Quote:
Originally Posted by Senter Cove Guy
I'm assuming that the customer has a large tank, 500 gallons or more. OTEA's low cost provider could change from year to year. Does that mean the customer has to have a new tank installed each time there's a provider change?
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I have Eastern propane as my supplier. We cook, heat hot water, and dry clothes. Just the wife and I. Summer time we cook outdoors more than indoors.
We have a hundred gallon tank that gets filled two to three times per year.
For our usage, it is not worth swapping providers every year for what will be relatively short money between the competitors. To go through the hassle of getting the old provider out to get their tank out of the way, and get a new tank installed, and have the new installation pressure tested, and who knows what else is involved...I guess I just couldn't be bothered for the savings vs the inconvenience.
Senter Cove Guy, you deal with OTEA to get the best price for YOUR provider, and probably not for shopping each year. OTEA bargains with Eastern, for example, and says OTEA can guarantee 25,000 gallons of propane from Eastern's OTEA member customer for the period Sept 1 to Aug 31 the next year. The price is determined based on how many gallons you say you will use. The higher the use, the lower your price per gallon. Just remember, you are not buying propane from OTEA, just from your provider if they work with OTEA. If they do not participate (Fred Fuller, for instance) and you an get a better deal with Eastern, unless you own your own tanks, you will have to make arrangements with both companies to affect the change. To me, that can be a real hassle.
Perhaps someone who shops propane yearly can chime in. With OTEA, your price is based on anticipated usage, and is like a contract for the year.