Propane Heat?

[ZachnElli]

Anyone with propane heat, I want opinions/advise. We are looking to make an offer on a house that has propane heat and we've never had it before. They own the 500 gallon tank. They already locked in for next year at 2.08 a gallon (I called the gas company) and the guy at the gas company said the current homeowners have 950 gallons "booked". I don't know what that means, he's calling me back to talk to me about the monthly plan. So, do you love it or hate it, never do it again, it's ok, anything? My dh wants to make an offer today and I want more info first! Thanks!

 

[Castlebound]

We have it and we pay for our propane when we get it. We check the tank and call when we need propane. We have had companies in the past that have told us that they would make sure that we didn't run out of propane. It seemed like they only checked our tank when propane was at its highest! We normally fill our 500 gallon tank in the summer when it is cheaper. Last year we paid $1.69 a gallon but we were told this year it may go as high as $2.60. Just because the past owners did monthly payments that doesn't mean that you have to. You need to make sure that they are paid up with the propane company and that you won't be paying their bill. If you want to do monthly bill pay you can but you need to have a new contract with the propane company. It works just like budget billing with any other utility. They estimate how much you are going to use and base your payments on that. If you go over that amount you will own them money and the next year they will raise you payments. If you use less than they budgeted they will give you a credit. The 950 gallons booked means that the current owners planned on using 950 gallonsduring the year. So they locked in the $2.08 price for those 950 gallons.

 

[barkley]

we have it and it seems to work fine. we have a contract with our provider where they never let our tank get below a certain level (important for us since the roads can be impassable during some winter periods, so i know i've always got at least a set percentage of my tank filled). ours came out fairly regularly at first but then as a trend in our usage emerged they could guage how much we tended to use (and they also track weather trends in the area so they know usage is higher than norm at times, lower at others).

the only thing about it that has taken me awhile to get used to (over our former electric heat) is the minor odor. it's not offensive but i can smell it when it's on-esp. when i turn on the oven.

on a cost basis i have to say that it must be efficient-i have my heater on much much more than i ever did in california but my cost is much lower. i look to how much i used to pay, and how much i know those rates have increased-as compared to my propane bill it's very different (and i pay in full when they top off the tank, i'm not into the monthly billing thing).