Propane systems are a safe, effective way to keep your family comfortable and your home humming all winter long. But it’s always important to make the necessary winter preparations to ensure the colder months go according to plan. These tips can help ensure your propane-powered heating systems and appliances work reliably when called upon throughout the season.

1. Have your propane tank filled before cold weather arrives.
2. Have your entire propane system checked by a qualified technician to make sure it’s operating at peak efficiency before winter arrives in Central New York.
3. Change out your furnace filters. You would be amazed at the amount of dirt build up that can accumulate in just one heating season that will seriously reduce your furnace’s ability to heat your home efficiently.
4. For cold spots or rooms in your home that your family only uses occasionally, consider using a small vent-free heating unit such as a free-standing floor heater or small vent-free fireplace.
5. Make sure you have enough propane. Talk to your propane provider about keep-full plans. If you’re responsible for monitoring your propane supply, check the gauge on the tank regularly (watch a video about it here), and call your provider before the propane level gets too low.
6. If you run out of propane, call your propane provider immediately. Your propane provider or qualified service technician will need to inspect your system for leaks before turning the gas back on.
7. Maintain a clear path to your propane tank. Clear enough space in your driveway for a delivery truck and shovel a path to the tank through snow and ice.
8. Keep outdoor vents, chimneys, and flues clear of snow, ice, and debris. This is especially important if you live in a mobile home. One often overlooked vent that should be checked and cleaned out regularly is the vent from your propane clothes dryer. Tons of lint can accumulate there, and besides making your clothes dryer much less efficient (and more expensive to operate), it can also be a serious fire hazard.
9. Never use outdoor appliances indoors. Keep grills, generators, and patio heaters outdoors. They emit carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can cause sickness and death.

There are those who love winter and those of us that don’t. The one thing we all have in common is the fact we are not a fan of increases in our heating bills during the cold weather months in New York. It is inevitable that we will be using our heat more but that doesn’t have to mean huge increases in your heating costs.

There are different ways to warm up your home that don’t require you to blast heat excessively. There are five methods and techniques that can really help you to save money, no matter if you’re a fan of winter or not.

Tips for Lowering Your Heating Bills

Weather Strips & Caulking – By adding weather strips and caulking around gaps that have may have in your home’s windows and doors will help to keep the heat from escaping and cuts down on drafts. If your windows are old, it could be time to replace them.

Replace Your Air Filters – Before we enter winter and we start turning on our furnaces, check your air filters. Your furnace will work at peak performance if your filter is dirty or clogged. It will have to work harder to produce the heat you want if it does not have a clean filter. If your furnace must work harder then you will see the result in your heating bill. You should check your filter once a month during the winter season and replace them accordingly.

Add Insulation – Just like adding weather strips and caulking helps keep the heat in, adding extra insulation also helps. Insulation will help trap heat in and keep it circulating in your home.

Your Thermostat – A programable thermostat helps you save on heating costs. You can change your home’s temperature with a pre-set timer. Let’s say you are away during the day, you program it to lower the temperature and have it raise it just before you get home. This means you are not heating your home as much when you are not there. No since blasting heat until you return home. It is important that you know how to use your thermostat properly, whether it is programable or not.

Open Your Blinds and Curtains – Let the sunshine into your home during the day. It will help warm up your house with natural sunlight. Closing them at night helps to keep the heat inside.

Now that autumn is almost here, it’s time to think about what you can do to get your home and propane appliances ready for colder weather. While number one on our minds and yours is making sure your propane tank is checked and filled – there is often more to it than simply refilling your propane tank. Country Propane is here to give you some great tips on how to prep your propane home for fall and winter.

Below are just a few suggestions to get your home and appliances winter-ready.

1. Check Your Propane Tank Levels Regularly

You’ll use your propane appliances more often as the weather gets colder. This means that you’ll need to keep a close eye on your propane tank level, so you don’t run out of fuel. The best way to do this for our existing customers is to talk with your Country Propane representative and find out when we are going to be making regular deliveries to you.  Also let us know about any changes in your propane usage so we can schedule deliveries accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to not let yourself fall below 30% tank capacity.

At Country Propane, we always want to make sure that our customers always have an ample propane supply.

2. Clean Your Gutters and Drain Spouts

One of the best ways to prepare your home for winter is to clean your gutters and drain spouts. This will help ensure that melting snow and ice can drain properly, which can prevent water damage to your home. In addition, it’s a good idea to trim any trees or shrubs near your gutters so that they don’t impede the flow of melting snow and ice – especially if this will impact the path leading to or area surrounding your propane tank. This could make it more difficult for our Country Propane delivery drivers to access your tank during delivery.

3. Schedule Your Appliance Maintenance

Once you’ve taken care of the exterior of your home, it’s time to focus on the inside. Start by checking all of your propane appliances—including your furnace, water heater, stove, and fireplace—to make sure they are in good working order. All propane appliances require routine maintenance to function properly and efficiently. Before the cold weather hits, schedule a time for your regular appliance service company to come out and perform any necessary maintenance on your appliances. This will help prevent any issues from arising when you need them most.

4. Keep Your Vents Clear

All propane appliances have vents that allow carbon monoxide and other gases to escape. It’s important that these vents are not obstructed by snow, leaves, or other debris so that the appliance can work properly. Be sure to remove any obstructions from the vents before using the appliance. Clearing out vents in early fall means you start the season where debris can become a problem with clear vents, which will help you keep an eye on them and make clean-up easier in the messier months ahead. One often overlooked vent is the one attached to your propane clothes drier.

5. Educate Yourself on Carbon Monoxide Safety

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be produced anytime fuel is burned in an enclosed space. Because of this, educating yourself and your family on the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and what to do if someone is exposed is important.

6. Weatherize Your Home

Another way to prepare your home and propane appliances for colder weather is by winterizing your home. This means sealing up any cracks or gaps around windows and doors where heat can escape. You should also insulate any exposed pipes or ductwork in your home. These simple steps can help improve the efficiency of your appliances. You would be amazed at how much these simple steps can actually reduce your overall energy costs.

Following these simple tips can help prep your home and propane appliances for fall and winter weather conditions. Contact Country Propane today if you have any questions about maintaining your propane system. One of our friendly representatives would be happy to answer your questions.

Why Have Propane Prices Gone Up?

These days the cost of just about everything is a lot more. Dealing with these higher costs can be frustrating and scary at times. You can take comfort in know that even with high fuel costs, propane is still one of the most cost-efficient ways to heat your home and run your appliances, not to mention meet your business propane needs so things keep running smoothly.

Propane Price Changes Are More Moderate than Oil

In the last year you may have notice the price swing trends with propane tend to be less when compared to heating oil, and other fuels like crude oil. The reason for this is because propane is a completely domestic form of energy. The U.S. exports about twice as much propane as the rest of the world than we use ourselves.

While propane is price in the world market just like oil, the abundance of domestic North American supply gives us supply security and that helps to level the pricing of propane cost in the U.S. Unlike crude oil that we do produce quite a bit here, we still import much more of that which is why it is more subject to higher price spikes.

How About Supply and Demand

When you combine high demand and lower-than-average inventory the result is a common driver for increased propane prices. While you may think of the demand for residential propane is for home heating and appliances, it goes much further than just that.

The demand for propane globally has risen because of increased use as a petrochemical feedstock, the majority of which is derived from crude oil and natural gas. Petrochemicals serve as the basis of many products like plastics, paper, adhesives, and some detergents. The manufactures of these types of products are some of the largest consumers of propane.

The global demand for U.S. propane has continued to remain steady even with higher U.S. prices because the international prices of propane and other feedstocks have also gone up.

Other Factors That Influence Price

There are factors that also come into play that influence the price of propane and those include, proximity of supply, transportation bottlenecks, energy policy, and manufacturing trends. In recent years these issues and played a bigger role:

• The actual cost of delivering fuel has risen.
• New expenses have occurred because of covid-19 related workforce issues.
• Supply chain problems have caused shortages, resulting in shipment delays, and inflated prices for supplies, parts, tanks, and other materials.

What’s To Expect?

To be honest nobody really knows where things will go from here. While things seem volatile, some people are under the misconception that when prices rise, we make more money. Actually, the opposite is true. People cut back on propane usage. We must pay our suppliers promptly. It can become a real mess for everyone.

The one thing you can count on is the fact Country Propane won’t let you run out. We have been in business for a long time and have strong relationships with our suppliers. Nothing would make us happier than to see prices start dropping. Until that happens, trust in us to be there for you and your propane needs from 20 lb. tanks for grilling, to larger propane supplies for heating and run your home, and your business.

Earth Day 2022 comes on Friday, April 22nd this year. But the truth that spurred the celebration of Earth Day so many years ago is something that each of us should keep in mind all year long.

When you think about Earth Day as it relates to your Central New York home – whether you live in Tully, Fulton, Cato, or anywhere else in Central New York, probably the first thing that comes to mind is recycling. Other things that may come to mind are using all forms of energy more efficiently, energy efficient appliances, and of course saving water.

One primary way you that think about Earth Day is by considering exactly how you heat and cool your home, what fuels you use to do so, and how those fuels compare to other energy sources.

Propane vs. Electricity

A huge number of homes throughout Central New York use Propane as their primary heating, cooking, and hot water energy source. Not only is propane environmentally friendly, but it helps in the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the production of electricity is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the transportation sector.  Propane on the other hand produces next to zero greenhouse gasses or air pollutants, making it a significantly cleaner source of energy that can be used to heath homes and businesses across the globe. That also goes for using propane to heat hot water, as well as cooking, heating the swimming pool, and even powering personal and fleet vehicles.

If yours is one of those families who use propane throughout their home, you are helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 30% when compared with someone who has an all-electric home.  In addition, studies have also shown that direct use of propane for space heating, drying clothes, water heating and cooking can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50%.

So when it comes to Earth Day, think kind thoughts about Propane, while you sit in your easy chair all nice and toasty drinking that cup of tea you just made on your propane powered stove out in the kitchen.  Because with Propane, you will not only be doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint, you will also be using one of the safest, most energy efficient fuels anywhere.