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December 21 is the official start of winter, and temporary heat is once again a necessity on construction jobsites across much of the country. Temporary heat enables projects to stay on schedule throughout the winter, which is especially important as developers face a backlog of projects heading into 2023.
Heat keeps workers warm of course, but it’s also necessary for building materials to properly dry or cure. According to a PERC article quoting Brian Christ of Sunseri Construction, “Temporary heat is definitely necessary for tape and texture of the drywall…Without that, the stuff would just freeze off the walls. If it gets too hot or too cold, the drywall can get little hairline cracks in it. When you paint the walls, the walls need to be fairly warm. The flooring, too, for the glue to stick to the floor when we do vinyl or carpet.”
Because of its portability and availability, propane is usually the fuel of choice for temporary heaters. Propane is also cleaner-burning than kerosene and diesel which give off fumes and leave a film on surfaces, and more efficient than electricity which saves on costs.
The Challenge with Using Propane for Temporary Heat
Convenient and affordable, using propane to heat a jobsite sounds great… until the gas runs out. Field supervisors are busy managing construction, and heat is usually an afterthought. Oftentimes, they don’t remember to check the tank level, therefore they don’t let you know when gas is running low. When they do call you, it’s likely because they have already run out of gas and want you to immediately dispatch a truck to come fill the tank.
As one propane marketer customer we spoke with said, “Our home builder accounts weren’t great about checking their tank levels in the past. We were chasing runouts and making urgent deliveries on a daily basis.” Having to run an unexpected route eats away your driver’s time, and ultimately costs more for your company.
Tank Monitoring is Insurance Worth Paying For
The easiest way to ensure that your team isn’t making one-off deliveries to jobsites all winter is to put a tank monitor on all your temporary heat accounts. If you get enough gallons from these accounts, you can consider providing them with complimentary tank monitoring services. However, many companies are willing to pay for tank monitoring services because it helps them avoid the unfortunate experience of running out of gas, thereby delaying construction.
This is exactly what the propane marketer we spoke with did when they saw how inefficient it was to make last-minute deliveries to home builder accounts. They said, “When [a runout] happened, we automatically signed the customer up for tank monitoring services. We gave the rest of our home builder accounts the option to subscribe, and so far all of them have! It lessens the load for field supervisors, and as one division manager I spoke with said, ‘It’s insurance worth paying for.’”
Good Service Translates to More Business
By offering tank monitoring services to your construction accounts this winter, you can ensure the heat stays on which will help them complete builds on time. The extra touch of service goes a long way in providing a great customer experience, making it more likely that they will ask you to set tanks for other construction sites. Best of all, they may also build new homes and businesses with propane as the permanent source of heating, guaranteeing the longevity of LP gas, and a continuous stream of new customers being referred to you!
Choose the Best Tank Monitoring Partner and Solution
Tank monitors can help you make smarter drops to temporary heat accounts this season, but it’s important to choose the partner and solution that works best for you. Generac’s Tank Utility takes the work out of tank monitoring for you with software that helps you drop more gallons with fewer deliveries, tools to grow a more profitable business, and a team that helps you reach your goals. Get in touch to learn how Tank Utility will help you start saving.
