If you’re like most farmers here in Ontario, your farm requires propane to operate and lots of it. There’s no room for mistakes or downtime when it’s time for planting or harvest. You need to know you’ll have all the fuel necessary to keep your fleet of machinery running correctly, including extra just in case an unexpected need arises.
No one can cover every eventuality, but some smart planning can help ensure that you never have to worry about running out of propane on the farm. Here are a few tips.
Four Ways to Ensure Your Farm Has All the Propane It Needs in The Year to Come
- Use your past years’ fuel statistics to plan for future use
One of the best ways to estimate future fuel usage is by going off of historical use. Have you been tracking this? If not, it’s high time to start! Historical fuel usage data is invaluable in planning. It can also be adjusted according to your own overall plans. If you already know you’ll be planting 10% more land than the year before, you can increase your fuel use forecasts accordingly.
- Verify you have necessary fuel storage capacity
When a farm expands, it’s easy to overlook the expanded fuel needs this represents – particularly when it comes to fuel storage. Look into how your current storage capacity measures up, in comparison to your expanded land and machinery usage. If you need more tanks, be sure to install them sooner rather than later. You don’t want to get caught flat-footed when it’s crunch time.
- Watch prices to save money
The propane market isn’t as volatile as the market for other fuels, such as petrol, but the prices can still fluctuate. If you follow the prices from week to week, you should be able to get a good idea of the trends, and potentially save a little money on your fuel purchases.
Of course, whether it’s worth the extra time and effort is another question.
- Invest in propane delivery services
One of the best ways to ensure you always have enough propane on your farm is by arranging for propane delivery! Bird Fuels can set up regular refueling visits to top off your tank with pure uncontaminated propane, and guarantee you always have enough to keep your farm operating smoothly. It’s affordable and efficient! Contact us to learn more.