Current propane prices????

[Colo-Rick]

Does any one know the current propane price?  Do all trucks charge the same?

Mine had been 7.64 for a long while and then last time he charged 7.86.  I have used many trucks.

I thought the price pf propane was supposed to come down this spring!

Rick

[Roy]

An increase of .22 - OMG!  You'll just have to cut back somewhere else.

[dave0415]

A 4 cent (US) increase. That is hard to take!

[Mainecoons]

That wasn't his question.

If it's any consolation, at the exchange rate of 18.5 the current delivered price here is about $1. US per gallon where the average delivered price NOB is about $2.02.

My guess is the answer is related to exchange rate.

 

 

[congodog]

I just got gas last week and asked for, and got, a discount to the 7.64 rate.  That being said, my gas guy told me that prices were going UP on July 1st.  I had not heard about a decrease in the spring.

[jhark]

10 hours ago, Colo-Rick said:

I thought the price pf propane was supposed to come down this spring!

There was an article in Mexico News Daily back in November about a decrease in prices.

 http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/propane-gas-prices-could-decline-30/

 

[joanne]

What should it cost (approx.) in pesos to fill your tank that is just about empty at current prices?

[Semalu]

Yes, prices are supposed to go down according to EPN statement a few weeks ago. I

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/private-firms-can-import-fuel-april-1/

As a general rule, you do have to watch all the gas delivery guys around here. They like to over charge and they have a few tricks to fill your tank with less gas than you are paying for. As we are catching on to these scams perhaps this price going up thing may be the next trick and we will have to verify that by calling to the major companies and asking for price comparisons etc.

If you think you are filling your tank too often, you probably are. I have a 300 liter tank that I supposedly needed to fill every two months according to those 2 really fat guys working for Los Altos, an otherwise reputable firm. After installing a new Elga gauge so I did not have to climb onto the roof to check my tank gauge, and getting a new delivery guy also from Los Altos, I am now at 6mths and still lots of gas left in the tank. What happens is that they fill your tank, which may only need 25 litres, but their bill shows they pumped 200 liters. They have a return valve from the hose back to their truck as an emergency shut off. They open that valve and pump the excess right back into the truck so that the gauge that the company monitors, stays accurate. So you end up paying for more than what you actually receive. They then sell the extra gas to someone else, bypassing the company gauge, and pocket the money.

I learned to never say "fill 'er up" here. Check you gauge first to see how low you actually are. The gas trucks pump in liters and our tank gauges are all in percent so you will need to convert it to liters and then ask them to give you X amount of liters, or only what you need.   Remember to never fill the tank over 80% to allow for expansion room. While your tank is being filled go stand out by the truck to watch him pull the levers. If you see that one extra lever is opened up that returns gas to his tanker, you will know he is bleeding the gas you are paying for back into his truck. Its a scam, they all do it, and it is very much buyer beware around here. Just kindly ask him to shut that lever, let him know you are aware of the scam, and presto. All of a sudden your gas bill goes down - a lot!

Go to your gas service providers office and ask for a conversion chart from percent to liter equivalent. They all have them, or should.  The attached picture is a fridge magnet that came with the Elga gauge I bought. It came with different strips showing the conversion for different sized tanks. In this case, I used the 300 liter strip which is the capacity of my tank.

The calculation goes like this for a 300 liter tank. Maximum fill is 240 liters total to stay within the 80% safety zone. So, if the gauge shows I have 25% gas in the tank, that means I have 75 liters still in the tank. 240-75= 165. I now know to ask for 165 litres of gas at my next fill up. When the truck comes by, I ask for that and go stand by the truck to watch the gauges. So far I have gone from 1500 pesos every 2 months to 1500 pesos in 6mths and still going strong.

 

[captnaselli]

Excellent Article Semalu, 

 If you would include the cost of your last fill up, as to the cost per liter's, and the company you dealt with? I have reproduced the conversion table and it will come in handy. Many thanks.    Captain Joseph

 

[Semalu]

I used Los Altos and they charged the more expensive 7.86. I plan to shop around before the next fill up.

I am glad the chart came in useful, just make sure to check the capacity of your tank before using it. It will be written on the tank somewhere on a metal engraved label. If yours is a different size tank than 300 liters, the equivalents in liters will change. Come to think of it, it will also be a good time to check if your tank needs replacing too. They should have an expiry date on the same label, usually a 25 years lifespan from new.

To convert your tank is a simple percentage calculation where your tanks capacity if filled is 100% (ie: a 300 liter tank will be at 100% if filled with 300 liters of gas) . Not a good thing to do as you should never fill above 80 to 85% and should never get below about 20%

Here it is calculated for various tank sizes. This uses tank size (T)  times percent reading (%)  equals liters (L) remaining: T x %=L

To use this, if you have 20%  showing on your gas gauge, and you have a 1000 liter tank, you will want to ask for  (800-200)= 600 liters at your next fill up.

Tank (Liters)	90%	85%	80%	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%	20%	15%	10%	0%
300	270	255	240	225	210	195	180	165	150	135	120	105	90	75	60	45	30	0
500	450	425	400	375	350	325	300	275	250	225	200	175	150	125	100	75	50	0
1000	900	850	800	750	700	650	600	550	500	450	400	350	300	250	200	150	100	0

 

[Mainecoons]

Semalu, I'd be interested in more detail about where this lever is located.  We really wonder about the size of our gas bills.  We normally are running one high efficiency water heater, have a gas cooktop but electric ovens and a gas barbecue that gets used once every few weeks.  There are only two of us and we have no heating yet we spend twice as much on gas here as we did NOB.

Also, what did happen to that gas price decrease?  Are we getting "gringo priced" on gas around here?

 

[Semalu]

I don't know if we are getting gringo priced, maybe just Mexico priced. I do know that my gas bills have been a battle since I arrived in Ajijic from Guadalajara where one 300 liter tank would last me almost a year (no fireplaces). Here I am one person, I use gas for cooking and for the dryer. In winter I have a gas fireplace that I use rarely (twice last winter), and my hot water is solar, yet these guys were telling me my tank needed filling every two months! Since I started using this chart to calculate what I really need, I am just about back to Guadalajara levels of consumption.

If gas is imported from the States, the price will be affected by current exchange rates. That may be why it has gone up.  Its no good if prices of gas go down 20% and the exchange rate goes up 30% (or whatever it is right now). The trick may be to find gas that is not imported?

I will ask for a fill up this week and try to take a picture of the levers for posting here.  It is rather complicated to describe, whereas a picture paints a thousand words. Maybe someone else out there already has a picture they could post or is a much better artist than I am? If they hesitate to let me take a picture I will try to draw it.. but with my talents that may add to the confusion! In the meantime, if the truck comes have a good hard look at where the valves are and the various L- levers that they pull to get things moving.Don't be afraid to ask them. Its good for them to know you are watching them. If you see a return that goes back to the truck, and it too has an L- lever, make sure it is in the closed position when they pump your gas. The lever is open when it is parallel to the hose, and is closed when it is perpendicular to the hose (if they haven't played with that too of course...).

There is a simple check of course. If you ask for 100 liters, they will pump and give you a bill for 100 liters. Before you pay it, go back to your meter and see if it registers the correct amount. It will never be exact because of expansion rates and gauge sensitivity issues, but it will be pretty close. If its pretty damn close, you can pay the bill in confidence. If its way off, chances are they bled you.

[Semalu]

PS: if you have easy access to your tank it will already have an old fashioned spring gauge on it that gives a rough tank capacity reading in percent. These gauges commonly wear out over time so if yours is not working, or you see condensation in it, it needs to be replaced.  If you can afford it, consider one of the newer digital models which is a little more precise but also tends to wear out over time.

While you are checking that, why not also bring some soapy water (a squirt of dish soap in a bowl of water). Splash it over all connections and look for any tiny bubbles that indicate a leak, especially if your gas service people have recently replaced your regulator ( they seem to have a penchant for using faulty regulators that leak). Its a good idea to always check your valves after they have filled your tank, especially the valve they connect their hose to, just to make sure they closed the valves properly. Leaks are good for business after all. The smell test is not always enough if the leak is small, but leak it does and you pay for what you lose.

[Yo1]

I don't agree with your statement that "they all do it", overcharge and cheat.  I have had the same guy fill my tanks at three different houses and never once did I find that he tried to cheat me.  He now works for Los Altos and his name is Juan.  A lot of people call him because they trust him.  I know what to expect for the amount of liters; I get a refill about every 8 months.  The last one I wasn't keeping a timely eye on the gauge and it was really low; it cost around 1200 pesos.

[bournemouth]

I have the uneasy feeling that Juan, whom we also use, is the exception that proves the rule.  He is excellent and even if Gas Los Altoss charges a little more, I will stay with Juan.

[RVGRINGO]

We know Juan, and he delivered to us when he worked for Zetagaz. When he changed employers, we stayed with Zeta and the new guys. Nothing changed and we always had honest deliveries.  Frankly, I have a tiny suspicion that some feel cheated who may have difficulty with certain volumetric computations being converted from rough gauge readings in percentages, then into pesos and maybe even into dollars.  In 13 years, we never had even the slightest indication of any irregularities in propane deliveries. So, obviously, “they“, don‘t, “all do it“.

[bezerk]

Hate to tell you this but almost everything goes up in July and then again in January! 

If you are using much more gas than expected possibly you have a leak.

I had one after a very minor earthquake, shift and it broke a gas line underground...lost a lot of gas ..

Cost to fill depends how low you let tank go and what size tank you have...I fill mine when I get to half as I have a large tank and rather not shell out so much pesos.

Life is getting more and more expensive here...no comparison on gas to states where I come from though LOL.

 

[Semalu]

4 hours ago, Yo1 said:

.....  He now works for Los Altos and his name is Juan. ...

Yes, thanks to the advice of a good friend I am now using Juan too. My apologies if my post has offended you. All the same, I do hope other readers will take away more from this topic than a generalization.  To them I say "DYODD" (do your own due diligence) that way  they too can  make up their own minds.

[Yo1]

Gasoline, propane and electricity, in the past, has gone upon the first day of the month, every month.  Last year that changed and isn't true anymore.  In fact, all these are supposed to go down.  I really don't pay any attention.  It is what it is and when the govt. has the monopoly on production and most distribution, shopping around doesn't do any good.

[RVGRINGO]

If you have appliances which use pilot lights, you have a constant burning of propane which adds up significantly. 

[Jim Bowie]

We have a 300L tank (about 6 years old). We have a kitchen stove, which we use every day, and we bake in the oven several times a week. We also have an "on demand" water heater, and usually a total of 4 showers a day are taken.  With this in mind, our tank filled to 85% will last well over a year. If you are paying more, then (1) you have a leak, or (2) you are being taken advantage of. It is a simple matter to determine how many liters you need to put into your tank, and if there are 2 of you, one is at the truck and the other is at the tank, when gas is added.

Don't just complain; either correct the situation, or live with it. It does not take a "rocket scientist", and if you are "lost" spend a few dollars and pay a friend that is not 500 pesos to check it out for you. Then you will know and can spend your time worrying about the water.

[ComputerGuy]

I don't think Juan with the Los Altos truck, and his "large" sons, charge more than the current rate. I have never asked for a discount, though. A couple of fly-by-nighters ring on the bell for hours every so often, and offer discounted gas, but they annoy they poop out of me with their pushiness. I take a photo of the gauge before and after. One time they slipped up, and were only too happy to make it right; it was a day they had hired someone outside the family to help. Today, I paid 7.86/litre, and it filled my 300 gallon tank from 11% to 52%, as usual: a 41% amount for $1,000p. (Which is 128 litres, exactly correct.)

The plaque on my tank only shows one real date: 12/3-1985; I have to assume that was the manufacturing date. No gas man has ever suggested it needs to be replaced. I know that the LP gas tanks I used to use for my BBQ "back home" had expiry lengths, and when I got those filled, whoever was doing it was only too happy to point out the expiry, so they could sell me a new one.