· First things first. Is you current supplier or prospective propane supplier registered with you state’s Department of Consumer Protection? Most states require suppliers to be registered and licensed. If a supplier isn’t registered, how can you trust them? When you decide on a supplier, call your state first to see if there is any complaints filed against them and to verify they are registered before signing up with them.

· Shop around. The price of propane can vary a great deal between competitors in the same market. You should call several suppliers to see what their current prices are and what type of service they supply. You can also shop online checking for the latest prices that a supplier is offering Prices will also vary depending on the amount of propane gas that you need delivered at the time. Obviously the more you order the more of a price break you should receive. Someone who is heating their home with propane should get a better price per gallon than someone who only uses propane for a pool or just for cooking.

· Talk to your neighbors. Find out who they are using and why? Do they offer great prices, great service, ask around. You will need to compare the same terms. Are the prices quoted by the supplier for a leased tank or a purchased one? Is the volume you need the same as your neighbor?

· Possibly form a buying group with your neighbors. There is power in numbers. If you and several of your neighbors can band together and form a buying group, you should be able to get a discount on your purchases. What propane gas supplier wouldn’t be happy to have a group to sell to each and every month?

· If you lease your tank, see if it would save you money if you purchased your tank. Simply ask for a quote from your current supplier AND from the competition. The next time you have your leased tanked filled, call around and ask for quotes for a delivery to a customer owned tank. With these figures, you now calculate whether it is cheaper for you to own your tank or to be a tank leaser.

· When receiving delivery make sure your ticket is accurate. Very simple right? Make sure the proper amount of propane was delivered and the amount on the ticket was the price you were quoted. Mistakes can be made, so stay on top of this.

· Check here to see the current trends in propane prices. If prices have been trending down, but your supplier’s prices is still the same or worse higher, call them out on it by showing the national trend from here.

· For any contract you sign, make sure you receive a signed and dated copy for your records. Also keep your keep all of your delivery receipts for about a year in case of any disputes. Keep these papers with your mortgage papers for easy retrieval if necessary.

· Ask your supplier for a discount. Why not, right? If you have been a steady customer for years, why shouldn’t you get a better price? It cost you nothing to ask, and you have everything to gain don’t you?

· When in doubt, asked until you are satisfied. Have things in writing so all the terms and conditions are clear to you. If anything is unclear, don’t sign until you understand the conditions.

There you have it, some simple steps to take to protect yourself from overpaying and getting the best propane prices this winter. Most propane gas suppliers are reputable, but you should always be looking to protect yourself.

After reaching a peak of 73 million barrels in October, an 11-year high, propane supplies have dropped precipitously through the winter heating season. The inventory draw appears to have tapered off last week as total U.S. inventories fell 0.5 million barrels to 26.8 million barrels. The Gulf Coast region led the decline with a 1.7 million barrel draw. All other regions realized a gain in propane inventories. East Coast stocks built by 1.0 million barrels, the Midwest region increased by 0.2 million barrels, and the Rocky Mountain/West Coast region was slightly higher.

Propane prices for the average residential use ticked up a half cent this week. The average propane price is now $2.688 per gallon. Compared to last year, that is a increase of nearly 36 cents. Wholesale propane gas prices rose just over 7 cents per gallon to reach $1.527 a gallon. This is a hugh increase of over 66 cents per gallon when compared to last years price at this time.

Propane inventories declined by 1.3 million barrels this week. This compares to the 4.8 million draw down back on January 15, 2010. Propane Gas inventories declined by almost 1 million barrels in the Gulf Coast region while the Midwest dropped about .4 million barrels. East Coast saw a slight build up in propane inventory.

Current Propane Gas Prices

The average residential propane prices jumped 12.7 cents per gallon to reach 266.1 cents per gallon. This was an increase of 35.5 cents per gallon compared to the same period last year. Wholesale propane gas prices rose 9.6 cents per gallon to reach 156.5 cents per gallon. This was an increase of 65.2 cents per gallon when compared to the January 12, 2009 price of 91.3 cents per gallon.

Propane Gas Inventories Continue to Nosedive
Propane gas supply across the country continued to fall last week. Total U.S. inventories drew by 3.5 million barrels to 46.0 million barrels total. The Gulf Coast region led the draw with 1.7 million barrels, while the Midwest region drew 1.0 million barrels of inventory. The East Coast regional propane inventories fell by 0.7 million barrels and the Rocky Mountain/West Coast region drew about 0.1 million barrels.

Current propane prices for the week ending 1/4/2010

The average residential propane price gained 7.3 cents per gallon to reach 253.6 cents per gallon. This was an increase of 22.6 cents per gallon compared to the same period last year. Wholesale propane prices rose 4.7 cents per gallon to reach 146.9 cents per gallon. This was an increase of 64.6 cents per gallon when compared to the January 5, 2009 price of 82.3 cents per gallon.

Propane Continues Seasonal Draw
Cold temperatures across the Nation led total U.S. inventories of propane to fall last week by 3 million barrels to 49.4 million barrels. The cumulative stockdraw during December totaled nearly 12 million barrels, about 2.8 million barrels higher than the most recent 5-year average, as spells of cold weather swept through some of the major propane heating regions during the month. The Midwest region drew 1.3 million barrels and the Gulf Coast region drew 1.0 million barrels. The East Coast and Rocky Mountain/West Coast regions each drew 0.3 million barrels of propane inventory.

Portable propane heaters are a quick and easy way to provide warmth when needed. They are easy to use, and more economical than using electricity.

Of course the best part is that they are portable. You can move them to different rooms to different locations. All you need is the heating unit and a tank of propane. Most of the portable heaters hook up to tanks from 1 lb up to 20 lb.

Here are some of the most popular portable propane heaters.

Mr Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater 4 out of 5 star rating with 79 customer reviews Heater is NEW, improved, totally portable, get more POWERFUL heat! The Mr. Heater Big Buddy Propane Heater, now with TWICE the BTU output of the previous model. Low, medium, and high heat level control knob for steady temperatures Key-shaped rear mounting holes for wall mounting Large four-position heat level control knob for controlling with gloved hands Built-in Piezo starter for easy starts Battery or A/C powered blower fan for versatility Click here for price and more information…

Mr. Heater MH12T Single Tank-Top Propane Heater 4 out of 5 star rating with 54 customer reviews Mounted directly to a 20-pound propane cylinder and requires no electricity Uses manual ignition, and reaches its full heat output in seconds Safety shutoff Mounts directly to 5- to 20-pound propane cylinders (not included) Adequate ventilation must be provided; 1-year limited warranty Click here for price and more information…

Mr Heater MRHF273400 Buddy Portable LP Gas Heater

Mr. Heater MRHF273400 Buddy Portable LP Gas Heater 4 out of 5 star rating with 129 reviews Mr. Heater Buddy Portable LP Gas Heater features include a tip that helps to switch over when it gets knocked over due to low oxygen sensor. Runs up to 5 hours on a one pound cylinder Approved and factory tested with a one year warranty Use with 1- or 20-pound cylinders; optional hose assembly and fuel filter sold separately Never bring a 20-pound cylinder indoors; limited 1-year warranty Click here for price and more information…

Want do see more portable propane heaters?Click here for a larger selection…

Inviting friends over for a summer barbeque? The weather is great, good friends and family coming over to grill some steaks and burgers and dogs. You set up your back yard all nice for everyone to come over. Sounds like a great plan. But what about the most important guest at this BBQ? I’m referring to your propane tank and more specifically; do you have enough propane gas in the tank? This is why you need a propane gauge so you know how much propane gas is in your tank.

GasWatch TVL212 Propane-Level Indicator and Safety Gauge

GasWatch model TVL 212, UL approved propane level indicator and safety gauge that is integrated with an easy to see and easy to read colored dial. With…

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 with 55 customer reviews

Click here for more information

Imagine having everyone over, they’re all hungry and you start grilling. You’re hanging out; talking and you notice the flame going out on the grill. Panic time! Now you’re crawling under the grill unhooking the tank as your guests start to snicker. Believe they will, I have had that experience.

After this had occurred and I got that raised eyebrow look from my wife, I figured I needed to do something about it. I needed something to tell me how much propane gas I left in my 20lb propane tank.

The first thing I found was this magnetic gauge that attaches to the side of the tank. It’s sort of like a refrigerator calendar magnet except it will read how much propane gas is still in the tank. It starts out in one color and as the level of gas goes down, it will change color to show how much is left. I have to say we didn’t like it. It was inexpensive, but didn’t do the job.

Next I searched on Amazon to see what they offered. The one I choose was the GasWatch TVL212 Propane-Level Indicator and Safety Gauge.This propane gauge indicates the level of gas with an easy to read color dial. It is made for propane tanks up to 40 pounds and it is easy to connect, no need for tools when installing it. It also comes with a 1-year warranty. This can be used for patio heaters and other outdoor appliances besides a gas grill.

I choose this model because not only would it tell me how much propane gas I have, but it also has an emergency flow limiter in case of major leaks. I like that from a safety perspective and the fact I would hate to be losing money due to a leak in the tank.

I read several of the reviews for the GasWatch Propane Gauge on Amazon. Readers gave it a 3 and a half star out of 5 rating which seems to be pretty good to me. Clicking on newest reviews found people really liking the product. They seem to be really satisfied how easy it is to install and how it helps them to know the amount of gas left. One tip I really liked was adding Teflon tape to the connectors to help guard against any leaks (ok, maybe that was my d’uh moment).

I recently purchased it and I have to say I’m very happy with it (and so is my wife).

Go read the reviews of the GasWatch TVL212 Propane-Level Indicator and Safety Gaugehere.

Flame King YSN-212 Propane Cylinder Gas Gauge Meter

Never run out of propane, Propane level indicator with emergency flow controller & fire shut off.

• Gas gauge meter with emergency flow controller
• For all purpose appliances with type 1 connection
• Glow in the dark dial
• Easy to connect, no tools needed
• Quality brass construction

Rated 4.5  out of 5 stars with 20 customer reviews

Click here for more reviews and information

Eccotemp Systems portable tankless water heater

This is a portable tankless water heater that you can use and bring everywhere. Some of its uses are for outdoor work like washing boats and cars. You can use it for taking hot showers outdoors at the beach or lake house. It is also great for camping or if you have a cabin off the grid so to speak. This gives you instant hot water when you turn it on. There is no reservoir, so as long as the water is running it will be hot. It delivers 1 gallon of hot water per minute and has an adjustable water temperature from 80 degrees up to 150 degrees. It will fit any standardize garden hose style nozzle. This unit comes with a shower nozzle with an on-off control. It also includes hose and regulator to attach to a propane tank.
This Eccotemp Systems portable tankless water heater has a 4.5 star rating out of 5 with 28 customer reviews. For more information and reviews, please click here

Portable Tankless Water Heater with Shower Head

Endless hot water, in a FLASH! LP – powered Portable Tankless Water Heater. Hot water, instantly and exactly where you need it! Great for camping, cabin…

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Price: $129.50

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Propane Tankless Water Heaters
Also known as tankless on demand propane water heaters. This type of propane water heater has become very popular over the last few years? Why? Because they use less energy and will save you money on your propane bills in the long run. These units use about 50 percent less propane gas than a typical tank water heater. They will only burn gas when you use water on demand. With a typical tank water heater, even when you are not using it, the water must still be heated so it is hot when you finally use it. With an on demand propane water heater, it only goes on when you want hot water.
The best selling model at Amazon is the Bosch 1600H LP AquaStar 4.3 GPM Indoor Tankless Liquid Propane Water Heater. This unit can practically give you endless hot water. It delivers up to 4.3 gallons per minute. No more yelling at the hot water hog in the house anymore. This is compact and is lightweight so you can mount it on a wall for easy installation. This has a 3.5 star out of 5 rating on Amazon.

Bosch 1600H LP AquaStar 4.3 GPM Indoor Tankless Liquid Propane Water Heater

Bosch, 1 Major Appliance Or Shower At A Time, Hydro Ignition, LP Tankless Water Heater, Hydro Ignition Means No Standing Pilot Or Electricity Needed,…

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

76% Buy This Item After Viewing It

Price: $652.06

Tankless water heaters are more expensive than a tank water heater, but will pay for itself in lower propane gas usage. Depending on the tankless model you purchase, you may qualify for a tax credit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. High efficient propane water heaters installed between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 will be eligible for a tax credit. With water heaters, you can reclaim 30 percent of the installed cost and the credit goes up to $1,500. Not bad having Uncle Sam pay part of your new propane water heater.
Propane Tank Water Heaters
These are the traditional tank water heaters you have always seen. They have become much more energy efficient in recent years. A tank can typically be purchased from $350 and up. While your initial cost may be low, they are much more expensive in the long run to operate as compared to a tankless water heater. These models also qualify for the energy credit if they meet certain energy efficient ratings

RHEEM 50 Gallon FVR Propane Water Heater 6YR 22V50F1P 50 Gallons Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant Propane Water Heater 6-year WarrantyFeatures:6-Year Limited Tank and Parts WarrantyOne-of-a-kind air/fuel… $395.39

RHEEM 40 Gallon FVR Propane Water Heater 6YR 22V40F1P 40 Gallons Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant Propane Water Heater 6-year WarrantyFeatures:6-Year Limited Tank and Parts WarrantyOne-of-a-kind air/fuel…

Propane Inventories Fall
Propane inventories in the U.S. fell by 1.5 million barrels last week to 52.5 million. The largest draw of 1.1 million barrels occurred in the Gulf Coast region. The Midwest regional stocks fell by 0.5 million barrels and the Rock Mountain/West Coast region drew slightly. The East Cost regional stocks built by 0.1 million barrels.

Propane Inventories Draw Again
Total U.S. inventories of propane continued to decline last week, falling 3.4 million barrels to 54 million barrels. The Gulf Coast region drew 2.1 million barrels of propane stocks and the Midwest region declined 1.2 million barrels. The East Coast stocks dropped by 0.3 million barrels and the Rocky Mountain/West Coast region gained slightly.

Inventories of Propane Experience a Large Draw
Last week propane inventories experienced the largest weekly draw since February 2007, falling below the lower limit of the average range for the first time this year. Total U.S. inventories decreased 4.0 million barrels to 57.4 million barrels. The Gulf Coast regional stocks dropped 2.2 million barrels and the Midwest region declined 1.1 million barrels. The East Coast and Rocky Mountain/West Coast regions each drew 0.3 million barrels of inventory.