Back to the cost of propane.

[fatlazyless]

...gee whiz....the price for home heating oil and gasoline are easy to see....just look at any Fred Fuller oil ad in the newspapers or drive past any gasoline station.......but propane pricing is not usually promoted by any propane companies in their advertising; Irving, Dead River, Rhymes, Amerigas, Eastern, Fred Fuller, Wallace .......no one promos the price of propane publicly in their promo ads.....like they do with heating oil..............ok.....here's my dumb question........so, why is that?

[overthetop75]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

...gee whiz....the price for home heating oil and gasoline are easy to see....just look at any Fred Fuller oil ad in the newspapers or drive past any gasoline station.......but propane pricing is not usually promoted by any propane companies in their advertising; Irving, Dead River, Rhymes, Amerigas, Eastern, Fred Fuller, Wallace .......no one promos the price of propane publicly in their promo ads.....like they do with heating oil..............ok.....here's my dumb question........so, why is that?

It has to do with your annual use and if you own your tank or rent it. At one house I have a 6 burner stove and nothing else that uses the propane. Since I don't use it for heating and I don't use enough per year for the tank rental. I have to pay for the tank at around $80 per year and I have to pay a higher rate. So I would say most people who are getting 2-3 price range use more then 100 gallons per year.

[BroadHopper]

A friend got her propane locked in at 2.799.

[codeman671]

When we installed our generator I bought a 320 gallon tank.
It was $1k to buy, but I get the discounted rate on LPG, about $1.00 less than those who rent. I figured that after a few seasons it would have paid for itself, which it probably has in savings. These larger generators can use from 1.5 to 2.5 gal per hour. Figure in a week without power a few times and you will kill a few tanks. When we had the big ice storm a few years ago we were displaced for a week. Hotel rooms, struggling to keep the pipes intact, eating out, and the overall nuisance made it all make sense.

If you are in it for the long haul, buy your own tank and shop your propane like others do with oil.

[fatlazyless]

A 100-gal tank, known as a Q tank, is a very common tank and it typically does not get buried underground, and always seems to not be owned by the homeowner, and is owned by the propane company.

So, if one can purchase a 320-gal or 500-gal or larger tank then why is it almost impossible to purchase a 100-gal Q tank? Yes, it needs to be pressure tested every ten years, but still, how come you cannot find someone to sell you a Q tank?

And, the reason is pretty simple.......the propane companies do not want to sell Q tanks because it puts an effective stop to propane price competition between companies since by renting a Q tank, the homeowner cannot price shop propane and easily switch suppliers to a lower price.

It is similar to having ,for example, Irving Oil own the gasoline tank in your car and requiring that you only purchase Irving and then explain that the tank needs to be tested and certified every ten years, and for that reason, you cannot own the gas tank in your car.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

A 100-gal tank, known as a Q tank, is a very common tank and it typically does not get buried underground, and always seems to not be owned by the homeowner, and is owned by the propane company.

So, if one can purchase a 320-gal or 500-gal or larger tank then why is it almost impossible to purchase a 100-gal Q tank? Yes, it needs to be pressure tested every ten years, but still, how come you cannot find someone to sell you a Q tank?

And, the reason is pretty simple.......the propane companies do not want to sell Q tanks because it puts an effective stop to propane price competition between companies since by renting a Q tank, the homeowner cannot price shop propane and easily switch suppliers to a lower price.

It is similar to having ,for example, Irving Oil own the gasoline tank in your car and requiring that you only purchase Irving and then explain that the tank needs to be tested and certified every ten years, and for that reason, you cannot own the gas tank in your car.

Not sure if it is the same thing you are talking about but I bought a 100lb propane tank at Lowes a couple of years ago. I use it for my propane space heater in my garage and at new construction job sites.

[fatlazyless]

The 100-lb tank which holds aproximately 25-gallons that you bought at Lowe's is about 1/4 of the size of the 100-gallon tank known as a Q tank. The Q tanks are about three times as wide and a little bit taller, and are a very popular size for homes that have say a Rinnai space heater, or a fireplace insert, and/or a propane kitchen stove. Q-tanks usually get set on three flat cement blocks and can be painted to blend in with a house.

Just like the Bell System dial telephones from the 1950's-60's-70's-80's, the Q tank is almost always, 99%, owned by the propane company and leased out to the homeowner, as opposed to belonging to the home owner. Is it possible to purchase a Q tank ....... not really....at least not locally here in central N.H. .....as far as I know.

[SIKSUKR]

Here you go.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...ropane%2Btanks
http://www.buyersforsale.com/propane-tanks-for-sale/