Eastern Propane Rental Charge
 

I've been a customer with Eastern for over 10 years and just got a separate bill for "rental" of the tank for $275. The letter states there is a formula used to calculate the charge based on not meeting the minimum use of a full tank in one year. There are no figures or anything to back up this charge. I don't even know what size tank I have, nor have I changed any habits that would sharply drop my usage. Has anyone else had this charge?

Not yet....but I am expecting one for the tanks fueling the generator, which is a separate account. We have used about 1200 gallons for heating the house. $275 seems excessive. I would protest loudly!

We would get a charge every year that would require a call to get waived. After, like, three years of jumping through that hoop, a bunch of us went to Irving and have had perfect service since.

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275 a year??? I would buy my own tank!! Ask them if you can buy it or tell them to come take it out!

We’ve had the same problem with Eastern. Our tank is too big and we don’t use a Pugh propane, so get hit with roughly $200-$250 a year.

I just went through several problems with Eastern.

Three service calls over 5 weeks for a no heat problem. The third technician said the first two misdiagnosed the problem. Then the discussions about the bills started.

They sent me an overdue notice for a different bill and when I called to tell them I had a card on file, and that shouldn't happen, they had more excuses. Then they emailed me and said they couldn't locate that bill would I send them a copy of what they sent me. Really? You can't find any record of an overdue notice that you sent out in the last 7 days? HUH?

One woman at Eastern who I emailed with sensed my frustration and said she would look into the problems and get back to me that day. She didn't.

I find the customer service to be pathetic and the prices for propane and service at Eastern to be higher that I am paying elsewhere. Other companies are much better. Time to change companies.

i had the same problem as my house had a Huge tank. Since i am seasonal they sent me the same note a few years back and i called and they suggested I get a smaller tank and waiver the fee. Since then i full up once per year with no issues

I worked in the industry and you'll find all companies do this. They can't afford putting tanks out that don't make economic sense to them... buy the tank from them and purchase your fuel from the lowest cost provider.

I currently use Eastern Propane service, and have an in-ground 500 gal. tank, and pay an annual rental fee because the tank is underground. If the tank were above ground they said there would be NO fee !

I called them to ask how much to buy the tank, and they gave me a ball- park price of $3,500. Needless to say, I'll continue to rent the tank.

We have a 500 gallon underground tank and we have never paid a rental fee to Amerigas. We use a sufficient amount of propane...probably 1000-1200 per year. I would consider a change. There have been delivery problems with Amerigas, but we think they have fixed their glitches. (🤞) Good luck.

Don't know if it matters
 

I don't know if it matters, but just a thought. We have Eastern for both propane and fuel oil (kerosene).

The oil tank is ours. The propane tank is Eastern's.

Our fuel oil use varies with how much wood we burn in the woodstove. More wood, less oil.
Propane use is our kitchen stove, hot water heater, and clothes dryer. We are on automatic delivery and get 4 deliveries per year usually. Deliveries vary between 45-55 gallons, so 200 gallons per year roughly.

For those who are getting charged a rental fee, is Eastern Propane the only fuel source you have with Eastern? And how does the 200 gallons compare.

I'll be back if for some reason we suddenly get hit with the charge, I'll be back. ;)

Dave

Let me explain my particular situation with Eastern Propane.
I switched to them 2 years ago from AmericaGas AmericaGas actually owned the tank since installation 12 years ago when house was built, I am second owner.

Eastern had to buy the tank from AmericaGas, so to recoup. their expenses, they hit me with an annual rental fee.

Only way I can get out of annual fee would be to buy the tank, so I've been told.

Policy change? I don’t know...
 

For many years, our propane company was White Mountain, and it was through them that the 500 gal. underground tank was installed. They owned the tank. When we discovered that we could have a much better deal through Amerigas, we switched. We didn’t have to pay any rental fee for the tank with either company. Amerigas now owns that tank. Maybe these companies are changing their policies.

We have had Eastern for years, very happy with the service and rates.

I’ve got eastern also with four 100 gallon tanks. I don’t use a ton of propane because I heat with pellets. I get filled twice a year so I kinda get whacked on the price per gallon. I called last fall when they filled me at $3.40 a gallon when a lot of you folks were paying a good buck less. They gave me a credit on my next fill up which they last week. Can’t complain.

You could always get a quote from another provider for an inground tank and if you're happy with the quote tell Eastern to come get their tank! ;)

I have been advised by propane persons that the propane companies do not own any of the tanks. That all tanks are rented/leased from a 3rd company.

Those fees to the propane companies have gone up therefore the costs are being transferred to the end user - the homeowner.

I own my own 500 gallon tanks. Purchased years ago. May not be cost effective to purchase your own tank. As cost of tank is quite high. Depending on size. Tanks at that time were purchased new or refurbished.

But would love to hear from others who have purchased their propane tanks.
Who did you purchase from and how much did you pay for tank. And any installation fees.

We do not own our tank
 

We do not own our tank, and we have never paid rent for it. We paid $1.30 per gallon this year for propane with Amerigas. That’s my story, and I am sticking to it! 😎

Does anyone know if the current tanks are made of metal or fiberglass?

That's quite interesting. My relative has a 500 gallon propane tank. Heats with propane. Paid $3.11 per gallon from Amerigas.

You were lied to! I know of no companies that don't own their own tanks, except for the tanks owned by the homeowner.

The tanks are made of steel.

Steel is the material of choice for high pressure tanks. Pressure inside a propane tank ranges from 100 to 200 psig. 200 is the MAWP (maximum allowable working pressure). Above 250 psig a pressure relief valve would start venting to protect the tank from catastrophic failure.

https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/ale...ssure-200-psig

Rental fee
 

After sending a polite email my rental fee was waived. Thanks everyone for your input!

Great news!
 

They try to gouge the customer.....and it frequently works for them. A bit of gentle pushback from you the customer worked. Good for you!

Great!
 

Sounds as though you have been anointed by Marlon Brando! :rolleye2:

rental fee
 

After doing business with them for the past 15 years they hit me with that fee last year. When I called they said I wasn't using enough propane in seasonal home to justify waiving fee. I advised that if they had filled the tank in the fall, that I would have bought enough propane. They agreed to waive the fee but said I would not get it waived again if I didn't use enough propane (I don't remember the amount I needed to use to waive fee.)
For what its worth, I am a member of Our Town Energy Alliance (OTEA).