OT (Sort Of) - Still want a gasser?

robnybbq

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/propane-shortage-sends-suppliers-scrambling--prices-jumping-150857702.html

"As the northeastern U.S. prepares for another major snowstorm along with extreme cold weather, residents and businesses are suffering from a shortage of propane.

Supplies of propane in the Northeast and Midwest regions took a hit during the recent "polar vortex"-induced cold spell, and deliveries to replenish the stocks have been hampered by poor weather.

That’s caused prices to spike for the fuel that nearly 6 million U.S. households rely on for home heating. Nationwide, propane prices averaged $2.86 per gallon last week, up 17% from the same period a year earlier, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Prices are even higher in some regions. Residential customers in New York state, for example, paid an average of $3.28 a gallon for propane last week, up from under $3 a gallon in December and 20% higher than at this time last year.

Several governors in the Midwest have already declared states of emergency, suspending rules limiting propane deliveries. Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Jan. 18 issued an emergency proclamation temporarily waiving rules that limited delivery hours for propane and heating oil. Kasich also activated the state’s national guard to assist residents affected by the shortage.

“This will help get propane companies resupplied so Ohioans who use propane to heat their homes can stay warm, while also doing it safely,” the governor said in a statement. “We’re also working closely with county officials to look out for people whose supplies might be getting low. I urge folks to look out for one another right now.”

Ohio is the 17th state to declare an emergency, according to a report by NBC News.

The New England states, which have less storage capacity, have had trouble receiving propane deliveries by rail because of bad weather, as well. And propane deliveries will likely become more difficult as the latest winter storm racing up the Eastern seaboard could bring a foot of snow to major cities, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Prices will likely climb even higher as another patch of extreme cold weather is expected. Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees below average across much of the country starting on Tuesday night. Temperatures below freezing could extend as far south as Memphis, Tenn., by Thursday.

The propane shortage has its roots in the Midwest’s farm belt, where record high corn crops this fall led to higher propane use. Farmers use propane to dry crops and tapped more supplies than usual thanks to the huge harvest and above-average rainfall.

At the same time, U.S. exports of propane were booming, leading propane supplies to fall to the lowest level since 1996, according to the Energy Information Administration. According to the Census Bureau, 5% of around 115 million households, or nearly 6 million, use propane as home heating fuel."

Skiddymarker

Basic rules of supply and demand I guess. I do feel sorry for those who do not have access to natural gas for heating as both heating oil and propane prices will be edging up as demand increases. Prices are only going to go up, so time to better insulate if you can. 

When living in the east, propane was a pain in the ass for grilling when the temp drops into single digits ºF. My 50,000 BTU grill became a <5000 BTU candle. used to use a battery blanket to warm it or bring the tank into the house to warm it up. 

Nice thing about charcoal, it burns pretty much the same no matter the temp. 

Gogogordy

Easy to be smug when the particular commodity YOUR not dependent on is in short supply, but every commodity item (fuels especially) is susceptible to any number of outside influences making it scarce, and driving up the price. A drought or some type of parasite could just as easily impact the wood supply lump is produced from.

td66snrf

Not all gassers are propane. Mine is plumbed to natural gas.

fishlessman

i think its over 4 dollars a gallon here and my 250 gallon pig needs filling to heat the basement up to 42 degrees.....ARGHHH....the last fillup was just before xmas

Skiddymarker

Gogogordy said:

Easy to be smug when the particular commodity YOUR not dependent on is in short supply, but every commodity item (fuels especially) is susceptible to any number of outside influences making it scarce, and driving up the price. A drought or some type of parasite could just as easily impact the wood supply lump is produced from.

Absolutely right. At the moment this is kinda working for us charcoal users - sad as that may sound. Acid rain has had a negative impact on maple trees in Ontario and Quebec, I'm guessing the supply of sugar maple and birch has increased as the trees die off and has been good for the lump charcoal business. 

robnybbq

WOW - Did not mean to offend anyone.  Just a joke at a gas grill compared to the lump burning Egg.  I guess that is not allowed here anymore.

Sorry.

henapple

Don't make me pull this forum over!

Coastalcooker

Wonder why the corn growers, also known as ethanol producers, use propane instead of the most wonderful fuel ever (at least to them) ethanol. I'll bet there is no ethanol used in the equipment used to plant, cultivate, harvest or transport the corn either.
They have more political pull than us poor energy users I guess.
Enough of the rant.
Bob

td66snrf

robnybbq said:

WOW - Did not mean to offend anyone.  Just a joke at a gas grill compared to the lump burning Egg.  I guess that is not allowed here anymore.

Sorry.

No need to apologize to me. You need to be way more offensive to offend me.

henapple

I doubt @robnybbq was being snide.

Canugghead

fishlessman said:

i think its over 4 dollars a gallon here and my 250 gallon pig needs filling to heat the basement up to 42 degrees.....ARGHHH....the last fillup was just before xmas

ARGHHH indeed, couple of pig fillups exceed what we pay for heating and cooking (non-egg) for a year!

fishlessman

Canugghead said:

fishlessman said:

i think its over 4 dollars a gallon here and my 250 gallon pig needs filling to heat the basement up to 42 degrees.....ARGHHH....the last fillup was just before xmas

ARGHHH indeed, couple of pig fillups exceed what we pay for heating and cooking (non-egg) for a year!

well the big truck came sometime this morning $4.18 a gallon. a months worth is more than my mortgage

gerhardk

I gave my gas bbq to a neighbour down the road about year after getting the egg, actually never lit it again after getting the egg.

Gerhard

Gogogordy

Skiddymarker said:

Gogogordy said:

Easy to be smug when the particular commodity YOUR not dependent on is in short supply, but every commodity item (fuels especially) is susceptible to any number of outside influences making it scarce, and driving up the price. A drought or some type of parasite could just as easily impact the wood supply lump is produced from.

Absolutely right. At the moment this is kinda working for us charcoal users - sad as that may sound. Acid rain has had a negative impact on maple trees in Ontario and Quebec, I'm guessing the supply of sugar maple and birch has increased as the trees die off and has been good for the lump charcoal business. 

No worries on my part....it's the innernets after all. Any subtlety intended or inferred gets lost in the typewritten version. Keep smiling, and eggin (or...gassing)