As temperatures continue to drop throughout Central Wisconsin, ProVision Partners is reminding LP customers to be aware of how much propane is in their tanks, as extreme low temperatures result in quicker burning.
Customers are encouraged to order when a tank is between 20-30%, not only to avoid emergency delivery costs, but also to ensure they don’t risk running out in extreme cold.
“We are scheduling out a minimum of 3-5 days in advance when it’s cold like this,” said Troy Thompson, energy division manager at Provision Partners. “When there is a large group of people calling in and expecting delivery within that 1-3 day window, it gets difficult.”
Waiting to order when a tank is below 15% is risking being without heat. In addition, when weather conditions are poor, drivers are limited in how many and where they can deliver.
“My drivers generally have 25 stops per day per route. We could have another 20 people call in per route for delivery. There aren’t enough hours in a day to get to everyone. That’s why it’s so important to call ahead to allow us time to work your delivery into our routes,” said Thompson. “These last couple of days have been crazy. Calling ahead helps us get everyone covered.”
As a customer owned co-op, Thompson works hard to arrange logistics to avoid the need to charge emergency delivery fees.
“If I can in any way get them in route that day or the next, I do it,” he said. “What people don’t realize is that the trucks are loaded on how many gallons they can carry and what’s already ordered and on route. If a stop is added, a driver might need to drive back to fill, then drive back to their route. This might cause us to have to charge for an out-of-route or same-day delivery, which is something we don’t like to charge if we can help it.”
Keeping propane levels above 20% can be the difference between safety and danger.
“Please help us keep everybody in propane this heating season,” said Thompson. “Calling ahead allows us to make sure that all of our customers have a safe supply of propane to keep them warm through the winter season.”
