Blossman Gas
Blossman Gas is the largest family-owned propane company in the United States. Through its 63 outlets, it delivers propane across nine states to 125,000 propane users. Based in Missouri, it operates exclusively on the southeastern coast of the country.
Blossman Gas summary
|
Comment |
Recommendation |
|
|
Region |
Southeastern coast. |
Check that there is a Blossman Gas office in your area. |
|
Services |
Propane, tank installation, leak testing and inspections. |
Establish what tank, appliances, etc., you need and request a comprehensive quote. |
|
Safety record |
No 24/7 emergency line advertized. Training programs included but not billed separately (no HAZMAT fee, for example). |
Ask for the company’s safety history and record near you. |
|
Business reputation |
Very good. |
Call your local MFA Oil customer care number to find out how responsive they are. |
|
Propane price |
Depends on location but in a high price region for propane. |
Check propane price variations in your region to establish whether the price proposed reflects market price as much as possible. |
|
Delivery options |
Will-Call. |
Consider whether you want to decide when propane is delivered or whether you prefer peace of mind through automatic delivery. |
|
Propane price options |
Fixed pricing (pre-buy), market pricing and budget planning. |
Assess whether you want to pay for propane in one or several installments, whether you want to plan deliveries according to market trends or whether you prefer to have a fixed price per gallon throughout the year (requires an advance purchase of total propane amount). |
|
Other options |
System inspection, leak tests. |
It is advisable to have your propane system once a year and it is easier to ask your propane company to maintain your system. |
|
Fees and charges |
Not specified. |
Ask what you may be billed for (e.g., out of hours delivery) and, if you own a tank, decide whether you want your propane company to maintain it for you (recommended unless you have already identified a propane technician). |
Blossman Gas safety record
Blossman Gas places safety at the heart of its strategy. It provides extensive safety advice to its customers and is reachable by phone from 8AM to 5AM if you have any safety-related doubts or questions.
The company boasts an advanced Training Center that offers a series of training programs, in particular that developed by the National Propane Gas Association (the Certified Employee Training Program), which focuses on safety but extends to all other issues related to propane systems (appliances, customer care, etc.).
Blossman Gas business reputation
Blossman Gas local offices are open from 8AM to 5PM. Their customer care service is relatively responsive and they provide customers with various possibilities to reach the right service. It remains useful to call the number of the office closest to you to find out how responsive the agents you will probably speak to regularly are.
Blossman Gas prices
Propane prices depend on a series of factors, from the price of crude oil, to residential usage, to climate and weather patterns. It is recommended that you call your local Blossman Gas office to check their daily propane price and compare it with that of other propane companies that deliver in your area.
Missouri (Blossman Gas headquarters) weekly propane average prices, 2012-2013 winter season. (Source: US Energy Information Administration)
Blossman Gas delivery options
Blossman Gas encourages its propane customers to have gas delivered automatically to their propane tank. Automatic Delivery makes it almost impossible to run out of propane since propane is delivered when Blossman Gas considers your tank level is approaching 20%. The company bases its deliveries on a usage estimate taking into account potential consumption and weather/climate patterns. If you do run out of propane on this option, Blossman Gas offers 75 gallons of free propane.
Blossman Gas also allows its customers to monitor their own propane tank level and call their office for a delivery just before the gauge drops to 20%. This enables the company to insert the customer needing propane in their delivery route without running the risk of having the customer run out of propane.
The Blossman Gas Advance Call Delivery option allows for better planning in terms of propane pricing since – tank capacity permitting – it enables customers to buy propane when it is cheapest and not just when it is needed.
On the other hand, Automatic Delivery is a more convenient option if you are looking to avoid running out of gas. Even then, it is recommended to call the company regularly to ensure the propane price you are offered (and will be charged when a delivery is scheduled) reflects market trends.
Blossman Gas propane tanks
Blossman Gas claims to have all types of propane tanks in terms of size, both above- and underground. The company encourages new customers to lease their propane tank because tank lease includes free installation and maintenance.
Certainly, leasing a propane tank is convenient and cheaper, at first glance, than purchasing one. In fact, the issue is slightly more complex: renting a propane tank tends to increase the propane price you are offered a little; a rented tank cannot be filled with propane from any other company.
Therefore, your situation might imply that purchasing a propane tank is the better solution: propane prices for purchased tanks are generally lower and you can shop around for the best offer in terms of propane prices.
Either way, you might consider purchasing or leasing a propane tank that is slightly larger than necessary because it enables for better propane price planning since you have more leeway in deciding when to order propane and how much to ask for.
Blossman Gas payment options
The Blossman Gas Budget Plan combines automatic delivery and spread out propane bills. On the basis of a usage estimate, the company works out how much propane you will need for the entire year and spreads payments out over 12 months. This is convenient for propane users who wish to factor their energy costs into a monthly budget (as opposed to paying for each delivery in one installment).
The Budget Plan Plus enables Blossman Gas customers to cap their propane price. Propane users enroll in the program in summer, which is when the propane company buys propane at the lowest wholesale rates and in turn is able to offer lower and capped prices.
Blossman Gas claims that if prices drop, customers benefit from the price difference but this is unlikely given that wholesale propane was bought at the best possible time (summer) in the first place. However, it remains an advantageous program given how much propane prices vary throughout the year.
Blossman Gas appliances
Blossman Gas offers a complete range of propane appliances: heaters, water heaters, fireplaces, gas logs, washers and dryers, gas ranges, generators, grills, lights and stoves.
If you are moving into a house that has never had propane, want to increase the number of appliances that run on propane, or simply want to acquire a new appliance, it can be practical to call a single number (your local Blossman Gas office).
Blossman Gas services
The residential service Blossman Gas advertises other than repairs and maintenance for propane systems is assisting people who are building a house and want a propane system installed in the configuration of their home.
People looking for simplicity will appreciate this service since it provides you with a single number for most of your energy-related issues if propane is (or will be) your primary source of energy – from construction to propane and appliance maintenance.