James:
I thought I would pass this along-Last night I received a call from my propane provider. They call every year about this time asking if you want to fill your tank. The person was saying that prices were low this time of year .I have a 250 gallon tank and only use around a 100 gallons a year. I said yes and inquired about getting a 500 gallon tank. They said there was only a $79 tank change fee. I know that each tank only holds 80 percent of tanks stated capacity, so a 250 gallon tank holds around 200 gallons. This is a two-year supply for me. I have a 6-burner cooktop and fireplace logs and am lucky to live in a mild winter area. It got me thinking this may be a good time to change to a bigger tank and increase my propane capacity to 400 gallons (four years).We don’t know what the future holds, what the price or availability of fuels will be,or what our finances may be in the future. This will enable me to breath a little easier and sleep a little better. Just a heads up to the people like me who are preparing. – Rob M.
JWR Replies: My general preference is to purchase rather than lease a propane tank. The total cost is lower in the long run (assuming you own a house for 12+ years). The other advantage is that if you own your own tank you can buy propane from any local vendor. That way you can “shop by phone” for the lowest delivered price. If you plan to have a propane cooking range, a propane hot water heater, a propane chest freezer, and a few propane lights, I recommend getting at least a 500 gallon tank. Underground tanks provide better OPSEC, as well as better protection from brushfires and small arms fire.