I’ve been buying smaller loads throughout the year but I may just switch to one large one in the middle of the summer when demand is way down.
My supplier has several programs to sign onto.
One is Prepay. I think you have to purchase 600 gallons minimum to get that price. It was 1.99 for this years supply.
The other is Lock In price. I sign that every year. It’s a nickel more a gallon but I don’t give them any money until I call for a delivery. There is no annual min. or maximum amount. I just sign an agreement that I won’t purchase my propane from any other supplier for the year. They do have a minimum delivery of 200 gallons. I think that is fairly normal now.