  |
Getting a Handle on Propane cost Oct 4 2025
Let us get those expenses down
Getting a handle on Propane Costs
With inflation on the forefront of almost everyone’s mind and hammering down our pocketbooks, reducing those expensive yet necessary household costs can be a difficult endeavor. Energy costs are a big one when it comes to budget-busting items and those of us who use propane know it can be a pricey and ongoing expense.
Enter The Propane Collective. Established in late 2023 as a community solution to
ever-increasing propane costs, its founder, Janet Maineri, already pioneered one of the first local propane “co-ops” in the United States back in 2005 called the Coloma-Lotus Co-op. The concept was a simple one: get a whole bunch of people to agree to switch to a single propane company and use that as leverage to lower the price of propane for its members in the Coloma-Lotus community.
The idea grew out of her view that the propane industry often lacked price consistency as well as price transparency. Operating on a volunteer basis only, the Co-op she founded was a word-of-mouth type of arrangement with her friends and neighbors.
Fast forward two decades later and the Co-op had grown to the point where operating it as a volunteer effort became unmanageable. As a result, in 2023, Maineri transitioned the Coloma-Lotus Co-op into a membership-based offering called The Propane Collective.
Today, members pay a small fee to gain access to negotiated rates, leveraging the group’s buying power. Through this structure, Maineri strives to obtain lower pricing, greater transparency, and improved customer service.
Members of The Propane Collective receive free tank monitoring, propane discounts based on a published wholesale rate, zero delivery fees on routed service, and competitive tank rental costs. Membership is also available to those who own their own tanks.
The Propane Collective serves a growing number of communities across El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sacramento, and Yuba counties. Maineri publishes the company’s propane rate history going back to January 2024, which can be viewed on its website: www.propanecollective.com.
Maineri speaks highly of The Propane Collective’s exclusive supplier, noting their alignment with the Collective: “We’re fortunate to work with a local, family-owned company with decades of experience. They’re big enough to meet our collective needs yet small enough to maintain a personal touch. And when you call, you’ll reach someone right here in California,” Maineri said.
Maineri also shared feedback she’s received from members: “I love hearing from members. One woman told me she was saving so much on propane she could actually keep her home warmer. That just made my day,” she said.
Co-ops and collective type entities are nothing new and they can provide all sorts of goods and services and propane groups are no exception.
In my opinion, and from many years of buying propane, I consider the propane business to be very competitive—which, at times, may work against customers rather than for them.
In my November 1, 2025 article entitled “Squeezing Down Utility Bills”, I wrote; “As for propane, well on that one I am stuck. I tried switching companies every so often for the teaser rate, but changing tanks every time I did that was a pain. And the initial deals they offer you to switch expire quickly so you are soon right back paying regular prices. I could own my own tank, but besides being a hassle to do so, I would then be on the hook for its integrity and safety and that I am not interested in”.
As for my concerns regarding propane, I couldn’t have said it better myself than I did back then. LOL.
In conclusion, a grass roots group like the Propane Collective may offer benefits beyond just being a one-off homeowner like me shopping for a way to lower my energy costs. Although there are pros and cons for just about any method of procurement, an entity like The Propane Collective might be worth taking a look at.
More information can be found at www.propanecollective.com. (530) 881-1189
“Watching the markets so you don’t have to”
(end)
(As mentioned please use the below disclaimer exactly) THANKS (Regulations)
This article expresses the opinion of Marc Cuniberti and is not meant as investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or join any entity or group mentioned here, nor represents the opinion of any bank, investment firm or RIA, nor this media outlet, its staff, members or underwriters. No guarantees are implied herein on the company mentioned in today's article. Mr. Cuniberti holds a B.A. in Economics with honors, 1979, and California Insurance License #0L34249 His insurance agency is BAP INC. insurance services. Email: news@moneymanagementradio.com
