Dear Friends,

If you’ve driven by our Napa office lately, you may have noticed that we’re expanding. Early next year, we will be opening the Allied Clean Fuels Plaza next door. It will feature a convenience store and a retail fueling station with a full range of clean-burning fuels, including propane autogas, diesel, liquid natural gas and compressed natural gas. The plaza will also feature a Tesla Supercharge Station.

This is exciting for us because we are a third-generation family-run business that has made a long-term commitment to the communities we love to serve.

Since 1967, we’ve been dedicated to providing environmentally friendly fuels, reliable deliveries, superior equipment installations and expert repairs. These products and services are bolstered by a courteous and professional staff who go to great lengths to look after our residential, commercial and agricultural customers.

Of course, we could not be approaching our 50th year in business if we didn’t have a loyal base of customers. With that in mind, we are constantly striving to find ways to improve our customer service. We thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you, and for trusting us with your comfort and safety. Thank you for being an Allied Propane Service customer!

Warmly,
Dustin Kaiser
Operations Manager

Great news! We’ve partnered with the leading tankless-water-heater company, Rinnai, to take your comfort and savings to higher levels.

Propane tankless water heaters provide comfort, versatility, convenience and efficiency by supplying high volumes of hot water with compact and highly innovative technology.

These systems eliminate standby energy losses that occur in storage tank systems because they heat water only on demand. They’re compact in size yet deliver an endless supply of hot water. Tankless water heaters typically last twice as long as water heaters with a tank — up to 20 years or more — because they are less likely to corrode.

Since a tankless system can average a flow rate of hundreds of gallons per hour, you’ll never have to worry about your family running out of hot water!

Please call or email us if you’re interested in upgrading to a propane tankless water heater.

Our service team has put together these suggestions to help your family stay safe during severe weather this season.

• Create an emergency plan and discuss it with everyone in your family. This plan should include instructions on how to turn off propane systems.
• Prepare a disaster supply kit, which should include several days’ worth of water and canned food supplies, along with a can opener, extra clothes, blankets, flashlights, medications, batteries and supplies for your pets. You should also have a battery-powered radio.
• If you use a whole-house propane generator, make sure it has enough fuel. Check the owner’s manual for instructions on calculating how much propane your generator uses. (For generators 9kW or less, it’s approximately 1.5 gallons per hour.)
• If your area is prone to flooding, make sure your tank is anchored securely.
• Once the storm passes, check your appliances for water or other damage. Never turn on a light switch, use a power source or inspect your appliances while you are standing in water. Have us inspect your appliances if you believe they have been damaged.
• Don’t use outdoor appliances indoors and make sure your indoor gas appliances are properly vented.
• If you smell propane in your home, leave immediately and call for help.

Feel free to call us so we can inspect your equipment and make sure it’s running safely and efficiently. We care about your comfort and safety!

With more people relying on both portable and permanent generators than ever before, our team also wanted to share these safety tips.

• Never operate a portable generator in an enclosed or partially enclosed space; keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and away from windows and doors.
• If your generator is not connected to a propane tank, be sure to store its fuel in a properly labeled container.
• Always use a grounded extension cord with the proper power rating.
• Have your generator checked and adjusted annually for safety and efficiency.
• Installed whole-house generators should have a transfer switch to ensure a smooth transition when the lights go out. A transfer switch cuts electricity flow to the grid while the generator is on. This prevents the power in the generator from “back-feeding” into outside power lines and potentially injuring utility crews.

New water heating standards from the U.S. Department of Energy went into effect in 2015. Under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, all new storage tank water heaters — regardless of fuel source — must meet a higher efficiency rating.

Manufacturers say those increases in energy efficiency can be achieved in many cases by using more insulation. However, this will make the storage tank units a few inches taller and wider — while also increasing their cost. Depending on the model and tank capacity, new tank water heaters may be as much as three times more expensive as older ones.

That increased size will also have a big effect on homes with space constraints; a small propane gas tankless unit that hangs on the wall will be an easier fit than new, bigger tanks.

These regulatory changes are also expected to close the upfront cost gap between propane tankless units and electric storage tank heaters. Propane tankless units may even end up having a price advantage!

If you’re thinking about replacing your water heater soon, we recommend exploring your options in tankless water heaters. (See related article: Go Tankless for Savings and Comfort.)

• Tankless water heaters deliver an endless supply of water.
• Their compact size saves roughly 12 square feet of floor space.
• These systems are on-demand, so they heat water only when it’s needed. That feature eliminates standby losses that occur in systems with hot water storage tanks — like the typical electric water heater.
• They save more than $150 per year in energy costs compared with typical electric storage water heaters.*
• They have 50% to 60% lower CO2 emissions compared with electric storage tank systems.
• They may also qualify you for state and manufacturer rebates.

*Source: Propane Education Research Council.

You may know that propane is a smart and efficient alternative to electricity for many appliances in your home. But here are four things you may not know:*

• Propane autogas is a safe, clean, cost-effective motor fuel for buses, fleet trucks, forklifts, tractors and lawnmowers.
• Propane-fueled hybrid heat pumps can help keep your home warmer when temperatures get chilly.
• Nontoxic propane poses no threat to soil and water.
• Propane is an essential fuel for many agricultural enterprises in Northern California, where it’s used for irrigation pumps, crop drying, fruit ripening, space heating and water heating. It’s also an essential fuel for generators and refrigeration.

*Source: Propane Education & Research Council.

We are more than just a propane company; we are your neighbors! And like many of you, we believe in supporting charitable causes, youth programs and civic organizations that help make our communities strong.

That’s why for the past two years we’ve been sponsoring Solano Galaxy Progas, a 14-and under girls’ traveling softball team.

Carl Blas, one of our drivers, volunteers his time to help coach the team.

“The team needed a sponsor, and Allied was only too happy to step up to the plate and provide their support,” says Carl.

The team, formed two years ago, has been doing well, according to head coach Brandon Bailey.

“They had a great summer, winning seven of eight tournaments, and thanks to Allied they were able to play in the Carson City World Series Championship,” he says.

Q: Do automatic deliveries cost more?

A: No! We encourage automatic deliveries because they are more efficient and help lower the cost to you. We use a proven system based on the weather and your past usage to calculate when you need a fill-up so you’ll never run out.

Q: Can I still sign up for the Budget Pay program?

A: Yes. Enrollment remains open. With Budget Pay, you get level monthly bills based on your average usage and current prices. This lets you plan your household expenses more easily. Enroll today, at no cost, and we’ll prorate your costs for the remainder of the program year — through April 2016.