(Byhalia, MS) Just as temperatures got their coldest, Robin Fecteau’s propane tank ran low, so she called Ferrell Gas for a refill.
“I called, they said, ‘We don’t have anybody to put anything in your tank.’ Called again Saturday and Sunday and they said, ‘We don’t have anybody available.’”
She finally got her propane Tuesday.
She’s not alone.
Across the country, spot shortages of propane have come during one of the coldest winters in years.
Fecteau has to buy from Ferrell Gas because they own her tank.
Local sources in the propane business tell us what happened to the Fecteaus isn’t unusual this winter.
In fact, they say some customers have had to wait up to two weeks for propane.
Gas company executives say it’s not a problem of supply.
“We produce more gas in the U.S. than we ever have before. The problem we have is getting the gas to where it’s needed,” John Holstein of Spicer Gas in Connecticut told CBS News Correspondent Dean Reynolds.
Holstein says pipelines that used to carry propane switched to natural gas, and bad weather seriously slowed down deliveries by truck.
Add to that the fact that the U.S. now exports more propane than ever.
But those problems have caused huge headaches for propane companies and their customers.
”My dad worked for Michigan Consolidated Gas for 35 years and he said that was the worst customer service I’ve ever seen. No one called, no one followed up with me, and that was my biggest concern” Fecteau explained.
She says she’s already looking ahead to next winter.
”When I get done with this tank, I’m gonna buy my own tank so I can get any company to fill.”
She hopes more options will give her a better chance to stay warm.
