Q. What can I do to cut my propane energy costs?
A. You can manage your fuel bills by signing up for our "Budget Plan", "Keep-Full Plan" or "Propane Pre-Payment Program." Contact your local Brick Propane office for more details.

Q. How are propane prices determined?
A. Propane and other heating fuels are traded on the commodities market, which goes up and down like the stock market. By far the biggest influence on these fluctuations is the cost of the crude oil and natural gas from which propane is produced.

Q. Do propane prices change?
A. The market responds quickly to any situation that might affect supply or demand. Some examples are unexpectedly cold or warm weather, supply interruptions, or excess production. These changes may be reflected in the wholesale price we pay for the propane that is delivered to you.

Q. Why isn't my tank filled to 100% capacity?
A. Your propane fuel is delivered and stored in liquid form. Propane liquid, for example, will expand nearly 17 times as much as water over the same temperature increase. As a result, tanks and cylinders are never completely filled with propane-gas liquid. Tanks are filled to about 80-85% of their capacity. This leaves a space above the liquid which allows the LP-gases to expand freely due to changes in temperature.

There are several important characteristics that you need to understand about LP gases when they are stored in containers. First, heat added to LP-gases in a tank or cylinder is transferred directly from the air surrounding the container. Hot days, cool nights, rain, and snow are a few of the many factors that affect the temperature of the liquid. Because of these temperature changes, you may see fluctuations in your container gauge.

Q. How do I read the gauge on my propane tank?
A. Not all tanks have sight gauges that are easy to read. Some tanks have old style "roto-gauges" that must be opened at the spit valve and the lever turned to locate the level of the liquid in the tank. Ask your delivery driver to show you how to operate such gauges.

If your tank does have a sight-gauge, it may be located on top of the tank, usually under a protective hood. (Note: please be careful when you lift the hood as insects sometimes nest there.)

For your convenience and comfort, please call your local Brick Propane office if your gauge reading measures 20% or less. Better yet, let us put you on our "Keep-Full" plan, and you won't need to worry about how to read the gauge on your tank.

Q. How do I determine how much propane is left in my 20# cylinder for my grill?
A. On the side of each propane cylinder is a stamped Tare Weight (TW). This is the weight of the cylinder when it is empty. Take your cylinder off from your grill and place it on a scale (like a bathroom scale). The total weight determined by the scale, less the tare weight of the cylinder is the amount of propane (in pounds) remaining in the cylinder.

Q. Why does my grill have a very low flame at times?
A. The new style "overfill protection device" valves also have an excess flow safety feature built into them. The purpose of the excess flow is to limit the amount of propane that will be allowed to escape from the tank in the event of a rupture or severance of the propane hose or gas line. Sometimes, this excess flow can slug shut if the grill valve has been turned on before the valve on the tank has been turned on. The excess flow senses something is wrong and limits the flow of propane. To correct this situation, simply shut off all of the valves in the system, wait for 10 seconds and start over. The excess flow will automatically reset itself. Start by turning on the cylinder valve very slowly. Then turn on the grill valve and light the grill.