As was reported multiple times by Hamilton Consulting and in the news, Wisconsin and other Midwestern states experienced major propane supply shortages during the extraordinarily cold winter in 2013-14.
The average price of a gallon of propane was $1.70, and by January 2014 had risen to $4.49 per gallon.
It may only be September, but Governor Walker and state energy officials want citizens to get ahead of the cold weather and fill their propane tanks early this season. Propane can be purchased at a much lower price in the summer months because of low demand; buying propane in the fall causes an issue because of the amount of propane used by farmers in grain drying, which was a factor in last winter’s propane shortage. “Weather, grain drying, and several other factors put a strain on supply across the Midwest last winter and some of those factors could be in play again this heating season. We encourage our citizens to take action now to be better prepared for the upcoming heating season and save money in the process.”
Also to prepare, the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP), helping 25,000 house heat their homes in the winter, will start processing applications a month earlier than normal. This will allow the state to buy 15 percent more propane, while saving $1 million.