| Arctic blast, snow, ice delay propane deliveries in Big Canoe |
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AmeriGas services nearly 900 homes in Big Canoe
By Laura Link llink@bigcanoenews.com Got gas? The January 7 snow and ice storm found many Big Canoe residents with already low supplies of propane. Temperatures in the teens and not above the 30s soon emptied those tanks and brought others perilously close to operating on fumes. The indoor tennis and fitness centers, POA Lodge and the swim club also had problems with low fuel supplies. Tennis players received an email warning to dress warmly. The maintenance staff said the pump house and pipes at the swim club froze, but there was little or no damage. AmeriGas, the HOA’s Propane Consortium provider, services nearly 900 homes in Big Canoe. Phones in its Canton office, which serves Big Canoe, rang non-stop. AmeriGas telephone operators sometimes had to stretch to keep their professionalism while they fielded calls from frustrated customers. One day it took this reporter five minutes of constant redialing. Another day the count was an exact 27 redials before a polite and calm person was on the other end of the line. Emergency aid to family with babies The Rickenbakers, who have 15-month old twins, moved to Big Canoe in September. Unfamiliar with using propane for heat, they found themselves without it. The family used space heaters to keep warm until two AmeriGas employees could get to their home with a couple of propane canisters to tide them over for a fill up.(Ed. note: See the Rickenbaker’s letter to the editor about their experience.) Skip Leasher, one of the regular Big Canoe propane truck drivers for AmeriGas, said two full-time trucks are dedicated to deliveries in Big Canoe. At times there are three trucks, but these two drivers know the roads of Big Canoe well, according to Ralph Poole, AmeriGas account manager for Big Canoe. These two trucks, unlike others, can handle the steep, mountainous roads of the community. AmeriGas has 15 districts in North Georgia and, Poole said, they can pull trucks from other districts of the state when needed. Truck drivers increased their hours During the previous 30 days, Poole said, the drivers had been working in staggered shifts seven days a week in Big Canoe. The Department of Transportation limits propane truck drivers to a 60-hour week, according to Leasher. However, with the arctic blast hitting North Georgia in January, the governor lifted the limit for a 20-day emergency period and, said Leasher, his driving has increased to 65-68 hours. Poole said AmeriGas was going to lobby to extend this emergency period. Leasher said he had his truck in Big Canoe Thursday evening, Jan. 7, when the snow and sleet began falling. He worked as late as he could. Because of the hazardous roads, even with the sand trucks running an extended schedule, propane trucks could not deliver on Friday and Saturday but were back on Sunday. “Have you ever been in a propane truck sliding on ice backwards?” he asked to emphasize his point. Propane truck drivers are specially licensed to drive their cargo and the two dedicated Big Canoe drivers know road conditions. Last summer AmeriGas began filling tanks of Big Canoe consortium members at a discounted rate that extended to the end of September, Poole said. The usage of each customer is based on the number and capacity of items in each home using propane and a formula that factors in the degree-days of high and low temperatures in the area. He said unforeseen extremely cold days can’t be factored in and that is what increased the need for additional propane. A system of learning “It is a system of learning,” Poole said. Customers who add propane equipment to their homes, such as tank less water heaters, he added, need to notify their propane server so the new equipment can be factored into their needs. Some Bent Tree residents, who also have a consortium contract with AmeriGas, served by the Ellijay district office, also ran out of gas. Mike King, general manager for Bent Tree Corp., said he knew of several people without heat. Bent Tree has fewer customers in their consortium and one truck dedicated to their service. “I am proud of our record,” Poole added, “and I will put our company against any propane company.” AmeriGas is the largest propane company in the U.S. |
