Reviewing Propane Supplier Delivery Fees
In addition to propane prices, some propane suppliers charge their customers extra fees. The fees may apply to hazmat fees, delivery fuel surcharge fees to offset delivery costs, invoice fees, price protection plan fees, minimum usage tank fees and other types of fees. When added to your suppliers' propane prices, these fees can significant increase your cost of propane.
Since most propane for home heating is delivered to customers during the winter months, it is possible that some propane suppliers' delivery fees, if applicable, are billed more frequently during the same time of the year. If this is the case, it makes sense to contact your supplier to review any fees (and fee increases that may have started January 1st) charged by your propane supplier. Since many supplier propane prices are higher during the winter season, it is possible that your propane suppliers delivery fees may be higher during the winter months as well. It is very important for each propane consumer to research these fees on a regular basis.
The first step is to contact your propane supplier to ask for a list and annual total of all the propane fees (payment plan fees, delivery fees, invoicing fees, hazmat fees, etc.) that you paid during the past twelve-month period. Make sure that you identify when the fees are incurred. For example, if applicable, is the invoice fee applicable to each invoice? If applicable, is the hazmat fee added to each delivery? After learning about any applicable fees, be sure to ask your supplier to notify you via e-mail or letter regarding any future propane supplier fee increases or decreases that may apply in the future.
The next step is to ask your supplier if each fee is government mandated and collected by a government agency or are the fees invented by the propane supplier and collected and retained by the supplier to increase company revenues, and perhaps company profits. It is very important for propane customers to understand these differences when propane supplier fees are charged. In addition, it may be possible to contact your supplier and challenge certain non-government fees with the goal of having the fee removed from your invoice to lower your cost of propane.
The final step is to contact other local propane suppliers and learn if they are charging propane delivery or other fees and the amount of each fee. Since all propane supplier fees add to a customers cost of propane, it makes sense to be aware of the various fees charged by all local propane suppliers with the end goal being to make sure that your total cost of propane, including propane prices and service fees, is competitive.
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