This story actually starts a very long time ago. Do you know the saying "Now you're cooking with gas?" That's me. I like cooking with gas. So, when I moved into this house in 2005, and I somehow decided to do some renovations (I'm still not sure why I decided to do this), I decided to switch a number of my electric appliances (range, clothes dryer, water heater) from electric to gas. I thought burning gas was cleaner than burning whatever FPL burns to make electricity, and I prefer cooking with gas anyway, so I switched.
I could have contracted with Teco, but the closest Teco natural gas line runs down 9th Avenue, and it was going to cost me a few thousand dollars to get them to extend three doors to my house on 119th St. So, instead of that, I decided to use propane. I contracted with a local company that has many national franchises: Suburban Propane. The cost wasn't bad at first, but it increased over the years. Now, it's a distinct annoyance.
Suburban Propane seems to have a selection of ways to decide when their customers probably need their tanks filled. Since I'm by myself, and I don't actually use all that much gas, I chose the least frequent schedule, which, as best I recall, was refills once or twice a year.
I never had to think about it, because Suburban Propane would contact me when it was time, except on occasion, they would contact me to say their truck was in my area, they wanted to refill my tank, and my gate was locked. Yes, of course it was locked, because on those occasions, they didn't contact me in advance to let me know what day and what time to expect them, and the gate is always locked, unless I have a reason to unlock it. So, there were those glitches, and they were generally resolved by Suburban Propane's confirming with me some other time I would be home, so I could unlock the gate, and they could fill my tank.
I really haven't thought about Suburban Propane for a long time. I like it that way. That's what I also like about online banking: I set something up to be dealt with, and I then don't have to be bothered with it. I have enough to think about. When was the last time Suburban Propane was at my house to fill my tank? How should I know? As I said, I don't think about it. When they're ready, they'll call.
Last night, I admit I was surprised that the time it took for me to wash my face before I went to sleep was not enough time for the hot water to come on. Frankly, it always is. I start with cold water, and by the time I'm ready to rinse off the soap, the water is hot. But I figured I was just faster than usual.
This morning, I intended to do what I do every morning: boil water, to make myself a pot of tea. A pot of tea produces about five cups, and it takes me the morning, or sometimes most of the day, to finish it. But my gas stove never ignited. It appears I'm out of gas. And it's Sunday, so Suburban Propane is closed. I'll have to call them tomorrow, and hope they're willing to fill my tank tomorrow. Until they do, I have no hot water, no range, and I can't dry laundry.
So then, I got to thinking that maybe I've reached a stage that I should change everything around anyway. For almost two years, I've been getting electric bills of $10.05 a month, every month of the year, including the summers. Until this past month, when I got a credit of $23.23. If my solar panels are doing me that much of a favor, I'm now thinking maybe I should exchange the range, the water heater, and the clothes dryer for electric. I won't be cooking with gas any more, and that's not preferable, but it may be a better way of living, including so that I don't have to depend on the apparently undependable Suburban Propane.
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