don't we alway schedule maintence during a time of high demand, or not anticipate the agriculture use, or have cold spells during winter? What they didn't say was what happened to it on the trading floor.
Most people have no clue how the system works and how the prices are set..... They just write the check, slide the card or count out the cash...
What they didn't say was what happened to it on the trading floor. I'm all about a free market, but what's being traded now is peoples lives, & safety. In my book those ARE NOT commodities. A C
Agree 100%. I love free markets and have been involved in commodity markets my entire adult life. I just believe that an elderly widow in the USA living alone in the home where she raised her family should reasonably expect to be able to keep that home above freezing for less than her entire soc. sec. or retirement check for each month. In my mind heat in the winter is as essential to life as food. Something is very wrong here.!
AC, I agree with you 100%. But people are generally reactive and not proactive. During the heating oil price spike a few years ago, people had locked in for the season thinking they had a good price. What they didn't know was that the heating oil companies were just making a bet and had no financial instrument to protect themselves from a drastic price rise. The heating oil companies went out of business, people lost their money and still had to find another place to get oil. If this market doesn't calm down, the same thing is going to happen with the propane dealers now. As for the trading floor, as they say, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/11/b...et-signs-enron-bet-price-increase-before.html
Probably a good wake up call for all of us who burn wood to become pro-active in making sure we do not let the right to do so get regulated away. Otherwise we could be right there with everyone else paying the price and contributing to the shortage.
I totally agree about the goal of someone being able to live out their years in their home. That is only a recent event. Prior to the 50's, a single elderly person rarely was able to provide for their needs without assistance. That's why multi generational homes were the norm. Perhaps the pendulum of time is swinging again. Yes, something is wrong.
