propane conundrum

[RustyShackleford]

Having realized that propane is actually more expensive than electric-resistance heating where I live, especially using a time-of-day electrical rate plan, I'm gradually phasing out gas appliances. Replaced the water heater a long time ago, and just installed a new heat pump with heat strips (which will probably almost never run, with the improved cold-weather performance of the heat pump, and climate change).

The one remaining item is the gas cooktop - which we like. I have a 120-gallon tank which will power the cooktop for years, I imagine, but Suburban charges me about $50/year for tank rental. Which is probably about what I spend on actual propane. Buying such a tank is close to $1000. But there's a thing called a 100-lb tank, which holds 20+ gallons and cost $100-200, which I imagine would power the cooktop for close to a year. But for some reason the propane companies won't come out and fill these. You have to cart the tank to U-Haul or somewhere - which would be a bit of a grunt with the 100-lb tank, and the propane costs about twice as much. I guess there's those little tanks like are attached to gas grills, but that'd have to be re-filled several times a year.

So I'm at a loss. Any ideas ?

 

[Montanalocal]

So $50 per year on rent is equal to 20 years worth of the purchase price of your tank. Just for the sake of convenience, I would pay the yearly rent. Especially as you get older.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’d see if they could do an automatic monthly draw of around $4.25. It’ll cost them more to run the charge, lol. After a couple years, point this out to them. Maybe they’ll sign the tank over, lol

 

[RustyShackleford]

I guess another reason to stick with the 120-gallon tank is that I'm contemplating a dual-fuel generator.

 

[ABMax24]

Keep your 120 gallon. Even buying a 100lb would probably take 5 years to pay off, not including the increased cost of filling it as you mentioned. And then you better have at least a 20lb on hand in case you run the 100lb out half way through cooking.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Look around for a used tank to buy. If the tag is good propane companies will fill it. You usually will get a better price per gallon as an added bonus.

If you end up getting a Genny consider your consumption per hour of runtime into your tank sizing. At half load mine runs at 2 gal an hour. I can't see mine running full time looking at an extended grid outage, just enough to keep freezers cold and maybe my heat pump up if it's summer. I put in a propane furnace to back up my heat pump. It uses less propane to run than my Genny running to light up heat strips.

With my wood stove I figured the only time the furnace would be needed is if we aren't here to load the stove.

I only have a propane stove, the furnace and my Genny that runs on propane. With a 1000 gallon tank I should be able to be solid for quite a while for a serious grid issue. The tank is pretty much storage for the Genny.

 

[EbS-P]

Have you tried an induction range?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Look around for a used tank to buy. If the tag is good propane companies will fill it. You usually will get a better price per gallon as an added bonus.

That's a thought. I think my neighbor found one, so he could bury it.

I put in a propane furnace to back up my heat pump. It uses less propane to run than my Genny running to light up heat strips.

I don't really plan on trying to heat with anything except the woodstove during power outages, so that's moot. And even so, around here, and with the cold-weather performance of this new heat pump, the heat strips wouldn't run much.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Have you tried an induction range?

Got one of those at mountain house and like it. But prefer the gas one here. Mtn place needed a new stove anyhow (gas ovens suck). And mtn house didn't have a real vent hood (recircs into house) whereas main house has a flue.