Whether you’re a new homeowner or someone who is interested in switching to propane heating, it’s difficult to know which questions you should ask a prospective propane company. Most people aren’t very knowledgeable on the topic, making it hard to know what to expect. In order to help you be prepared for your next preliminary phone call, we’ve prepared a list of questions to ask when choosing a propane company.
What Will the Total Cost Be?
Some companies try to hide unsuspecting fees from new customers since they usually have no way of knowing that delivery, installation, and rental fees are typical in this industry. After you find that out, figure out if they do a monthly charge or if they have you pay by the gallon. Make sure you are getting your money’s worth. If a company seems pretty cheap, it’s probably for a reason.
Many places will offer budget plans if you are unsure whether you can make the payments they are asking for. These will help keep your bills consistent since the price of gas is constantly changing depending on the time of year.
Are There Any Discounts or Incentives?
Many companies will offer deals to new customers in order to draw them in. Some of them will waive several of the fees mentioned in the previous point, depending on the kind of sale they’re having. Others will give you a discount on your first year of payments. Some places won’t tell you their offers unless you ask, so this might be one of the most important questions to ask when choosing a propane company if you are looking to save some money.
Are You Going To Monitor My Usage?
Most companies will keep track of this for you, but it’s still a good question to ask in case you are unsure. The places that don’t keep track of usage will give you a propane monitor so you can keep track of how much gas you have left.
If keeping track isn’t something you’re interested in, consider an automatic delivery propane service that will keep your tank topped off on a regular basis, like the one offered by First Fuel and Propane. You won’t need to track your usage—we will handle all of that for you. We explain the service in more detail on our website for those of you who are interested.
What Other Services Do You Offer?
On top of the automatic delivery service mentioned above, there are other services that a propane company might offer to their customers. Emergency propane delivery and gas line checks are both fairly common in the industry because of the fact that they are vital to a household’s overall health and safety.
Another service you can ask about that isn’t as popular is appliance tune-ups, which take place when the company sends someone to your house to check all the appliances that use gas. It’s challenging to know when something is wrong with your machines, especially if they’re not broken yet, so having a professional check them for you can be a great selling point.
By David Coon