Osterman Propane
Reviews and Complaints

Osterman installed a new propane tank with a faulty sensor in June 2020. Discovered by a delivery person and confirmed by a technician in August 2020 after propane tank overfilled. Short term resolution was to install a temporary external 100 gallon tank to allow propane to burn down. To change the tank, we need to burn propane down to zero so sensor inside tank can be changed. Since that time we have not been able to talk to the supervisor of the Plainfield office or main office in NY to agree on a time to let the propane burn down. Per the service technician during the August visit, The job was supposed to be done late fall before winter. Despite numerous phone calls in the fall, ww have yet to talk to the supervisor of the Plainfield office. The customer service reps repeatedly assure us that someone will call us back. The deliveries continued to the external and main tank. Osterman left us with the external tank through March 2021 and no plan to correct the problem. See photos from the front of our home. they only removed the external tank after receiving a letter from us in February outlining the numerous times we have tried to talk to them and advising we were considering legal action. It is now April 15 almost a full year year with a nonfunctional tank sensor( which they tried to deny initially until we told them we had photos) and 9 months into our inquiries for a plan to resolve the problem. Because we need to burn the propane to zero and will need to be assured in writing that when this happens they will fix the problem, we want to talk with a supervisor about a plan. We would like to stop deliveries, run the propane to zero, get an time estimate of about how long that will take and a guarantee that they will fix the sensor immediately so we are not left without propane. Osterman Hans down the worst customer service we have ever encountered- and we are not young. If there was such a thing for companies - dereliction of duty and total did respect for their customers well-being would sum it up. Please help. We are at wits end.

I have been with them for 8 years and have found their customer service atrocious in recent years. Additionally, they charge extremely high prices for delivery if, and when, they are kind enough to make a delivery when you need a refill. It is virtually impossible to get anyone on the phone or to respond to a message. They don't even bother to respond to written requests to call. I would change suppliers in an instant if it were not so difficult to change propane suppliers in CT. I am presently still waiting for a customer service representative to respond to the many messages that I have left as well as the written request to discuss why I was charge $5.99 per gallon when the going price was about $2.70.

I cancelled my service with Osterman because they placed far too large a propane tank which rarely needed to be filled as a result, and then they charged me rent for the tank. I bought and filled my own tank, cancelled my service and asked Osterman to come and retrieve their tank. Besides picking up their tank, they DISCONNECTED MY propane tank, took the regulator and connecting hose, and capped the pipe. They did not inform me that they would do this, they did not return to me these parts which were at my house when I bought it but they switched out when I first became a customer. They simply left my house with no cooking fuel and REFUSED to come back to reconnect it.

Horrible company with horrible employees. They charged us over 200 dollars to take 10 seconds to look at our tank. Our oil delivery guy said that our tank probably had a leak and he smelled something, so I called and told them, and they proceeded to bill us for the call for over 200 dollars. Our baby has Trisomy 18 and we are fighting for his life. He is on a ventilator and oftentimes when our power goes out we depend upon the generator, but with his sky-high medical bills we can barely even afford the propane. I told the woman of our situation, and she said they don't care if we cancel with the company and that they will come and take our tank. Depressed that horrible, evil people like this are still in business. We spoke with a woman named Nicole when all this transpired.

I sent the following directly to Osterman Propane and have not received a reply so I decided to warn my neighbors and future customers of the service Mary provided to me:

Their website claims to offer "personalized customer service" however when I called 8 days late I was told I would be charged an $85 min usage fee. I explained that I just had a baby and I was a little preoccupied and asked if they could remove the fee or use this tank refill to satisfy "last seasons" min usage and I was told by Mary that babies are born everyday and that the fee could not be waived. She said if I cancel my service and have the tank removed they don't see it as "losing a customer" they view it as "gaining back an asset (the tank) to be used for a future customer". Their website also states the following contrary to Mary's beliefs:

"Though our company has grown over the past 50 years, Osterman Propane still treats every customer as if they were our only customer. Why? Because we are still a business fueled by an old fashioned belief; the customer is our most valuable asset."

Good luck getting new business with service like this. Seems like since their company has grown their employee Mary has lost touch with the personalized service and assets thei company claims to value!

Erica Adler

I have had Osterman Propane for 15yrs and I thought I was the only one with this problem. From October to April my bill is about $400/month. I get phone calls sometimes 2 times a week. I speak with Debbie (we know each other by name) and I give them $200 - $300 a month, but everytime I pay I get another bill for $400, and I can't keep up with their bills. And its not even a month in between. They are here every three weeks. When I speak with her she tells me my payments are from a meter reading and not exactly from the amount of gas we use, but they always mark on the bill 101 gallons used. I have my heat so low in the winter to try to keep my bill down, that I need to wear sweatshirts, sweatpants, blankets and believe it or not the spaceheater thats cheaper than the gas bill. No matter how much money you give them they are never happy and always want more. When my thermalcouple went, I called and they insisted I needed to get permission from my landlord. Well, my landlord was not home so from a Thursday morning until Friday morning I didn't have heat. It just so happen to be one of the coldest days of the year. They finally showed up after midnight changed the thermalcouple and was gone in 10 minutes. $332.00 was on my next bill. When I called they told me I was responsible for it, when I explained my landlord needed to be billed, they told me they would send it to them and its still on my bill. In the meantime, I'm constantly told if I don't pay my balance off they are going to shut my gas off. I give them money every month and it's usually a large amount. I always pay it off by the end of spring, but they still harrass me for the money. How can they get away with this? And how can it be stopped? I cannot change gas companies because I rent and was told I needed to stay with Osterman. They own the tank. I need to get another full time job to pay their winter bills. They suggested doing a budget for the year, but because the winter bills are so expensive my year round payments would be $300/month. It should be a crime. The tenant upstairs from me also complains about their bill. Between the 2 of us, we are giving Ostermans almost $1000/month.

Osterman Propane is without a doubt the worst. They are money oriented, and could care less about the consumer.

They change their story with each phonecall. I am a senior citizen, and it doesn't bother them one bit I'll be without heat.

They charge you to be a customer. But what's worse is they charge you to remove THEIR tank. If you decide to leave.

No matter what happens with Osterman remember. It's ALWAYS the customers fault Never Osterman Propane's

Osterman has no sympathy what so ever for special circumstances such as reduced income or loss of income

In fall of 2009 we received a bill from Oseterman Propane for minimum service charge. We have never been a customer of Osterman Propane and own our tank. Our previous gas company was apparently sold to this company. The house we purchased came with a unlabled, unmarked old tank. We called Osterman Propane and told them we are not a customer and we own the tank. We sent the same information registered mail and asked to be removed from the customer list. In January of 2010 on a Wednesday morning an Osterman truck pulled into our drive way and two men got out, named Robert Khul and Jason Dexter. They removed the gas line from our house and started to remove the tank. We called the police and asked for them to be arrested for tresspassing. They had no papers to prove ownership of the tank. They were escorted off the property with the gas line to the house leaking gas. The police ordered them to return under police escort and repair the damage. Osterman Propane never provided proof of ownership of the tank. In December 2010 we received a new bill for minimum maintance.

We called Osterman Propane and spoke with Britty (notice Osterman asks to be contacted before a complaint is submitted). She informed me many times that I must write to release them from responsibility for the tank. She said she would let me have it. I told her it is not hers to give; Osterman must provide ownership of the tank. She could not provide any document or serial number for the tank. My husband called supervisor Mike and was told they would be coming with the police for the tank. We'll let you know what they do next.

I inherited this company when I purchased my home 5 years ago and in these five years I have been: Charged .50 more per unit because I choose to save energy by turning my thermostat down to 62 degrees (I don't use enough so I have to pay more), called for a delivery and the truck never shows up (ran out of propane), have had a leaky tank for 2 years and still don't have a new one. The person I've dealt with is the most unpleasant woman you can imagine. Uggggggg! I can't take it.