Suburban Propane charged a tank rental fee for propane tanks, which was not in the contract. When I complained they reduced the fee by half. I paid it for fear they would take the tanks out, leaving me with no heat.

When I sold the property, I notified them to take a reading on the volume of propane in the tanks and make arrangements to retrieve them. They failed to do this and the new owner used 40-50 gals of my propane before Suburban removed the tanks. This was after repeated phone calls to Suburban to take care of the matter.

When they finally removed the tanks, not only was 40-50 gals used up, Suburban Propane had the audacity to charge me a $60.00 closing fee, in addition to what I had lost to the new owner.

I would not use this company for any reason in the future and urge anyone else to avoid them.

One day out of the blue I see a man is dragging his big propane hose across my yard. I stopped him and told him I did not ask for more propane. I had over 3/4 of a tank and I have only a gas stove that I don't use much. He said he had to add propane or take my tank.
So I had to pay for propane I did not need or want.
When I called the manager to complain said it was a misundestanding.
The next year I was sent a bill for Tank Rental. I guess saying you're going to take someone's tank wasn't the right thing to do.
A couple of months ago here is a man yet again dragging his hose across my yard. Another forced tank fill up.
And to add insult to injury I got a bill last month a bill for tank rental.
I've written them and told them this is some racket they have going.
I told them I am about to turn them in to AARP since I live in an Over 55 Mobile Home Park and I am not the only one they've done this to. AARP loves ripping into companies who take advantage of us older folks.
I am also one step from turning them over to a local news station who also loves to get a hold of companies like Suburban.
I told them I will wait a reasonable amount of time for an explanation or I'm throwing them to the dogs.
If you have this type of problem and belong to AARP let them know.
If you have a local news station who will investigate, turn them in.
They need to be stopped and made to pay for ripping people off!

Six years ago when we built our home, propane rates from Suburban were around $1.50/gal. But that was six years ago and everyone knows what has happened to the petroleum market since then. I wasn’t surprised when the rate increased over the years. However, for my last several re-fills (averaging 300-400 gals or a total of over 1000 gallons in the last year), my propane provider (Suburban Propane) has charged me over $5.00/gal.

I contacted Suburban to see if there had been a mistake. And with each of my last two deliveries, I was given an adjustment of about $.60/gal, and was warned that these were one-time adjustments and my next fill would revert to my normal rate.

I became somewhat curious and suspicious of why the price has continued to climb even when market prices seem to have receded. I took a look at my rates over the past 6 years and I noticed that the rate has NEVER gone down; it has continued to increase even when market price trends down, my rate has steadily increased to today’s price of $5.01.

I began contacting several other providers and competitors of Suburban Propane... and I was quite amazed and aghast to find out that the 'going rate', at this time, from five other providers ranged from $1.70 to $2.30 per gallon, far less than half of what Suburban is charging myself AND my neighbors. FAR LESS. My contacts included Amerigas, Bowman, Hubbard, Patriot, FerrellGas. I can provide contact names and information received from each of these providers.

After contacting Chantell Hendrix, the local manager at Suburban Propane, and there was little progress to solve this pricing issue. Ms. Hendrix explained and tried to justify the rate in part by value added services; such as emergency service, payment options, and prepaid pricing. I did have occasion to use the emergency service about two years ago. It was far from acceptable. After three phone calls and a week’s time, we finally got our propane. The driver apologized profusely, but said that they just didn’t have enough staff to meet calls (at that time). As for the Prepaid Pricing service, my neighbor prepaid one year at a price of $4.25.

Regardless, the services mentioned are fairly standard among the five other providers I contacted, so I really don’t consider them a value added especially to the extent of Suburban’s pricing.

I told Ms. Hendrix of my findings from other propane providers, she cautioned that the prices I was given were probably for a 'first fill’ and I would be charged a different price for subsequent fills. But I have found that is just not the case. Indeed, one of the 5 providers does in fact offer a 'first' fill at $.30/gal less (from $2.17) to attract new customers. This is still a far cry from $5.01.

Each provider did explain that market price influences rates and rates will change between deliveries. But historical pricing over the last 2 years for EACH of the five providers, none have been even close to $5.00 rate that Suburban is charging. In fact the market price is currently going down and they are passing on those lower rates to their customers.

Historical pricing given to me was based on a residential 500 gallon tank, with usage between 900-1200 gals a year. Some of the prices reached a peak last year to that of $3-$4/gal, but ALL companies report that pricing has gone down from those levels to something closer to $1.70-$2.30/gal.

SO... WHY NOT JUST CHANGE PROVIDERS?
Unfortunately, to add insult to injury, Suburban Propane has refused to sell me the underground tank which I lease from them. Apparently it is company policy not to sell tanks… though no explanation was given as to the reasoning for that policy.

Instead I will be required to dig up the tank, obviously ruining 6 years of landscaping and causing additional expense of the dig (which is MY responsibility according to them) not to mention the installation of a new tank and the hardship to myself and my family. I have offered to pay a price for the tank at today’s retail price (even though it’s been in the ground for 6 years). My research indicates the price for a new 500 gallon tanks to be $1700 to $1800 (quoted from several of the other providers I contacted).

I have pleaded with Suburban to help me avoid the destruction of my landscaping, but to no avail. This is extremely unfortunate and seems even ‘spiteful’. But it appears that it is the only way I will be able to release myself from under Suburan’s hold.

A counter offer from Ms. Hendrix was another one-time rate at $4.50/gal… and then it was further reduced to $2.80/gal. But this price is still 21% higher than the highest price from another provider and it is a ONE-TIME price.

I have several neighbors that are also paying these exorbitant prices to Suburban... and I am gradually trying to notify them of this situation. But I wonder how many people are paying these prices without knowledge that they are being severely overcharged. I feel Suburban is gouging their customers; they are certainly not providing a 'fair and equitable' price for home heating propane.

they say that they are known for there 24 hour customer service. but they charge a arm and leg for it. I am on ssi, freezing my but off, because there customer service is charging me $3.75 a gallon for propane. Ther are a crule, and make money off of old elderly people on ssi.

Thanks for these posts, which I read with strong self-interest.

I have been having a terrible time with Suburban Propane in upstate New York (Columbia County). We have been getting deliveries even after we have stopped automatic delivery -- with no ticket or invoice left behind. We only recently discovered another 225 gallon delivery (while we were at the house even!) when we called to confirm a credit when they readjusted our price per gallon from the previous two deliveries. They had been charging us a dollar a gallon more before we called them on the prices.

We have been extremely suspicious of their records and their deliveries, as the usage is exorbitant and inconsistent with similar properties (over 1000 gallons in 10 weeks for a weekend house). Our gauge was showing full capacity when they decided to schedule the latest delivery of 225 gallons (out of 500) and it remained the same after they had purportedly fueled up.

When we called to complain about these erratic and inconsistent deliveries/records, we were met with lies, and eventually, attitude, and threats that our house would "freeze up in 3 days" if we stopped delivery. Their true intentions were revealed when they called up our real estate agent to "alarm" them about our cancelling service (which we had not done), and subsequently told me they had a long account with the owner they were interested in protecting. The previous renter had a similarly bad experience with them and actually used another provider.

This whole affair has left a bad taste in our mouths and we are now shopping around for a new propane provider. Even as we do so, we're nervous that we would simply switch from bad to worse, given their reputations.

If anyone has some positive experiences with particular propane companies in my area, I'd gladly take any recommendations.

Nelson