Martha’s Vineyard residents left without propane to heat their homes for days

Residents on Martha’s Vineyard say propane delivery delays left some without heat for days during a stretch of frigid winter weather, prompting complaints to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Kerry Quinlan Potter said she was without gas for nearly five days.

“Four full days and most of the first day, so almost five days,” she said.

Potter said she struggled to reach AmeriGas while her home temperatures dropped during one of the coldest periods of the season.

Linda and Louis Pashman, who pay for automatic refill service, said their deliveries were also delayed and that it took days to reach the company.

“Getting no response or a response that they never follow through,” Linda Pashman said. “It was really distressing — it took over our lives.”

In a statement, AmeriGas said unsafe road conditions prevented delivery trucks from operating for several days.

“For several days, our delivery trucks were not able to be on the roads due to unsafe conditions,” the company said. “In addition, our delivery trucks are significantly larger and heavier than standard vehicles, requiring clear, safe access to complete deliveries.”

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office said it has received 21 consumer complaints against AmeriGas since October of last year.

Residents say they worry about vulnerable neighbors who may not be able to advocate for themselves.

“I’m really lucky, able-bodied,” Potter said. “We’ll get to the bottom of things, but there are other people who are not that relentless, and it can be challenging to navigate.”