Posted on 01/27/2014 2:55:40 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
As brutal cold continues to blast much of the nation, a propane shortage is driving up heating bills, prompting accusations of price gouging and leading to energy emergencies in more than a dozen states.
"They're worried they might not be able to keep those chickens warm," said Jeff Helms of the Alabama Farmers Federation.
And consumers are grousing about higher prices.
"It looks like there's some price gouging going on," said Phillip Wallace, director of schools in Stewart County, Tenn., which were closed Thursday and Friday because they were short on propane for heating classrooms. The district was due to receive 2,000 gallons. But Wallace complained the propane cost $3.45 a gallon, up from $1.29.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
Way back in the 90s I worked as an intern with a natural gas company. We were trying to bring it into a local community, and needed to get at least 100 residents to agree to sign up for it, and connect to nat gas within a year of it being brought into the community. Almost all the propane tanks were connected via copper. In all cases, our techs wouldn't hook up the nat gas until all the copper was replaced and certified by inspection, with corrosion being the primary concern. IIRC, it was black iron, but it's been a while.
I do remember one propane company in particular that knew we were coming, and didn't like it. They wound up going around to the lesser informed folks, offering them "great deals" to sign up on 18-month contracts which then prevented some folks from signing up with us due to the 1-year agreement. In all cases, after talking with mgmt about it, we agreed to waive the hook-up requirement until existing contracts expired.
Funny story, this was an old town with really poor records. Our crews ran into unidentified pipes in the ground on almost on a daily basis. Each time they had to have the city manager ID them. One day, the city manager came out and tried to ID some pipes, claimed they were old water pipes that were no longer used, and proceeded to cut through fairly new fiber-optic lines. He had the wrong maps. Thankfully it was him, not our company, that did it.
the propane gas guy just left
we were at 21% full - went to 50% full.
$3.099 a gallon - 288 gals - $892.57
of course; the state of Indiana wants $62.48 in taxes for the PRIVILEGE of staying warm!
Well; when gasoline prices rise in the fall; the lapdog media reports that it is due to the changeover to Winter Blend.
And then when gasoline prices rise in the spring; the lapdog media reports that it is due to the changeover to Summer Blend.
That’s 90 cents a gallon less than I paid and I bought over 5 weeks ago here in Virginia.
Possibly EVERYTHING one would want to know about the subject being discussed...
https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/ibr/icc.ifgc.2012.html
(We'd only run out a couple of other times in the previous years - why get so grouchy???)
Besides; both ovens are electric...
So in the fall she FORCED me (mate abuse!) to get them to put us on the StayFullPlan.
I may have locked in rates then...
“Sorry; but we don't normally deliver on weekends, unless it's an emergency.”
“Yes; there IS an additional charge for weekend delivery.”
“BTW; this is a HOLIDAY and the drivers get double overtime - that has to get paid as well..”
(Yes; it was worth having a relatively silent wife for the festivities...)
Yes, the cost of education in Indiana IS high!
But I learned my lesson.
The fitting going to your regulator should be the same as the one to your portable tank. Question is...is the propane at tractor supply still cheaper!!
I keep hoping with the fall in natural gas prices some one will come up with LNG to compete with propane!!
I know how you feel. A few years ago my furnace crapped out on Thanksgiving during a very cold fall. I called my propane guy to fix the thing before my house froze up, NH.
The guy was pissed and fixed things that weren’t broken. $950. I talked to a friend in the Biz and described what happened, $150 parts included.
I bought a pellet stove and cost the propane supplier around $15,000, I can fix the pellet stove myself.
Um, the refinery transition disrupts production, which reduces supply, and prices go up temporarily. This is pretty basic stuff.
Hmmmmm Suburban Propane?
I can't but help think that EPA mandates for using CORN as fuel has something to do with this. . .
temp-or-ARILY??
Just 20 feet or so underground it’s 50-55 degrees year round.
Even a caveman could do it!
They are exporting 400,000 barrels per day, that's why.
From what I have gleamed upon is that the dealers are responsible for those type of contracts. No BIG money behind them. Now they are getting killed and many are rushing to the banks for loans or going out of business, or in some case not honoring the contracts. This going to be a big deal.
Nope, not now. NO NEW CUSTOMERS is the norm.
There is plenty of supply. It is just being exported. Next year is even being predicted to be worse.
The Midwest pipeline supply situation may be worse next winter, when Kinder Morgan plans to have reversed its Cochin pipeline to carry light condensate to Alberta, Canada, said Joe Rose, president of Propane Gas Association of New England, by phone yesterday. “That will be next year’s catastrophe,” Rose said.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-01-22/midwest-propane-prices-push-record-as-pipelines-can-t-catch-up
I think we saw some unwinding today at Conway. The spot dropped dramatically there at today's close.
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