East Coast Propane is fully dedicated to ensuring that you always get the propane your home needs, whenever you need it. But we understand that the product we deliver is different from most purchases homeowners make. Propane means warm rooms in winter and hot showers every morning. Our fuel lights up gas ranges and dries wet laundry. It keeps standby generators going so that homes don’t lose power, even in a blackout.
That’s why we provide dependable propane delivery options to ensure your gas-powered systems operate without interruption, keeping you and your loved ones safe and comfortable. We also want to make it as simple as possible to pay for this crucial fuel. That means being fair and transparent in our pricing. It also means offering payment programs to suit your unique needs and make budgeting easier.
Propane is a co-product of natural gas extraction and oil refining. Its price is somewhat tied to those commodities. The price of propane is also subject to supply and demand. When temperatures drop in our part of the country, rates can rise. Additionally, there is a demand for commercial propane from petrochemical producers, farms and other sectors, which can have an impact on prices.
The good news is that propane is a largely U.S.-made fuel. In fact, our country became a net exporter of propane in 2011. Therefore, propane’s price tends to be more stable than that of many other fuels.
Most propane-powered households concentrate their propane deliveries in the cooler months, when propane-fired furnaces and boilers are running. These households often face considerably higher fuel costs when the temperatures are at their lowest — which unfortunately coincides with the added expenses of holiday travel and gift purchases (and with tax season right around the corner).
But East Coast Propane has a way to shield you from high winter bills.
Enroll in our Budget Plan, and we will spread your annual fuel costs out over 10 monthly installments. You’ll always know exactly what you’ll be paying for propane each month. Plus, your winter bills will be cut virtually in half.
There is no additional charge to enroll in our Budget Plan, and you don’t need to worry about spending more for your annual propane needs. We track the cost of each propane delivery you receive. If our estimated monthly payments end up being too high or too low, we will adjust to tru up your budget. In the end, you only pay for the propane you receive on the date it was delivered.
We strongly encourage all our propane delivery customers to try a budget plan. Almost everyone who enrolls ends up loving it and remains on a budget for years to come. It is a fantastic way to make your propane spending more predictable and less stressful.
As we discussed above, the price of propane is highly dependent on variables that have nothing to do with your home or community. While our fuel’s price may be more stable than some other energy sources, the wrong set of circumstances can lead to an energy price roller coaster.
That’s why we’ve developed a price protection program to put the breaks on this roller coaster.
East Coast Propane offers a fixed price program for customers. At the beginning of the season, you can lock in your price per gallon for propane. Whatever happens with market prices throughout the year, you will still pay the same rate.
When we talk to new and long-time customers who are debating whether to enroll in our pricing and payment programs, we tell them to consider their anticipated propane usage for the year ahead.
As a general rule, virtually all households that use propane can benefit from our Budget Plan because it adds a high level of predictability to their energy planning. Homes that have high seasonal usage find considerable advantages with a Budget Plan. Whether you see your propane consumption spike in the winter because of your gas-fired furnace or boiler or in the summer because of a propane-powered pool heater (or both), you can say goodbye to high seasonal billing when you have ECP spread out your payments into lower monthly installments.
Regarding Fixed Price plans, the primary benefit is protection from sudden spikes in propane prices, which happen because of market factors that are typically beyond anyone’s control. By locking in your per-gallon price at the start of the season, you’ll be protected if market rates surge later on. However, if market prices drop, your propane price will stay at the same level. Our Fixed Price customers have saved quite a bit some years — for example, when the outset of the Ukraine War sent energy prices surging — but that is far from guaranteed.
Please know that the ECP team wants you to get the best value for your fuel. We don’t see higher profits when propane prices rise. You can count on us to speak honestly about the risks and potential benefits of a price protection plan.
If you’re interested in enrolling in our Budget Plan and Fixed Price program, reach out to the East Coast Propane team.