Propane Sticker Shock

I just filled up today. Really just topped off. The price at the boar and RV place where I store the RV in Woodbridge VA was $5.00/gal. Closer to where I live there was a place that charged 4.50/gal. If I was about to take a trip or running on empty I might have driven home. But it was not worth the difference for the miles/per gallon of gas. I need to look up propane dealers in Woodbridge. I'm sure the RV place does not go through enough to be competitive with other places. Especially in winter.

Why worry about propane prices if you own a $ 100.000 plus motorhome.
i always get a kick out of it when people complain about nickels and dimes, yet they don't hesitate to blow money on expensive vehicles. :-) Just saying…

Ya know, not all of us own $100K motorhomes.

We paid $7500 for our 1990 Winnebago Warrior 5 years ago. 24 years old and still rolling.

Steve

Jim Shoe wrote:
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He told me that portable tanks have to be purged and pressure tested before refilling, at least in Ohio. And they get repainted and have a new sticker added. More labor means higher prices.
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What you described is what Blue Rhino does with the tanks that it receives in exchange. My 20# tank in the below picture (next to rear tire) is 3 years old. I refill it about 10-15 times per year. I bought it new and the only time it was purged was on the first time it was filled - and that is because I told the attendant to purge it.

Are you're telling me that if some Ohioan took the tank off of their backyard gas grill for refilling that it needs to get recertified before being refilled? I don't know Ohio law regarding propane, but even if it is true I have to believe that unexpired smaller capacity tanks would be exempt until the expiration date that was originally stamped on the tank.

I don't remember what I paid last time, but I have a Propane wholesaler nearby that fills the permanent tank on my 'C' from the same hose that he uses to fill portable tanks, and its supplied from large underground tanks. He told me that portable tanks have to be purged and pressure tested before refilling, at least in Ohio. And they get repainted and have a new sticker added. More labor means higher prices.
My parents had a park model in Florida. The dealer there drove a large truck to the CG, and swapped out the full tanks for the empties.

Here up north, we've been hearing on the news about bottled natural gas and propane shortages, so serious a problem that the country has temporarily lifted truck driver daily driving limits to get the gas up north from southern states faster. Given that news, this thread is no surprise.

Hopefully prices will go back down once all reserve storage tanks are replenished, and this very long and cold winter is history. An example of the cold, here by me this winter, we've had 24 days below zero so far. It's very unusual. The temp extreme & duration has the road I take to work a complete wreck with huge frost heaves throughout. The northern states are freezing their posteriors off.

It's not just used for motor homes.... And not all of us have rolling mansions or close to what I'd consider expensive vehicles.

Why worry about propane prices if you own a $ 100.000 plus motorhome.
i always get a kick out of it when people complain about nickels and dimes, yet they don't hesitate to blow money on expensive vehicles. :-) Just saying…

Here is a story from last summer concerning sale of natural gas originating in the USA http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/04/news/economy/natural-gas-exports/
Helps our trade deficit and makes money for the oil companies but cost the consumers.

You have to ask yourself why Oil Companies in North Dakota are still being allowed to flare off 25 million therms of natural gas every month. In Alaska's North Slope the oil companies are required to reinject the natural gas back in the well. In Norway the oil companies are required to have natural gas capture and pipelines set up before they can pump any oil from a new well.

It's definitely a distribution problem, but just wait... these prices are going to be here to stay.

Thanks to the new EPA regulations on coal, the few coal power plants *not* being mothballed are being converted to use NG, and that's driving up the price. As already mentioned, where the price of NG goes, so goes the price of propane.