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With a few unexpected winter storms already under our belt, it’s important to be prepared with enough propane to heat your home and weather the storm. Make sure your holiday spirit isn’t disrupted by lackluster propane service when trapped inside by a winter storm. The last thing you want is to run out of propane!

 

3 Propane Delivery Services Your Propane Provider Should Offer During a Winter Storm:

1. Refill your tank with automatic propane delivery

A quality propane provider should offer a monitoring program where they can check your propane levels remotely. By monitoring your propane levels, the propane provider can prioritize their delivery routes accordingly and schedule an automatic delivery to your home before your propane levels dip too low. Automatic propane delivery guarantees you won’t run out of propane when the snow is coming down hard. Running out of propane not only leaves you in the cold, it incurs more expenses. For example, if you use your propane until your tank is empty, you’ll have to get a leak test to ensure safety—a surprise expense you don’t need.

2. Dispatch emergency refills to customers in need

Snowstorms often call for more emergency propane deliveries. Customers who are homebound in a snowstorm will be forced to use more propane. And if you live in a remote area where power outages are likely, you might need to use a propane powered generator, which can guzzle your propane supply. A quality propane company should offer an emergency delivery program to dispatch emergency refills to customers in need. They should have flexible, after-hours shifts and special assets such as:

  • Locations for propane storage
  • Vehicles for emergency dispatch
  • Adequate supply of propane

Your propane provider needs those extra backup resources to meet the high propane demand of customers seriously affected by winter weather. In a winter storm, propane companies are running at maximum capacity. Many propane companies can’t accommodate extra refills, let alone take on new customers during the snowy season. So make sure your current propane provider can cover the winter worse case scenarios if you think you’ll need extra service in a storm.

 

3. Advise customers on winter safety precautions

A helpful provider should offer basic propane safety tips for winter conditions. Particularly when it comes to your propane tank. Many times, propane accidents are caused by a mishandled gas tank. You can imagine how it’s easy to neglect your tank when snow, ice, and frigid temperatures make it uncomfortable to go outside. Some propane tank safety tips include:

  • Clear ventilation for appliances (like fireplaces)
  • Don’t let your tank run out of gas
  • Check for tank damages after snow

No shovels allowed when it comes to clearing snow and ice away from your propane gas tank! Stick to brooms, or you risk damaging your tank. If you do suspect any damage, remember the number one sign of a severe propane gas issue is the sufuric smell of a gas leak.

Quality providers prepare customers for seasonal conditions that affect propane usage

Every season brings weather-related setbacks. Since the propane industry is seasonal, your provider should deliver helpful service and information that adapts to each season. This is especially true in winter when you need to use propane the most to heat your home (and the people in it). If your propane company is ahead of the game, they’ll offer high-tech propane monitors that allow you to check your propane levels from anywhere—inside your warm home, or on that beach vacation you escape to during the holidays. Ask your provider if they offer cellular propane monitors. Both you and your propane provider will always be up-to-date on your propane levels and when your tank needs refills.