Unless there’s something we’re missing, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors is on the mark about the community’s price schedule for propane not adding up … or adding up to much more than it needs to be.
As board member Marty Clarke observed, no superior math skills are required to see the difference between the $2.96-per-gallon charge the OPA is paying Sandpiper and the $2.09 quote from another company.
Moreover, that $2.09 isn’t even the commercial rate, according to Clarke, who quoted the competing company’s rep as saying it could charge significantly less than that.
Undoubtedly, there must be any number of reasons for that huge price variance between Sandpiper and other suppliers, including the expense of maintaining its infrastructure. It’s also would seem that there has to be more involved than one company simply charging more than the other.
That, however, is what General Manager Bob Thompson is charged with finding out, as he gathers the information the board has requested.
At the worst, the cost of fuel for Ocean Pines amenities will stay the same, while the upside is that a major savings for the OPA might be easily obtained.
It won’t be hard to figure out and it shouldn’t take that long to determine which option to pursue. Again as Clarke observed, the math isn’t that complicated, leaving unanswered only the question of what add-ons and other expenses might be applied by Sandpiper’s competitors.
Considering the possibilities, it sure won’t hurt to ask.