Suburban Propane

I bought a home and needed a propane provider in  Dec. 2012. I'd never had propane before so I called around and they all seamed to be the same. So I went with the company that one of the neighbors had, which was H. John Davis, a Suburban Propane dealer. In August after the first heating season I received a letter ask if I wanted to sign up for a program and "Lock in" my rate for the next heating season. I called and asked why the price went from $2.49/gallon to $3.59/gallon? They kind of back peddled and said we can give it to you for $2.49 this year. At the start of the third year the cost of propane went from $2.49/gallon to $4.69/gallon. After another phone call they said they could drop it to $3.69/gallon. That still sounded high and suspicious to me so I called around and found Suburban to be way out of touch with the rest of the propane suppliers. Everyone else in the area is in the $2.02 - $2.39/gallon range. And these prices were not one year special pricing. I finally settled in with "Penny-Wise Propane". They told me "we don't have an introductory price"..."why would we give a better price to a new customer, than someone who has been loyal to us for years". There price was $2.09/gallon...plus(which I didn't know at the time) if you pay the bill with in 10 days you get a 5% discount. So now I pay $1.99/gallon. That's $2.70/gallon less than Suburban was going to be. I use 1100 gallons a year...so I'm saving almost $3000 a year by switching. Last but not least...Suburban charges to have there tank picked up after you switch.

It went well. They were very nice and professional. Need to come back to change the wireing. Still did not hear from them. Hopefully soon.

They picked up tanks on 12/6/2013.  So I called about the refund of the propane still left in tanks (12-17-2013).  I was told that there was a $.50 a gallon to pump out the 30% that was left in the 2 hundred gallon tanks and a $150.00 charge to remove the tanks from my property.  What a rip off.  So I don't get anything back from this company.  I was a good paying customer for the 2years I was with this company.  Never paid late.
Shame on you Suburban Propane.
If you use this company make sure they spell out all the conditions to you if you decide to change companies. Or use all your propane up.

I would stay away from them. They have an automatic refill and I have been empty twice. I have two tanks and it's a heck of a problem when you have two tanks and they still can't keep up with getting oil in. I basically have told them but now that they have emptied my tanks they have increased what they charge me each month. To fill two tanks at 500 gallons at $5 a gallon. They had done a super, super job but then they were bought out by a national company, Suburban Propane. In the process, last year my pipes froze and it cost me a thousand dollars to fix. The year before the pipe froze and my furnace broke down and that cost me a couple of thousand dollars to fix. Another time, they put in so much oil it blew the top off my tank and I had oil in my basement. I have not had good fortune with them. And they no longer provide plumbing services so you have to find your own plumber. One of the gentlemen on his own did offer me a name of someone that might be able to help. I had automatic refill and they are suppose to fill it every time it gets down to 200 gallons and they decided to wait. Their prices are the highest I have seen. They always wait until the prices go up in the fall and winter to bring you oil. I had asked them to deliver in the summer when the price was down and they say they have to deliver at least 200 gallons. I wanted them to deliver whatever I needed. They are not very reliable. The people who work for them are nice. But in terms of how to follow-up, that system is broken down. But I have talked to some very fine people who have commiserated with me. As I am on disability, I don't have the ability to start wtih another company right now. When they put in a new furnace I told them to please make sure to put the furnace up on a pedestal and not on the floor. When I got home the furnace was on the ground. They would not raise it and I had to hire another contractor to raise the furnace. They march to a different drummer and not to the consumer or customer.

it went fine- couldn't have been better.

Very poorly.The servicemen themselves have always been courteous, professional, and efficient and the office staff is saccharine sweet and cooperative but overall the service doesn't deliver. Everything must be someone else's fault. Even the first time when I set up the new service I had to wait a long time for the appointment. Tanks don't usually come with gauges so I never know when I need propane or when they've delivered it. I asked for a tank with a gauge and had to make the five appointments to finally get one because they didn't deliver it initially. Of the five times I made additional appointments, the first two times they just blew me off, the third time they were so late I had already gone , the fourth time they had to cancel (legitimate reason - snowstorm) but didn't bother to call me so  could go back to work, and the fifth time they finally showed up. Appointments are all-day windows so I have to take a whole day off work every time for what turned out to be less than 30 minutes' work. They don't leave a delivery receipt so I never know when they've delivered and they don't send a bill, just an overdue notice. I'd have liked to pre-purchase propane at a fixed price but couldn't figure out how and I'm afraid to give them any money now anyway because since they never leave a bill or delivery receipt how will I ever know how much propane I've used and how much has been charged against the deposit? I asked them to stop delivering propane at all (I want to empty the tanks and change providers) but they keep delivering anyway. If I could get away from these people I would but I can't even seem to figure out how to do that.