I hope you had a great 4th of July and you’ve still got all of your digits. I’ve seen a fair amount of this world and I’m convinced, regardless of perceived differences, that I’m fortunate to be living in the best country in the world.
We are really getting a double whammy this year with the Canadian forest fires and the super dry weather. Hopefully prevailing winds will have sent the smoke back to Canada where it belongs and bring a good dousing of rain by the time you read this. The last time I mowed my lawn it felt like I was in an Iraqi dust storm. That was over a month ago and although the grass has gone dormant, the weeds seem to be thriving.
Propane contracting is another thing that is thriving. Our staff processed millions of gallons of propane contracts by the end of June. Propane prices are close to half the price of a gallon of gasoline so it is a really good value this year. I know it’s difficult to think about winter this soon, but with values this low it gives prices more room to go up this winter. If you are late with your contract, contact your local energy office before returning it to see if contract prices have changed before mailing it or dropping it off. As always, I would recommend locking in a propane price for the winter if given the opportunity.
One of the things we’ve invested in this year are propane monitors. Using cell phone technology, we get daily readings on how much propane is in our scheduled delivery tanks. Coupled with this, we’ve implemented a routing system that is showing very good promise. We had some struggles during the first cold snap last year but the staff has tweaked it a bit and I’m very satisfied with the results. Delivery efficiency (gallons delivered per mile) has increased dramatically.
Another thing we’ve debuted this year are a couple of new, larger trucks. These trucks have dual axles rather than single axles in the rear, which will allow a better distribution of weight. The additional four tires will provide more surface area to better spread the weight of the truck over a larger area. The weight per axle has dropped dramatically, which is much easier on roads and driveways. We have some new safety features on the new trucks as well. They are equipped with backup cameras and alarms to let the driver know if they are getting close to something. Our fleet is currently well over 20 propane delivery trucks and we intend to replace 2 per year.
Speaking of our fleet of trucks, if you or anyone you know are looking for a driving position, give us a call. We are looking to fill one delivery position. We’re a great company to work for. I’ve been here for 28 years and there are folks with more years under their belt than I have.
A reminder that we can get you incentives for propane appliances. $500 for a propane water heater and $300 for a propane fireplace, propane gas stove or a propane clothes dryer. It could be a replacement or new construction. Contact your local Premier Energy location to find out more or go on the Wisconsin Propane Gas Association website, click on Incentives and Rebates and then the WiPERC Safe Appliance Installation Program to download an application. Snap a photo of the data plate of the old appliance if it is a replacement. We will need to do a leak test after the appliance is installed.
I hope you have a safe July and thank you for your business.
