Surging Propane Prices To Stick It To Rural Residents

As if a 40% spike in gas pump prices ain’t bad enough, the WSJ warns us (& especially rural folks) to “Prepare for Propane Sticker Shock.”

Apparently, “exports have drained domestic supply ahead of the upcoming heating season [so that propane] prices have [already] surged.” The author, Ryan Dezember, notes that “propane prices haven’t been so high heading into winter in a decade.” That’s especially bad news for “the millions of rural Americans who rely on the fuel to stay warm.”

To be sure, warns Mr. Dezember, “all manner of heating fuels are heading into winter at their highest prices in years and could climb more if the weather is cold.” The WSJ, for instance, recently reported in its “A Winter of Giant Gas Bills Is Coming” warned of big price hikes for natural gas aka the predominant home heating source for most metropolitan areas. But, as the author points out, the rural areas’ almost exclusive reliance on propane heating doesn’t have the built in billing flexibility or alternative sources as their urban counterparts, thereby making this winter’s prospects even more dim for them.

Davd Soul