Propane

For those of you heating with propane how low do you run your tank before filling it summer and winter? Do you usually prebuy or just buy as you go?

At the cabin the propane company has a budget plan. You lock in a contract price and they estimate your yearly usage (from previous usage) and you pay the same amount every month. At the end of the contract year you square up with your actual usage. They also have prepay options that get you a lower contract price, but you have to pay quite a bit up front.

I usually call and schedule a fill up when the tank goes below 30%. I think we must have a 500 gallon tank.

Prepay is a good deal, when they offer it.

We pre-buy. A couple years ago during the winter (of course) there was a shortage and it went up over $5 a gallon.

I have never contracted. Sometimes I came out ahead and sometimes I lost. The winter that Belletaine mentioned I lost big. It would be safer to contract your price at the beginning.
DT

If I remember right there is a clause in some of the contracts that if it goes up over a certain price you have to pay more. I believe that was for Cenex.
DT