FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT DOES PROPANE SMELL LIKE?

In its natural state propane is an odorless, colorless gas, but ethyl mercapatin is added in order to make propane leaks easier to detect. With the ethyl mercapatin added propane smells like rotten eggs, a skunk’s spray or a dead animal.

Contact the Propane Education and Research Council (link below) to have a “Propane Users Safety Guide” mailed to you, and share this information with everyone in your household.

WHAT ARE SOME ADVANTAGES OF PROPANE OVER ELECTRICITY?

Propane has become a leading alternative fuel for industrial users because of several key advantages over electricity and fossil fuels, such as:

Lower Emissions – propane forklifts produce 19 percent fewer emissions than gasoline and 7 percent fewer emissions than diesel powered forklifts, and propane’s site to source total emissions are fewer than electricity.
Productivity – propane forklifts are faster than electric and require less downtime due for refueling and maintenance.
Proven Performance – hundreds of thousands of U.S. businesses are benefiting from equal performance, with lowered costs.
Domestic Energy Source – propane is abundant right here in the United States and domestic production out-paces customer demand.

WHY DO PRICES VARY FROM ONE SUPPLIER TO ANOTHER?

Propane suppliers operate in a very competitive marketplace and prices may vary from one company to another.

In addition, propane companies can offer many services and programs to their customers. At times, the cost of some of these services and programs may be included in the price of the propane. Full-service propane providers will normally be slightly more expensive than companies that provide limited or no additional services or programs.

Some companies may not include the cost of services and programs in the price of the propane, but may have add-on costs for these options. These costs may be in the form of tank lease fees, minimum usage fees, refund policy, delivery charges, penalties for exiting a contract, etc. It is up to each consumer to take the time to educate themselves as to the options and charges offered by each propane company they are considering.

As you can see, the price of the propane is only one step in evaluating a propane company.

DO PROPANE COMPANIES REQUIRE A CREDIT APPLICATION?

It is a common practice for most gas companies to request a credit application from customers or potential customers. If credit is approved, credit limits are generally one gas delivery, which means the previous delivery must be paid before another delivery is made. You will have a variety of payment options including budget billing pay-as-you-go monthly billing and auto-debit. Applicants whose credit has not been approved will be required to pay cash on delivery.

IS PROPANE SAFE?

Liberty Propane performs a complete gas system inspection and instructs the homeowner on the safe use and maintenance of their propane system to ensure they enjoy a healthy, safe environment. In addition, propane is nontoxic, so it’s not harmful to soil or water and it cannot be ingested like gasoline or alcohol fuels because it is released as a vapor from a pressured container.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I AM DUE FOR A DELIVERY?

If you are an Automatic Route Delivery customer, we will know when to fill your tank(s). We monitor weather conditions and your usage history and fill your tank accordingly.

If you are a Will Call customer, you are responsible for monitoring the amount of propane in the tank and calling us to have propane delivered. We require a 5 working day notice for delivery, so please let us know when the tank gets to about 30% full.

Letting your tank run completely out of gas is not only unsafe, but you may incur additional charges for an out-of-gas call.