Winter at Niagara Falls in New York, 1911. (image: boldt.us)
The average retail price for a gallon of propane in New York was up four cents in the latest numbers from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). The price is now a hair below the 3-dollar mark, at $2.998 a gallon.
Propane customers in the Central region (which slices down the middle of the state) had it the best at $2.69 a gallon. And the North Country (in the northeast pocket of upstate) had it the worst at $3.47.
It may be cold comfort, but that is still cheaper than heating oil ($3.40) or kerosene ($3.69) — which both went up six cents in the final full week of the year.
Also notable in the report: Propane supplies are low in the mid-Atlantic. NYSERDA says that stocks are down 22-percent from last year, which was a lean inventory year nationwide. Stocks in New England also trail last year’s mark, though around the country the supply remains stronger than last heating season.
And to the relief of upstate propane dealers, the Harford Mills terminal along the Teppco propane pipeline was re-opened at the end of December. The repairs are creeping east, with terminals at Oneonta and Selkirk expected to be running by mid-month. Will that ease propane prices in the Northeast? We’ll see.