2009.06.10
The great gas grill/propane ripoff and how to beat it
If you have a gas grill that you've fired up this season, chances are that you buy your tanks from those convenient racks outside major supermarkets, convenience store chains or a major retailer like Wal-mart. And if that's the case, chances are you're getting badly ripped off.
Last year, the propane prices soared. But the prices of those prefilled tanks did not. That's because the clever companies that market them simply put less gas in them. In other words, they shortchanged you.
Now that prices have tumbled, you might think they'd fill then back up, right? No. They're still putting less propane in them, keeping the prices the same and making out like bandits.
A propane refill center, where you can save a lot of money!
Fortunately, there's a simple way around this: Don't buy the prefilled tanks. Instead, take your tank to a refill center. The one I use is Northwest Hardware on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke.
Over the years, I've found that a refilled tank at Northwest Hardware usually costs a little more than half of what those gougers selling prefilled (but not full) tanks charge.
And bonus: Northwest Hardware actually fills it up!
They were charging $2.99 per gallon last time I needed some propane.
Also, read below for an interesting comment by Doug and his tip about expiration dates on tanks.
Readers: What's YOUR favorite hardware store, and why? Answer the question with a comment.
This is something that I have always done - refill my propane tank at a hardware store, RV center, even many of the rental places fill propane. They fill it, weigh it, and charge you accordingly. Since they make more dollars for selling more propane, you know they'll fill it completely.
Not to mention, you don't offer a silent advertisement for Blue Rhino every time you grill. My propane tank has a big orange & maroon VT on it!
Comment by abdnva — June 10, 2009 @ 7:05 am
Charcoal!
Comment by Ed S. — June 10, 2009 @ 7:52 am
Interesting. I buy my tanks at Lowes (where I work P/T), and I haven't noticed a difference with the ones they sell. I still get a shade more than a season's worth of grilling out of each tank. But, I would not be surprised if some of the smaller companies were doing such practices to keep their costs low. If I remember right, Lowes did increase their prices on tanks last year, and they are lower this year. But...the tanks they sell are supposed to be 20 pound tanks, and if they are not completely filling them like the article suggests, I might just find a refil center here in the NRV for next time, especially if it's cheaper and I can get the added number of pounds of propane I should be getting. Thanks for the info!
Comment by Other John — June 10, 2009 @ 8:15 am
NORTHWEST HARDWARE ALL THE WAY!
Comment by Frank — June 10, 2009 @ 10:21 am
Frank,
I like Northwest Hardware. Actually, I liked the store even more in its previous incarnation, Brambleton Hardware. They had the best service of any hardware store I've ever set foot in. But NW Hardware is good, too. The big stores are awful...hard to find anything, hard to get help. Sometimes you pay a little less in them (and sometimes you pay a little more) but you ALWAYS spend a lot more time in the bigbox places. And time is by far the most valuable thing.
Comment by Dan Casey — June 10, 2009 @ 11:08 am
Dan, as someone who works at a big box hardware store, I have to agree that I prefer the older, smaller stores to the newer ones as well. The simple fact is that most people who work in a big box are not professionals with experience using what they sell, or people with decades of knowledge backing them up. They've gone through a lot of combuter-based training courses...but just lack the depth of knowledge, experience, and expertise that comes from either working in the various areas or selling the products for decades like the smaller store's folks have. Sometimes, you can find someone like that at a Lowes or Home Depot...but they are rare. Most often, you get a college kid who doesn;t know the differences between spackle and joint compound, a P Trap or an S Trap, 14-2 or 12-3 wire, or what a 10-10-10 fertilizer is used for. Thankfully, I know (but mostly because I've done a little of everything) so I'm able to help folks with most problems they have, which sort of takes them by surprise since I'm a cashier.
Comment by Other John — June 10, 2009 @ 11:26 am
That should say 'computer-based' Not sure how I got a b instead of a p, except that I'm now on day 5 with no caffeine.
Comment by Other John — June 10, 2009 @ 11:28 am
The other little known secret is that the tanks have an expiration date stamped into the handle. They cannot be legally refilled after that date and must be recycled/reconditioned. Many of the tanks in the racks are commonly those that are within a year or two of that date. If you have a tank from them and want to keep it and refill, ask the friendly guys at Northwest to show you the code for when the tank expires. You might want to bite the bullet and "trade" it in for a newer tank from a rack the next time and start over. You overpay for the fuel and underpay for a new tank.
Comment by Doug — June 10, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
Doug, a great point!
Comment by Dan Casey — June 10, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
Or, you could do one better and go local by buying local made charcoal from Phil Radtke in the Virginia Tech Forestry Department
Comment by James — June 10, 2009 @ 4:20 pm
Dan, I checked this out for myself, and Blue Rhino (they stock Lowes, Wal-Mart, and numerous other retailers and gas stations in the area) has gone to the 15-pound refills for a 20 pound tank. I posted 4 pictures on my blog of this, showing what I saw on their storage display. They clearly indicate that they only provide 15 pounds of propane, but nothing inside the store says this so consumers who don't look at the display first are unknowingly buying a 3/4 filled tank. Dan, I'll be joining you in getting my tanks refilled manually at a filling station, I'm not supporting that sham any longer. And maybe, I'll do some custom painting on my tank like abdnva. Thanks for drawing attention to this, I might not have otherwise known!
Comment by Other John — June 12, 2009 @ 8:58 am
Regardless of where or how you get your propane, I recommend everyone have with them a "Grill Gauge." This little hand-held device is very reliable gauging what's in your tank, and "if" it is full from the purchase!
Comment by Chris — June 18, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Chris, a great idea! I hate it when the meat's half-cooked and the tanks runs out.
Comment by Dan Casey — June 18, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
This is very compelling.
Comment by Truthsayer — June 20, 2009 @ 10:28 pm