If youre running low on propane and your tank is buried under the recent snows, Jim Miller with Turner Propane is encouraging customers to help out by digging out access to the propane tank.

Turner says that crews can usually spend a few minutes to dig out a tank to refill it, but when the snow gets too deep, it takes longer for the delivery person to get to the tank and deliveries start to back up.

Besides helping to keep up the pace on deliveries, there are safety considerations with the snow build-up around the tank. Miller explained that its also important to keep the regulator at the house and at the tank clear of ice to avoid a malfunction or a possible gas leak.

Also, with the heavy snows, he recommends keeping the appliance vents on the roof clear of snow to keep carbon monoxide from venting back into the house.

More news on propane – prices are up over last winter. Propane is an oil based product. The price of oil recently visited the $100 dollar per barrel range and that price affects the price of propane. Jim Miller reports that the price at the refinery is up $.70 over the peak price last winter and there is still more winter to come.

Much of the propane used in the Eastern Sierra comes from the Gulf of Mexico, gets put on a train to Sparks, Nevada, where it is then stored and disbursed by truck to the Eastern Sierra, where smaller trucks then take it to the consumer. High prices are not a local problem, Miller explained.

With a supply chain that long, the involved process to get gas to our homes ends with the delivery person. When the snow gets deep like it has recently, a little help digging out your propane tank would be appreciated.

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