Dear Friends,
This is the second year in a row that Allied Propane Service was awarded the Excellence in Risk Management award from Energi, a leading provider of insurance and risk management programs to the energy industry.
The criteria for this award include commitment to safety, implementation of best practices for risk management and incorporation of Energi’s Safety Plus recommendations. This includes ensuring that all of the equipment we use is up to date and carefully maintained. And it means making a sincere commitment to training so that all of our drivers know precisely how to deliver your fuel safely — and know what to do in case of a leak or other emergency.
If you have been with us for a while, you know that Allied is 100% committed to taking care of our customers. Operating our business safely and keeping our customers safe is an important part of this commitment.
Please remember that you can always count on us to be there when you need us. Thanks for your business and for your confidence in our people. They are the ones who make us the best propane service provider in Northern California.
Warmly,
Dustin Kaiser, Operations Manager
We make an ongoing effort to identify resources that can help us provide excellent service to our customers. This effort can encompass training, equipment or any other innovation that will help us do our job better.
Recently, we invested in a new suite of software that meets these criteria. Our new system integrates all the parts of our back-office operations so they operate smoothly together, streamlining accounting and delivery, for example, and allowing us to keep better track of your fuel use, so we can be certain you’ll never run out. It will also allow us to set up paperless billing and create online accounts so you can view statements online anytime.
There’s a lot of buzz around here when we add a new vehicle to our fleet, or when we purchase a new piece of equipment, but our new software promises to have a much bigger impact on customer service than a new truck; it’s a proven system, designed just for companies like Allied who are in the business of keeping customers comfortable and safe.
While our new system may be invisible to you as a customer, you will certainly benefit from the higher level of service it will allow us to provide.
People who want to save energy, protect the environment and make their homes more comfortable are discovering propane because it’s an efficient, versatile and clean-burning fuel. Here are just some of the many ways propane makes your life easier.
All the Hot Water You Want
If your home and family require lots of hot water, you’ll be thrilled with the options that are available to you with propane water heating. Not only will you get all the hot water you need, you’ll get it for much less than if you heated your water with electricity. You can save even more with a high-efficiency tankless propane water heater.
FAST FACT: Tankless water heaters can be mounted on walls, and are ideal in homes where space is limited.
Cook like a pro. If you love to cook, you will love a gas stove. Gas ovens give you much better temperature control and heat distribution than electric stoves. In addition, gas cooking appliances— cooktops, ranges and ovens—are available in the latest styles, including commercial-grade stainless steel.
FAST FACT: The most efficient stoves have an automatic, electric ignition system, which saves propane because the pilot light is not burning continuously. (Tip: Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean; they’ll reflect heat better and save energy.)
When the lights go out, yours will stay on. With its own on-site fuel supply, a propane generator gives you plenty of fuel to weather power outages until utility trucks can get to your neighborhood. Having emergency power provides peace of mind, especially when a winter storm is forecast.
FAST FACT: A 250-gallon propane tank and a 7-kilowatt standby generator can provide enough electricity to power your home for five days.
Bask in ambiance. With a propane fireplace, there’s more heat without the work and fuss. Light your fire with the flip of a switch and then enjoy the incredible atmosphere you get with today’s log sets and realistic flames.
FAST FACT: Propane gas fireplaces can produce twice as much heat as wood-burning fireplaces at about a third of the cost. And there’s no soot, ash or smoke.
Cutting-edge Solutions
Propane is getting better every day! Some recent improvements in propane equipment include these:
- Micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) technology makes it possible to combine a furnace with a generator, which heats the home and makes electricity. When operated 4,000 hours a year, this hybrid system can produce nearly 5,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which not only saves money but reduces greenhouse gases by about 6,000 pounds per year.
- High-efficiency heat pumps can be powered by an engine fueled by propane, allowing you to efficiently heat and cool multiple zones in a home.
Propane by the Numbers
- 11 billion Number of gallons of propane consumed each year in the U.S.
- 50 million Number of people in the U.S. who use propane every day.
- 5-10 Number of years a propane furnace can outlast an average electric heat pump.
- 35,000 Number of pounds of greenhouse gases that could be eliminated in 10 years for every propane tankless water heater that replaces an electric water heater.
How Much Can We Save by Conserving
Most of the approximately 100 million homes in the U.S. waste a lot of energy because of factors like poor insulation and outdated heating equipment. If two million propane-heated homes made major energy efficiency improvements, the savings would be enormous.
Propane: a Better Choice than Electricity
When you stop to think about it, it’s really amazing how many household appliances that run on electricity can also run on propane—your furnace, stove, clothes dryer, water heater. Even better, the cost of running these propane appliances is much lower than with their electric counterparts. That’s because propane is a more efficient fuel.
Besides giving you more for your money, propane also has a much lower environmental impact than electricity.
Efficiency: The Key to Home Heating
Many people are taking a closer look at the energy efficiency of their homes so they can conserve fuel and lower their heating costs. Because of great advances in technology, today’s high-efficiency heating systems use substantially less fuel than older models. That’s why a new system can reduce your annual heating bills by 30%.
With a new propane heating system, you’ll get:
- more heat from less fuel
- lower heating bills
- fewer breakdowns
- environmentally-friendly warmth
Steve Shift recently marked his 25th year with Allied Propane. About 75% of the calls Steve handles are residential repair and maintenance calls — tune-ups, heating system repairs, equipment installations and propane appliance repairs.
But since Allied also has many commercial and agricultural clients, it is not unusual for Steve to visit, as just one example, a walnut orchard in Sacramento. As you may know, propane has a number of uses on farms, including dehydration, pasteurization, weed control and frost protection.
When Steve is not on the job, he enjoys hiking and horseback riding.
Our automatic routed delivery service is the best way to make sure you never run out of fuel. We keep track of your fuel use and know exactly when you will need a delivery. For the most accurate tracking of your fuel usage, we can install a wireless tank monitor, which will send us an alert when you need more fuel.
Contact us to get started.
Today many of us rely on the Internet for recommendations. So when Allied Propane comes through for you with a prompt service call or hassle-free installation, would you take a minute to give us a “thumbs-up” on sites like:
(If for some reason we have not met your expectations, please call us as soon as possible so we can make things right.)
Have you heard about our Budget Pay program? It allows you to spread the cost of your fuel over 12 months so you can avoid those bigger cold-weather fuel bills.
When you are on Budget Pay, we estimate your yearly fuel costs based on your past usage, the weather and other factors, and we divide the total into 12 equal monthly payments. You’ll know in advance how much you will owe each month, which makes it a lot easier to plan your household budget.
Enrollment in Budget Pay begins in March, so there is plenty of time to learn more about the program — please contact us today.