costco propane $10.99

**T-Rex** · 04-01-2013, 10:10 AM

hey everyone,

Not sure what you guys pay for propane down there but I just discovered Costco does refills for $10.99 + tax for a 20lb. tank.

I used to go to the local welding supply place (weld pro gases) and got $18/fill. The savings at Costco will pay for the membership in just a few months. Now I have a Costco membership I otherwise couldn't justify, which lets me get gigantic quantities of just about everything haha.

Hope this helps someone out!

**Sparkey** · 04-01-2013, 02:00 PM

Thanks

**Icarus** · 04-01-2013, 02:13 PM

Has anyone had luck with this in the US? I was looking for info on the local ones, and it sounds like it might be a Canada only thing...

Either way, thanks for sharing. Just a heads up to US blowers that they should check availability before signing up.

**aREa541** · 04-01-2013, 02:46 PM

I say sign up anyway! Costco has earned my loyalty over the years by taking care of me whenever something goes wrong with anything expensive I have bought there.

Couple stories:

About 5 years ago I bought a 52" flatscreen from them for $2100 when the next cheapest place had them for $2750. I asked the other store if they could match the price and they said that $2100 was less than their cost! Anyway, about 20 months later my flatscreen developed a line through the screen, so I called Costco and they said bring it in and return it. They gave me a refund which allowed me to purchase a newer TV with better features of the same size and have $400 left over for other stuff! I would like to see any other store (ahem Best Buy) do something like that.

I bought my woman's diamond ring there, spent a lot of money on it. She somehow managed to smash it in a doorway and bent the ring and popped a couple of the smaller diamonds on the band out. They had it fixed for free and replaced the missing diamonds with no hassle. Not to mention it was very well priced for the quality of the jewelry, all their diamonds are conflict free and above a certain high grade. Once again, I would like to see any other store take care of their customer in that way.

In both cases I would have been out a decent amount of money if they hadn't took care of me.

I really like their business model of putting the customer first and taking care of any issue they might have with products they carry. It makes for very loyal customers, who sing their praises on online forums and the like. Other stores like Kohl's have copied this model and according to Consumer Reports it seems to be working for them too!

**Sparkey** · 04-01-2013, 02:52 PM

As much as I hate corporations, Costco does pay its workers a living wage.

**TlkQ** · 04-01-2013, 03:17 PM

$15 a fill at Ace. Also you get the little card thingy and get the 6th one free.

**T-Rex** · 04-01-2013, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by aLLsTyLEs541

I bought my woman's diamond ring there, spent a lot of money on it. She somehow managed to smash it in a doorway and bent the ring and popped a couple of the smaller diamonds on the band out.

Let's hope her hand wasn't in it at the time, haha.

Yea Costco is great for the consumer, tough for the supplier.... my dad owned a monitor distribution company and sold through Costco - it was tough for him because Costco has such lax return policies. You can return anything anytime basically and get a full refund. Still, I'm sure it was good for volume.

Anyway, try calling your local Costco, Icarus - it's not advertised at all on their webpage, not even the Canadian one. I'm not sure they all do it, but a quick phone call will let you know.

**ahreno** · 04-01-2013, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by aLLsTyLEs541

I say sign up anyway! Costco has earned my loyalty

It's funny, this is the point I stopped reading your post at because i knew it was going to be you...

**aREa541** · 04-01-2013, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by ahreno

It's funny, this is the point I stopped reading your post at because i knew it was going to be you...

I know lol. We were just talking about this last week. Costco should pay me for my rep services.

**truedef** · 04-02-2013, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by TlkQ

$15 a fill at Ace. Also you get the little card thingy and get the 6th one free.

Im going to call my Ace and Costco tomorrow.

If costco can do 10.99 a tank thats 54.95 for 5 tanks.

Ace at 15 a tank is 75 for 5 tanks. So costco I could theoretically get two tanks free after buying 5 refills.

Ill let you guys know if my Houston costco is the same as canada, Im about to run out of propane.

**Action Glass** · 04-02-2013, 12:47 AM

Yeah depending on location gas prices fluctuate. I pay $41 for 8 gallons here in Los Angeles. In Oregon it was $16 :-(

**maui greenstone** · 04-02-2013, 02:26 AM

I'll have to look into that. I pay almost $30 a fill here at ace. If I can get it for under $20 I'ld be stoked.

**T-Rex** · 04-02-2013, 06:11 AM

Yea man I was stoked too, I don't understand how/why it can be so much cheaper - commodities like gas are usually priced pretty evenly all around.

Careful with your math, truedef - TlkQ said the 6th one is free, so you actually get 6 for $75, which works out to $12.50 each and is a damn good deal as well.

**apixdesign** · 04-02-2013, 07:23 AM

At my ace its about 20$ a fill and the tanks are only filled to 15pounds instead of the full 20. No free tank for me either, I just get the welding guys which is actually 20pounds and save alot from that.

**Ne2** · 04-02-2013, 08:31 AM

I fill my tanks at U-Haul.

When you fill one tank it is over $4/gal... but I fill six tanks at once and get a bulk discount.

27 gallons @ $3.11/gal = $84.00

$14 per tank

**Greymatter Glass** · 04-02-2013, 09:58 AM

Here in Albuquerque I'm paying $2.10 a gallon right now, might go up to $2.15 over the summer.... and that's for any non-contract amount, so a 5 gallon tank costs $11.24 after tax, and the 50gal I get is $112.35 after tax.

Where you'll see the smaller differences is in local and state taxes... that will account for a difference of several cents per gallon usually. Anything more than that is due to regional supply and demand, profiteering, storage fees, transportation, and how many people there are between the producer and the end user. Here in New Mexico we produce a large amount of propane and it doesn't have far to travel, not sure what the production scene is like outside this area...

**TlkQ** · 04-02-2013, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by apixdesign

At my ace its about 20$ a fill and the tanks are only filled to 15pounds instead of the full 20. No free tank for me either, I just get the welding guys which is actually 20pounds and save alot from that.

A fill or a swap? At mine they certainly fill it to 20 lbs.

**Greymatter Glass** · 04-02-2013, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Ne2

I fill my tanks at U-Haul.

Everywhere I've ever been u-haul is pretty much the most expensive place to buy propane.... check with RV centers, and look for places that sell propane for cooking and heating. $3.11/gal is robbery.

Also, _NEVER_ use those tank exchanges, they under fill tanks (legally, they sell propane by actual volume, not container, so nothing says they have to put 5 gallons of fuel in a 5 gallon tank... they have to disclose this fact somewhere, legally, but many of them don't and just pay the fines)