Propane Price Lock in Rate is a Joke

[Bioburner]

Put this on its side

 

[SidecarFlip]

No0t bad. They are all already painted JD Green.........

 

[SidecarFlip]

Propane came down 10 cents more last week so I filled all 3 of my owned tanks at ..are you ready....... 89 cents a gallon delivered. Dryer gas for crop drying is at 69 cents a gallon right now. (no tax).

I spent (filling three tanks) what I normally spend filling one...... Whooooooopie.

Gonna be a no pellet/corn year for me, well maybe a fire now and then for the 'ambience'. Thats it.

Conversely, pre-buy on Sets at TSC didn't go down at all. Won't be geeing my usual 5 ton this year. More spendable income on 'other' things like hunting.....

 

[Bioburner]

Gas for the vehicles is going down fast too. Our state average went to $2.52 according to gas buddy. Was some stations in Rochester that were 1.91 yesterday. Up to 2.10 today. Locally is 2.49. Wanting to do a couple road trips as soon as I get the rest of the parts for the new to me Xterra. Poor MPG is not such an issue as comfort. Local box store having sale on pellets for 4.89. To buy corn local elevator 3.39/bu. Thinking will have a record or close to record corn crop in MN, Dakotas, NE and Iowa.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Crops are poor to poorer here. Too much rain. I just finished cutting first cut hay...12 weeks late.

 

[bwise.157]

Ordered propane today for my once a year fill. $1.20 per gallon. I live in central Ohio. Amerigas owns my tank. I was fully expecting a much higher price from them, but was surprised. Was thinking about buying my own tank, but couldn't argue with the price they gave me, especially since I was quoted $1.59/gallon just 30 days ago . Will revisit the issue again next summer.

 

[Bioburner]

Just visited my propane supplier yesterday morning while beating a local gasoline price increase of 21 cents and was told 93 cents for propane. Long range weather forecast is for a mild winter in Midwest and wetter than normal for West coast.
Would have to be able to get corn for around 3.25 to beat propane that cheap if I calculated correct so will be using a lot more lazy easy gas this winter if it holds. Have 90 days of corn cleaned and ready and hopper trailer ready if anything changes.
Hot and dry around here and they started to harvest sugar beets down the road this AM. Hope to get rain latter this weekend and a break from the very short heat spell.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Just visited my propane supplier yesterday morning while beating a local gasoline price increase of 21 cents and was told 93 cents for propane. Long range weather forecast is for a mild winter in Midwest and wetter than normal for West coast.
Would have to be able to get corn for around 3.25 to beat propane that cheap if I calculated correct so will be using a lot more lazy easy gas this winter if it holds. Have 90 days of corn cleaned and ready and hopper trailer ready if anything changes.
Hot and dry around here and they started to harvest sugar beets down the road this AM. Hope to get rain latter this weekend and a break from the very short heat spell.

I'm full up at 1500 gallons. Thats enough for the winter

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm more concerned right now with China devaluing their currency. That will directly impact fuel prices here.

 

[Bioburner]

The devaluation issue is serious and they are are worried about little country of Greece.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Propain is down to 75 cents here as of Monday.....

 

[Bioburner]

Going to be a lot easier to make a phone call for gas than toting bags of pellets and buckets of corn. Soybeans are being harvested here and a few fields of corn are having the headlands taken.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Maybe some 'ambience' over the holidays from the stove but thats about it. My local TSC sold 90 ton on pre-buy, I can't figure that out unless they were all sold to Democrats...lol Just starting to take beans right now. I have another cut of hay to get off too.

 

[Bioburner]

The little Dovre gives off plenty heat and ambiance

 

[SidecarFlip]

So does my Bryant Plus 90, I just can't see it, it's in the basement....lol

 

[bags]

Pellets are still my cheapest option this season. Corn too if I do something about getting some. Been too busy to mess with anything.

If I had a propane system or oil I'd definitely flip the switch at these prices vs. toting 40 pounders. My toting is minimal but kicking a switch over once at the beginning of the season takes much less effort.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You must have Ready Kilowatt for heat?.... Has to be the only 'fuel' thats more expensive than pellets and....

Following along and reading Biomass Magazine, domestic and Canadian pellet producers are reaping a fortune exporting them (along with our resources, aka: trees, though it's supposedly slash and undesireable species).... Not exactly sure whats meant by undesireable species......

IMO, deforestation is deforestation whether here in North America or Africa for that matter.

Consequently. most don't give a hoot what the domestic market is so prices will stay high. Besides, mass export don't entail things like bagging lines transportation and retail sales. They extrudce them, store in bulk silo's and load ships holds via conveyors. It's really big business today. We are fueling Europe's power plants....

Heck, I had the heat on the other night. It's set at 65 and thats where it will stay, all winter.

I priced old crop friday at Andersons in Maumee. $3.65/bu. I'm due for a feed delivery next month anyway. Told them to drop 1500 bushel.

I might roast some plus the pellets I have left from last season but thats about it.

With propane well below a buck (and it might even go lower), makes no sense not to run the Plus 90. Easier too.

Next year might be different, no one can predict the future but there is so much LP, the caverns (in Sarnia, Ontario) are full as well as the abadoned mines in Ohio and Michigan. Excess is being flared.

One reason coal fired power plants are being shut (besides the tree hugging government) and switching to NG. There is so much to ues now...

 

[bags]

Yeah, I have an electric heat pump and they suck IMO. Mainly did it for the air handler for the Woodmaster and central AC when I originally did everything. Back then electric was pretty cheap and NG, propane, oil, etc. were the high dollar heaters.

They get you coming and going so anything is a gamble but if I had an oil or propane system I'd be flipping a switch on the stat also. Paying more for heat is just ignorant. 74 degrees is 74 degrees no matter what. Getting the 74* cheaper is the only reasonable thing anyone can do.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well, I'd directional drill and put in a loop and go geo-thermal, you are young enough to realize the ROI and the gunnit is still offering a 30% rebate until the end of the year I think. My hunting bud is building a new home not far from me and he's going geo. He had it in his previous house in Ohio and I think his highest mid-winter electric bill was 175 bucks last winter.

I'm too old for that (ROI).

You do know that if you hold your RH to an acceptable level in the winter, 65 'feels' like 70.

I guess with the current energy climate and Ovomit doing everything he can to eliminate coal, juice will only increase in cost, probably substantially.

 

[SidecarFlip]

BTW 'Dryer Gas here hit an all time low of 65 cents a gallon..... Don't mean clothes dryer either.....

 

[Wisneaky]

LP was .99 when I last bought. It figure it would have to come below .75 before it would be cheaper to use it vs wood. Even than I'll still burn wood.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You leave out some important considerations in your assessment concerning wood vs proppain. One thing, not everyone has access to a woodlot, Obviously you do but you need to factor in some things like what is your time worth? Takes time to cut, split, stack and handle wood plus the cost of the woodburner, the gas for the chainsaw, the chainsaw itself and then the consumables like chain loops and bar oil, lets not forget safety gear like chaps and a helmet...and gloves and an axe and splitting maul or better yet, a gas powered splitter,a dnt e gas for the splitter... I could go on.

Bottom line is, it all costs money for the 'free wood' thats really not such a good deal anyway.

Propain, on the other hand is one time cost. It's a good deal. I have the wood too. Most of my wood from my acres of trees, I chip in my big chipper or burn in a pile. I tried giving it away, but no one wants to spend the time to haul and split and stack it so I roast it yearly. Makes a helluva bonfire.

 

[SidecarFlip]

...and wood is full of bugs that come inside your house with the wood and then set up residence. It's warmer inside afterall.

 

[Wisneaky]

You leave out some important considerations in your assessment concerning wood vs proppain. One thing, not everyone has access to a woodlot, Obviously you do but you need to factor in some things like what is your time worth? Takes time to cut, split, stack and handle wood plus the cost of the woodburner, the gas for the chainsaw, the chainsaw itself and then the consumables like chain loops and bar oil, lets not forget safety gear like chaps and a helmet...and gloves and an axe and splitting maul or better yet, a gas powered splitter,a dnt e gas for the splitter... I could go on.

Bottom line is, it all costs money for the 'free wood' thats really not such a good deal anyway.

Propain, on the other hand is one time cost. It's a good deal. I have the wood too. Most of my wood from my acres of trees, I chip in my big chipper or burn in a pile. I tried giving it away, but no one wants to spend the time to haul and split and stack it so I roast it yearly. Makes a helluva bonfire.

Now lets add in some good stuff about wood. The cost saving, even with all that you said is a lot compared to LP. Plus it's all around fun. Great exercise. You get to be outside and enjoy nature. Wood heat is so much warmer. Nothing like watching a wood fire burn, pure enjoyment.

 

[Cory S]

You guys are lucky. My propane supplier just quoted me $2.59/gallon.....