Homeowners, you just bought a house. Now what? Here is what you’ll need to know to schedule your first propane delivery.
You are officially a new homeowner and made the big move into your new home. Congratulations! We know how stressful moving can be, so we get it if you haven’t done much to look into scheduling a first propane delivery right away. Most homeowners call us for a propane delivery as soon as they realize that they are about to run out of fuel. Luckily, we have a two to three business day delivery turn around time, so we’ve got you covered. But before you even call, be ready for the very first question that you will be asked.
Do you own the tank?
We need the answer to this question for every new customer that we sign up. It is especially important for new homeowners, because some have never had propane before, and may not know the difference between owning and leasing the tank.
“I just bought the house, so yes, I own the tank…” is the response we often get. We know that you purchased the house, so it makes sense to think that you must own the propane tank on that property, too. However, with propane, that’s not how it works.
If the tank on your new home’s property was being leased by the previous homeowners, that is a leased tank. If a customer leases a tank from a company, no other company can fill that tank. The only company that can fill a leased tank is that company that owns it (and is leasing it out). Which is why it is so important to ask.
This leased versus customer-owned practice is standard in the industry.
No propane company will fill a tank owned by another propane company. If you come across one that will, steer clear of them. If that’s how they run their business, chances are you probably don’t want to be working with them anyway.
Let’s get back to the matter at hand though. You are calling for a propane delivery (that you might need sooner rather than later…) and you are faced with this question that you truly have no idea how to answer. (Do I own the tank?) It’s okay. Even if you aren’t sure whether you definitely own the tank on your property, you can find out.
Here’s what we recommend to people in this situation:
- Go back to your paperwork from settlement. Chances are that if the tank was owned by the previous homeowner, the ownership will be transferred to the new homeowner and outlined in this paperwork.
- Check for stickers or logos on the actual tank itself.Most leased tanks will be branded with a sticker or logo on the actual tank or the lid of the tank. If you see something, call that company and simply ask them if they own the tank. That company might have serviced the tank in the past. Or, maybe that company had owned it at one time but it was later bought out by the customer. You will want to get the confirmation from the company before you do anything else.
If you still don’t know if you own the tank at this point, it might be a good idea to call your realtor. Or, ask your neighbors if they know if one propane company services the neighborhood. You might have to do some digging to find this information out.
If you have asked around and received a confirmation from companies that they do not own the tank, chances are that it truly is a customer-owned tank.
But the questions don’t stop there… Here’s another frequently asked question that we get from new homeowners…
I know that we own the tank, but I can’t find (or don’t have) the tank ownership documents. What should I do?
If you are in the predicament where you cannot get a hold of the tank ownership documentation, but you know that you definitely own the tank, we have another option for you. We have a tank ownership form that you can sign. This form confirms that you know you own the tank and will accept all responsibility as the owner.
Scheduling the Delivery
Once we see your tank ownership documents or receive a signed copy of our tank ownership document from you, we will be able to schedule your first delivery. And as always, at your first propane delivery, we will do a FREE pressure and leak test. But that’s another topic for another time.
If you have any questions regarding tank ownership, whether you are a new homeowner or just looking to change propane companies for the first time, feel free to call us. We love getting your calls! We’re available in the office from 8 am until 4:30 pm, Monday thru Friday.*
*Emergency Services available 365 days a year, 24/7.
