How Much $$ Now for LP Gas?

[McGowdog]

My LP gas recently went up to $2.70/gal. I spoke with the company's manager about switching companies and he promised me we'd get back down to $2.21/gal with the meter removed.

My next bill is back up to 2.64. I know that some will say they are paying even more. No offense, but I want to know if anybody is paying less. If you pre-buy, how much can you get, when can you start to purchase it (May or later?), etc?

Does anybody know the difference in cost in LP if you're filling a 1000 gallon tank vs a 500 gallon tank?

Will an electric water heater save us money and by how much? I wish I could recall how much we use in showers, dishwasher and laundry- but I've not looked into it yet.

If you don't use LP gas, what is the rate per gallon or cu ft of natural gas?

Is anybody out there?

[Wyoming53]

What your asking is hard to compute. The price of LP differs depending where you are at. Right now, where I live, LP is outragious. It's not merely $2.60 a gallon.

Natural gas is a better way to go but is it available?

As to figuring the cost difference between a 1000 gal tank vrs a 500 gal tank, just do the math. But where I live, they give you a price brake if you take so many gallons. So you can do a little better with the big pig.

[the dufferz]

McDog

Tell me more about a couple of things.

What are your options for other fuels? You mentioned Natural gas. Is that available at your home?

There are options with propane but whatever you do it will cost you more than any other fuel.

I have recommended some folks to ask whether there is a program from either your propane folks your competitors whether you can buy in bulk. Doing this would allow to buy a quantity larger than any tank you have can handle and you can get the fuel at a lower cost.

The option to put in a larger tank is dependent on the local codes for property line setback and whether you can get a 1000 gal. tank. Whether this will be of any help to you depends on the total gals used per year. If you are considerably higher than 1000 gals you are in trouble in that you may need a fill in the colder months.

propane is produces 91500 Btu's per gallon. Natural gas is 100,000 Btu's per therm, so they are within 10% of each other in cost. I usually have people look at the gals per year they use and apply this formula: Gals per year - 10% times the cost of natural gas. In my area using natural gas is like getting propane at $1.00 per gallon. Can't beat it compared to pro"pain".

duff

[McGowdog]

Thanks for the responses. We're movin now!

I hear that Natural Gas lines are being put down in our area now. My neighbor says that if you are offered it, you say "yes" right up front. If you say, "NO" then change your mind and want to get it later, they'll nail you.

My neighbor has a 1000 gallon tank. I'll have to figure out our yearly usage.

I hear that we can request Budget Billing where they average the amount and you pay even amounts month to month so you don't get nailed in the winter, but pay more in the lower summer months.

I hear that I pay about 60.00/year for tank rental. Not a really significant amount if you ask me.

Being on LP gas is the price we pay for having a more sparsley populated 1.2 acre lot.

[Wyoming53]

Yeah, there are times when LP is the only choice you have.

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

Thanks for the responses. We're movin now!

I hear that Natural Gas lines are being put down in our area now. My neighbor says that if you are offered it, you say "yes" right up front. If you say, "NO" then change your mind and want to get it later, they'll nail you.

I hear that we can request Budget Billing where they average the amount and you pay even amounts month to month so you don't get nailed in the winter, but pay more in the lower summer months.

I hear that I pay about 60.00/year for tank rental. Not a really significant amount if you ask me.

Being on LP gas is the price we pay for having a more sparsley populated 1.2 acre lot.

You bet you say yes right away. That usually is the cheepest time to do it. The good news is that all of your propane equipment can be converted to natural gas via a oriface change out. The only exception is the water heater. That needs to be replaced, but is a DIY thing you can do.

A budget payment plan from your propane people will make you "feel" better, but they still charge you the spot market price. That is the trick they want to play when they offer the convenience of monthly autofill. You get soaked in the winter that way. They also will resist installing a larger tank that they think your home needs, then they charge you monthly for the tank they want you to have. I have heard of cases where people had their own tanks and the propane company would not serve them. In other cases I hear that they charge higher prices per gal. if you have your own tank. In other words, they will get you no matter what you do.

For the size lot you have you can go high tech and high efficiency and have a geothermal heat pump system installed. It operates at an efficiency that would make Al Gore turn green with envy. I don't live in Colorado, so I can't tell you about the availability and details about doing this system in your area, but you could expect a installation cost of well over $15,000.

Duff

[McGowdog]

Hmmm. A chunk of change that I'm just out of reach of.

If I had 15k sitting around, I'd pick up this beauty;




Priorities you know. But seriously, when I go to the Parade of Homes this year- I'm gonna pay real close attention to what's being offered in terms of high-efficiency systems.

Thanks for the info.