schwlind
Nomad
Posts: 362
Registered: 8-30-2008
Location: Daytona Beach, FL/San Antonio Del Mar (Colonet)
Member Is Offline
|
|
Dramatic rise in the cost of propane?
Over the last few months our propane charges have gone from 7.10 pesos/liter to most recently 7.99 pesos per liter, and it continues to rise every
month. In Feb our propane bill was around $200 US. The only appliances we are using are 2 propane refrigerators that are set at 2 when we are not
there regularly. Am I the only one seeing this increase. Think I may be better off increasing our solar system and going electric or solar
refrigeration. Any suggestions?
Linda
|
|
|
DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
|
|
Gasolene goes up at the same rate. Grin and bear it. There's nothing you can do but conserve.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
|
|
|
PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3071
Registered: 5-21-2013
Member Is Offline
|
|
Propane cost
So much for MX matching the US price. I just had a Propane fill here in CO and I paid 1.02$/gal which should translate to around to 3.4 P/L. The low
prices here in the states is due to the glut of excess gas.
|
|
|
bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
|
|
Low prices? Glut of excess gas? The only excess I've seen is from my Prilosec.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
|
|
|
larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have watched the price of propane go up now for over 15 years. I switched to elec refers about 10-12 years ago and now am working on a solar hot
water system. Solar elec panels are cheap right now so it is a good time to upgrade your solar but a good solar system capable of operating an elec
refer is still going to cost $5000 plus the cost of batteries. At least it is a one time expense. I would guess it would depend on how much time you
spend at our place in Colonet to determine whether it is worth the expense.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
|
|
|
BajaLuna
Senior Nomad
Posts: 581
Registered: 12-5-2012
Location: Pacific Northwest/Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
Mood: groovy
|
|
low prices in the States? definitely not here in WA! This past Spring we paid 2.80 per gal, and in the winter it was up over 3.00 a gal. here in WA
|
|
|
wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
|
|
Thanks Larry ... 
|
|
|
watizname
Senior Nomad
Posts: 773
Registered: 8-7-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
A rental yard nearby is advertising propane at $3.25/gal, and that's the cheapest in the Ojai valley. Another place wants almost $4 bucks/gal, with a
5 gal min. The "glut" never made it here.
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
|
|
|
BajaLuna
Senior Nomad
Posts: 581
Registered: 12-5-2012
Location: Pacific Northwest/Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
Mood: groovy
|
|
we were feeling lucky (but still feeling the pain) that we were paying 3.00+ per gal. in Winter when we heard that the East Coast was up to 5.00 per
gal. but hearing CO. is paying 1.02 per gal, we're not feeling so lucky anymore! Need to invest in a new pellet stove, which is how we heat our house
usually, but our stove caught on fire, UGH!
Ojai seems in alignment with WA, and there is a price break the more you buy here too. We have become propane market junkies, constantly watching when
price is down to fill up. It's lower in the summer here than in winter. In the next month we will be bowing down to the corporate gods! LOL!
|
|
|
rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
this is really weird and I hesitate to report it, but...
I moved from 5 years of beach/palapa off the grid living to a fancy smancy house in gringolandia (Loreto Bay, Nopolo, BCS). on the beach I was
constantly hauling propane tanks, or waiting for the propane truck to come by (anyone who has done that knows the joy of that), sniffing out and
repairing gas leaks, etc. my frig, stove, on-demand water heater were propane. am remembering about 400-500 p/mo, more in the hot months, which was
probably cheap compare to others' consumption.
here in town, I have a propane line to the house and don't know/care where the main tank is as long as the stove keeps lighting and the clothes dryer
keeps drying.
my monthly bill runs between 70 and 100 pesos. that includes 30 pesos a month for service.
all this and I don't have to start the generator to do laundry. or get gas for the generator. or repair the generator. or haul it out onto the
steps where I can start it.
life is good on the grid!
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
|
|
|
Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5900
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
I blame Obama.
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ateo
I blame Obama. |
And Obama still blames GW
|
|
|
BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by larryC
I have watched the price of propane go up now for over 15 years. I switched to elec refers about 10-12 years ago and now am working on a solar hot
water system. Solar elec panels are cheap right now so it is a good time to upgrade your solar but a good solar system capable of operating an elec
refer is still going to cost $5000 plus the cost of batteries. At least it is a one time expense. I would guess it would depend on how much time you
spend at our place in Colonet to determine whether it is worth the expense.
Larry |
Larry: Out on the beach at Colonet they should have similar weather as we do and we have two fridges running all the time. What I did was to separate
the fridges from the main system, giving each mini system two 250watt panels charging six AGM batteries. That keeps each fridge running great year
round and by removing the loads from the main system, that also runs well.
The total cost for the four 250watt panels, twelve batteries and chargers was less than $3500.
Am I missing something???
|
|
|
larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaGringo
| Quote: | Originally posted by larryC
I have watched the price of propane go up now for over 15 years. I switched to elec refers about 10-12 years ago and now am working on a solar hot
water system. Solar elec panels are cheap right now so it is a good time to upgrade your solar but a good solar system capable of operating an elec
refer is still going to cost $5000 plus the cost of batteries. At least it is a one time expense. I would guess it would depend on how much time you
spend at our place in Colonet to determine whether it is worth the expense.
Larry |
Larry: Out on the beach at Colonet they should have similar weather as we do and we have two fridges running all the time. What I did was to separate
the fridges from the main system, giving each mini system two 250watt panels charging six AGM batteries. That keeps each fridge running great year
round and by removing the loads from the main system, that also runs well.
The total cost for the four 250watt panels, twelve batteries and chargers was less than $3500.
Am I missing something??? |
Ron
I doubt you are missing anything, as I remember you pretty much have your stuff together. What you have done obviously works well for you. I was just
doing a quickie quote and figuring 4 285 watt panels at $800, an outback 3524 panel complete with inverter, fm80 charge controller, flexmax battery
monitor for $3800 and that leaves a little left over to build panel mounts, battery cables and mc4 wires from the panels to the charge controller. On
top of that you would need batteries. Of course there are cheaper ways to go, but you can't go wrong with Outback stuff, its more money up front but
pays for itself in the long run. IMHO.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
|
|
|
BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by larryC...I was just doing a quickie quote and figuring 4 285 watt panels at $800, an outback 3524 panel complete with
inverter, fm80 charge controller, flexmax battery monitor for $3800 and that leaves a little left over to build panel mounts, battery cables and mc4
wires from the panels to the charge controller. On top of that you would need batteries. Of course there are cheaper ways to go, but you can't go
wrong with Outback stuff, its more money up front but pays for itself in the long run. IMHO.
Larry |
Gotcha and with that you would be correct amigo. While I did go with the high-end gear for our two main systems setup, I didn't feel the need to
duplicate that for the refrigerators, which would be the only load on their individual setups. Who knows what is truly the most ideal answer but with
over four years running this way without a problem, I do think it is a viable option.
I haven't had to fire up the backup generator once for system low voltage. The normal system voltage (24v) is around 24.8 to 25.0 early in the AM
before the chargers wake up. My batteries are usually in float before 10 each morning.
Saludos!
|
|
|
schwlind
Nomad
Posts: 362
Registered: 8-30-2008
Location: Daytona Beach, FL/San Antonio Del Mar (Colonet)
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thanks to everyone who replied... Still open to any and all comments/recommendations. While it is not a huge prob now, once my hubby retires and
we'll be spending more time there.. I'll have some worries.
Linda
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
