Propane delivery gripes mount

BY TALIA LISSAUER

The Berkshire Eagle

HINSDALE — Elisa Kozinn’s house was 38 degrees on Friday after her propane tank nearly ran empty, leaving the home without heat or hot water.

It’s a situation she had intentionally sought to avoid by enrolling in an auto-delivery system.

“If we were actually up there, we really would have been in trouble,” said Kozinn, who wasn’t in town when the heat and hot water disappeared. “It’s a situation that never, ever, ever should have happened.”

Complaints have flooded the offices of state Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket, and Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, in recent days from Berkshire County residents running low or out of propane supplied by Superior Plus Propane, a Toronto-based company serving customers across North America.

Davis said her office began receiving complaints around Feb. 2 from residents in Sheffield, Hins-dale, Peru, Washington and Becket. She is sharing information about companies that have offered assistance, including George’s Propane, Propane Gas

Association of New England and Lipton Energy.

Propane is used for heating, hot water and cooking, and must be refilled periodically by a fuel supplier. Running out can result in not only a loss of heat, but also in dangerous and costly problems, like frozen and ruptured pipes.

Kozinn’s home, like many others, had previously been supplied without issue by Osterman Propane — until it was acquired by the much larger company, Superior Plus Propane.

“The next thing we know, it’s Superior and this shenanigans is going on,” Kozinn said.

Superior did not respond to calls for comment by deadline.

Kozinn’s house has a 500-gallon propane tank set up for auto delivery. Based on past deliveries, she estimated the company should have come for her refill around Jan. 9.

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