I don’t know about everyone else but my family has sure went through some propane this winter and we are about due for another fill up just as these prices skyrocket. This winter we have already used 25% more propane than last year so add that increase and the higher prices together and it is a huge amount of money.
So why in the world are the prices so high right now? Well I called my local supplier to ask and he informed me that there is a huge shortage this winter due to a couple of factors. The first reason was a very wet fall which led to a wet crop harvest. They apparently use propane heat to dry out corn and since the harvest time was so wet the crops needed more heat to dry out properly. The second major factor is our record breaking cold winter. The entire Midwest has seen a record setting cold winter which meant that our furnaces are running a lot more and therefore using more fuel.
My supplier did inform me that there were some measures being taken within government to help us out and I was told to hold off until after February 1, 2014 to fill up. The suppliers apparently have some negotiations in place and we should see prices come back down after the first of the month.
So for now I am just thankful that I have a high efficiency furnace that does not burn as much propane as a model of 10 plus years and will take that gamble that prices will drop in a few weeks rather than continue to climb.
Stay warm and thanks for reading.
James Gallet