Propane Ripoff

Ever get you money Wood?

I had it happen to me yesterday. I used to be total propane so I have a 500 gallon tank. They topped it off yesterday for $4.19/gallon. Put 71 gallons in the tank to put it @ 86% full on the gauge of the tank. The only thing I have running off of propane is my range. I think I'm going to buy two 100 pound tanks and just fill them myself.

It's the "Golden Rule"! He with the Gold, rules! At least it was only 70 gallons. I have friends (greenies) that are totally propane, and luckily they locked in at $2.05 for there 'seasonal supply'. I don't even mention coal to them, it's just plain easier.
How did the 520 work out this winter? Are you a 50/50 buck rice guy yet?

The 520 exceeded my expectations. I have about 500lbs left out of 7 ton. I plan on making a trip next week for a ton or two.

Didn't yours come from Dr Steve W? He along with JC and a few of their friends make this an incredible journey. This is completing my 38th year with Anthracite, 6 with a hand fed (still being used) and 32 with stokers. AA's only until 2000, now EFM's and two AHS's. I've only seen one keystoker in all that time, but would try one out if I could find one.
Did the OWB work out OK, or they getting ready to visit Ravine this spring?
It is sure funny to look out my patio windows typing and see 6 deer raiding my bird feeds right now.....at least they survived this winter. It melting up here, but was 18 at 6 AM and made it to 38 at 2 PM. Sap is running great, and a good year for some 'Fancy' and 'Grade A'. Freddie was complaining about $56/GALLON last year...hang on.....65 is today's price!

Ever get you money Wood?

Still waiting, I was thinking about it today.

I too have stopped dealing with Suburban after their price gouging shenanigans. I bought fuel oil from Agway since 1975, and never had a problem with their prices or service. They knew that I burned wood, and only used oil as a supplement and for domestic hot water. Never a problem.
They sold out to Suburban a few years ago, and it hasn't been the same since.
The last straw was in April 2008, when they topped off my tank , about 150 gallons, and sent a bill for $4.25 a gallon. Up to that point, oil had been close to the same price as gasoline in this area, which was about 3.85 at that time. I called 3 other oil dealers in the area to see what their current price was and all were in the range of 3.80 to 3.90/gal.
Armed with that information, I was fuming and called Suburban to protest their price gouging. Like Wood 'n Coal said, being nasty won't help. I was very firm, but stayed on topic and told them they could come and pump their 150 gallons of oil out of my tank because I didn't want it at their gouging price. I also told them they better not take any more than that, because I already owned the rest of the oil in the tank. I also told them what other dealers had for prices. They couldn't give me an answer right then, and left a message on the machine a couple days later. When I returned the call, they said they would pump out the oil, but it would be a $150.00 charge, payable up front, if I still wanted to go that route. Then they offered to knock .50/gal. off the price, and re-calculate my bill if I kept the oil. (Kinda felt like vice grips were clamping on my sack at that point ) So I told them I'd take the price adjustment, if I could pay the bill in installments with no interest. So they put me on their budget plan, I guess.( I usually paid each delivery in full when billed.) I told them that when the bill was fully paid, I wanted to close my account because I was changing to another method of heating.
Fast forward to August, and they sent a letter that they couldn't fill my tank until my last budget payment was received. I had already mailed the check, so I called right away and told the guy they better not deliver any more oil, I was switching to coal, and I wanted my account closed.
Last week, they left a message on the machine about a special fill up price for "will call" customers "for a limited time only".
Guess they just don't get the hint. I'm a "won't call" former customer!
I've been maintaining my tank a little below 1/2 full by getting 10 gallons of oil every couple weeks and pouring it in myself to run the DHW. The oil furnace only ran a few times during those really cold days in January and February. The new Kodiak did't need much help.

Well we were suppose to be on will call. That means you will call when you need it right? Maybe I was mistaken. Now my wife was talking to the guy because I have a temper so this is second hand info. She told him we were going to buy our own 100lb tank and get it filled ourselves. The guy at suburban told her that's fine but wanted to know where we were going to buy a regulator since it was illegal for us to buy our own. Maybe it is. But she called three other propane dealers and they all said they would sell us a regulator. So I guess I'll pay $129 for a 100lb tank and how ever much a regulator cost $20-$40 and have it filled myself. I'm just worried about getting my full credit from my full tank.

Paperboy wrote: I bought fuel oil from Agway since 1975, and never had a problem with their prices or service. They sold out to Suburban a few years ago, and it hasn't been the same since.

Yeah, I think Agway went belly-up, recently? Ever since then, their prices for EVERYTHING have been thru the roof. Good thing a Tractor Supply Company opened up by us. The prices are better, BUT everything they sell seems to be made in China!
Ya just can't win anymore.

I`m waiting for my nasty gram from surburban, I had my tank topped off last April & I`m still at 70%. I don`t think they are going to be too happy. Thats how owned the tank when I bought this place & it was almost full then so I didn`t have much of a choice. Maybe I`ll just tell them I closed the place down for the winter & went to my villa in beautiful downtown Cancun.

Gave Surburban a call a few days after fill up. I'm gone from 5:30am to 8 pm on the days I work so I couldn't do it right away. They said they would be out the next day to pick up the tank. I got up the next morning. Disconnected the tank and the regulator going in the house.
Took the valve and fittings off ( I paid for them) and put them in the lid. Went to town and bought a 100lb tank and regulator. $230 for that . I came home and the tank was gone. I was surprised. Last week we got a statement with an $842 credit but no check. Got the check today.

cArNaGe wrote:Gave Surburban a call a few days after fill up. I'm gone from 5:30am to 8 pm on the days I work so I couldn't do it right away. They said they would be out the next day to pick up the tank. I got up the next morning. Disconnected the tank and the regulator going in the house.
Took the valve and fittings off ( I paid for them) and put them in the lid. Went to town and bought a 100lb tank and regulator. $230 for that . I came home and the tank was gone. I was surprised. Last week we got a statement with an $842 credit but no check. Got the check today.

refund.JPG

WHOOO !! WHOOOO!!!! That'l buy5 or 6 ton of PA's finest!

I just prepaid today for next season's propane, 300 gallons at $2.65, automatic delivery. That's my typical yearly use. Out of curiosity I called another dealer and pretended I own a 300 gallon tank, and asked for a quote on a one-shot 250 gallon delivery. She said $2.60 per gallon. (Actually, her exact words were, "We can do it for two-sixty," and I'm thinking, "260 dollars. Wow! I should have done this years ago".) So I said, "Just slightly over a dollar a gallon, then" and at that point she clarified. Damn.

So based on that small sample, it would be a mighty long payback period if I really DID buy a tank. Incidentally, they said I would have to show them a bill of sale for the tank to prove it's mine. I think some others in this thread have mentioned the same thing.

After a tank is on your property for five or more years you can do a buy out on that tank. My tank is a 1000 gal in ground finished a buy out on it. One it gave me 20 cents off from my supplier but I could also shop anywhere. My supplier wanted to sell propane to me propane for 2.45 per gal. and hes 5 minutes away. Another supplier drove 65 miles to sell me propane for 2.09 per gal. Brian

26Weeks wrote:After a tank is on your property for five or more years you can do a buy out on that tank.

Where do you live? Is that a state law or regulation?

I live in upstate NY and used to deliver door to door. For home heating tanks about 20 cents per gallon will go to the cost of the tank. After 5 years I dont think the propane company will say. Hay thanks for being a loyal customer and helping us pay for this tank heres another 20 cents off per gallon. But I am taking a big chance. My tank has been in the ground since 73 if it leaks its all mine. Brian