Costco exiting Propane Business in Huntsville

[jfmorris]

I don't know if this is a nationwide thing, but I found that our local Costco is going to stop selling propane effective 1/18/2024. Until I got an Ace hardware a 1/2 mile from the house that refills propane tanks, the only place I went for 5-6 years was Costco. Looks like I'm stuck with Ace only now, with their higher pricing.

Our Costco had propane filling at a large island out in the parking lot in front of the tire center. You would ring a bell and someone from the tire center would run out and fill it and give you a receipt that you took inside to pay with. They were ALWAYS busy, so I have to think the operation made money.

Last time I was there the guy hassled me when I was filling 5-6 20 lb tanks, asking me what kind of vehicle I drove. Apparently he wasn't allowed to fill more than 4 tanks if they were transported in an enclosed vehicle like a SUV or car. I was in a pickup so it didn't matter...

[Jerod Broussard]

Interesting. We have a locally owned company that I use. Not sure what they charge compared to others in town.

[J-Melt]

Never knew Costco did that. I don’t think that any of the stores in Chicago area fill propane.

[RonB]

None around central VA sell propane.

[DaveD]

I've been using Cynch.com for some years now. Very easy, schedule the exchange on their website, put the empty on the porch, and they come and pick it up and leave a full one for $24.99. Is that a few dollars more than it would cost me to schlep the tank someplace myself and have it refilled? Sure. But well worth it to have to do next to nothing to get a full tank. I have two, so one is always full and I never have an interruption in supply.

[DaveD]

Michael_in_TX I'm here for ya!!

[acorgihouse]

Yay! I went to www.cynch.com, they deliver refills and spare tanks to my zip code. Perfect, I usually go to Tractor Supply, but hustling those tanks in and out of my vehicle is a pain. Thank you so much!

[jfmorris]

No Cynch here in North Alabama apparently, so I will keep lugging the tanks...

[captainlee]

Never seen that while visiting the Front Range Costcos here. I use my LP dealer that fills my home tank. Ace will fill it too. I can see many people forgetting to pay their LP receipt, that may be the issue.

[Troutman]

I’ll have check out our Costco, their island is always busy as well. To be honest it’s TOO busy. Our local barbecue store has a bulk tank. It may be more than Costco but I like supporting local businesses plus it’s 5 minutes from the house.

[jfmorris]

That's why I switched to the new Ace hardware about 1/2 mile from the house this past year. They are a couple more bucks but so much more convenient and quick!

[Huskee]

What had they been charging you for one 20lb tank? I have a place about 2 miles from me that charges $11.66 or something close to that, and another a mile further that's $10 on Wednesdays. I was wondering how the prices compare around the nation.

[jfmorris]

Costco here about a year ago charged me anywhere from $7 to $9 to fill an empty tank. My son in law says recently they were $12-14 as rates had gone up.

Ace has been charging me $14.99 max fill on a 20 pound tank. I forget the price per gallon.

[au4stree]

I don’t recall our Costco doing this. But then, I rarely use LP. I’m hooked up to NG on my grill and really only use LP when I wanna run a heater. But I much prefer filling it at my local U-Haul store, I get the full 20lbs vs the aforementioned ~15lbs. The guys in there are always responsive and helpful.

[jfmorris]

Costco here was filling tanks - not exchanging them. So it was the full 20 pounds. I had switched in the past year to my local Ace hardware, as it is super close to the house and much less crowded. But the cost is a few bucks more per tank. I use propane for beer brewing, a firepit table and two grills, so go through a bit.

[Dan Deter]

Our Costco fills tanks, always super busy. Don't know if they're stopping that or not. I've gone to BJ's for years for the same service (and much less busy), but its always a bit of a wait. Recently I've been going to the UHaul nearby, they're quicker on the service, about the same price. When a tank gets too old I take it and exchange at the convenince store. I generally fill 2 when I start on the third. Plus I've got 2 empties I'd definitely have to exchange to use.

[jfmorris]

I do the same thing. Right now all 5 of my tanks are pretty new ones, bought at Costco over the past several years. When they reach their expiration date I'll go do a tank exchange somewhere, and for now, keep refilling at Ace, where I get a full 20 pounds for a good bit less than swapping for 15 pounds...

[Uncle Bob]

Half a mile has a lot of convenience value, but another possible source, if not too inconvenient, is Tractor Supply. In my area TS is almost a dollar per gallon less than my local Ace.

[jfmorris]

We do have a TS, but its on the other side of town. Several miles past Costco haha. I'll need to check and see if they fill tanks. If they don't they are next to a place called Rural King that may fill tanks too...

[Skinsfan1311]

Ours doesn't fill tanks, but BJ's does...but the service is slow and crappy because it's the tire guys who have to fill them.
I gave up on them because it's so hit or miss and started going to a local RV service shop that sells it by the lb and gives discounts for cash.

[jfmorris]

It was the tire guys at Costco, but they were pretty quick about it.

[Skinsfan1311]

jfmorris We have memberships at both and the tire center at our BJ's is woefully understaffed.

[WayneT]

Two years ago, one of the techs at our local Costco said corporate was going to shut down the propane sales but ours is still in business. It’s such a fantastic deal, I would hate to see it end.

[jfmorris]

Yeah - they were cheaper than anyone else in town, but ours ends in 2 more days... I imagine they find it more hassle than the profit is worth at a corporate level.

[WayneT]

I guess tire sales are higher profit than propane. The tire install techs fill tanks at our Costco.

[Bkhuna]

Maybe your Costco ,like mine, has determined it to be the end of grilling season and is ceasing to cell propane and pellets.

[jfmorris]

Not in this case - as they have been very busy selling propane for not only grills, but firepits and fireplaces. They are taking out the big island with the propane tank and refill station in the parking lot.