Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

HateLPG

Well, as I understand it they cannot charge an uplift fee if you simply decide terminate the contract during any period of exclusive supply (max 2 years), however they may charge a termination fee - from the CC LPG FAQ again:

If your contract has an exclusivity period of supply in it then you will not be able to switch for free. Where you have an exclusivity period in your contract then you will often have the option of paying a fee for terminating the contract early (and then being in a position to switch supplier), otherwise you can wait until the exclusivity period expires. Where you are unable to negotiate to buy out your remaining exclusivity period then you will need to wait until that exclusivity period expires

BUT, if you are getting out through the "the price has risen beyond a contractually agreed limit" clause, I strongly suspect that they would have GREAT difficulty making an early termination penalty stick

Splott_Boy

Thanks both - I will go through the paperwork and see if I can find the equivalent clauses on my contract.

Flickerbear

Hi all,

We've recently moved into a rented house with LPG/propane (is it the same thing?) gas heating system.

We run on 47kg bottled gas from Flogas at a cost of £44 incl.VAT (at the old 15% rate) but I can't believe how using this form of fuel is even considered an option considering how fast it goes and how expensive it is.

I know any form of heating is expensive but to be honest we had two 47 kg of the gas - it's all plumbed in properly and automatically goes from one bottle to the other - and it lasted on month. In that time, we had the heating on four times for just 2-3 hours each time, we used it to heat the water for an hour a day and we use it for our hob.

We also have two open fires which we use coal and logs on. We're going to talk to the landlord as we live in a village in which the houses are owned by an estate and ask him if we can be brought in line with some of the other houses and be converted to oil heating as this appears to be considerably cheaper than the lpg. We're not holding our breath though as we think they will simply say there is heating in the house and they won't do anything unless we pay an increased rent of about £50 a month for them to make the changes.

The only other option would have been for us to put multi fuel burners in but as the house is rented, we feel reluctant to do this.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or comments about the heating system?

muskoka

LPG is known to be horrendously expensive, but I dont know if oil is any cheaper?

Splott_Boy

Section 6.2 "in the event of a price rise at any time exceeding the rate of 3.5p per litre in any period of six months you have the right (by giving us 42 days written notice in accordance with clause 10.2 within 30 days after we have told you of the price rise) to terminate this agreement. In the event of such termination you will pay the tank uplift charge as set out in clause 8.3.
Clause 8.3 (tank uplift charge) £230 + vat.

Yes I can see this now - section 6.2 is now 7.2 and 8.3 is now 9.3.

Its concerning that although the uplift charge is shown as the £230 quoted above, an underground tank uplift is £1100 :eek:

If the rules still apply then this is irrelevant anyway I guess.

The original contract referred to a prevailing price of 37.4ppl + vat. The first delivery was at 38.9ppl then rose to 42.4ppl - hey guess what ! A rise of exactly 3.5p !!

Interestingly I was never told of the interim price of 38.9ppl it just turned up at that price. I was originally told 37.4ppl.

Unfortunately I was told about the price rise in November - over 30 days ago - so I guess this is academic anyway .......!!!!!! :rolleyes:

HateLPG

What a surprise SplottBoy - The price of our gas has gone up by the maximum contractually permitted amount every six mmonths on the nose since the day we signed (Actually not strictly true - it went up by substantially more, but I told Calor exactly where they could put that and they eventually climbed down)

I'm afraid there's one other thing I can pretty much guarantee (with Calor at least), from experience and having spoken to others: If your price is due to go up on a given day, it WILL. You will then get a tank fill the FOLLOWING day at the new charge (and they will let it run down pretty much to fumes if they can get away with it so that they can make the delivery at the higher price). I guess the shareholders would say that is just good business, but from a customer's perspective it just seems cynical.

It would be interesting to see when the top-up comes if ever the price should ever fall (bwahahahahaha) - can imagine the roads would be chock-a-block with Calor tankers scurrying round trying to squeeze an extra 5 litres into every tank at the old price, regardless of how full they are.

In Calor's defence, and they do deserve credit for this IMHO, they did well to get us a delivery in the recent atrocrious weather conditions!

Steve17

Hi all
Just a price update (ex raf Swinderby, lincs, notts border) Discount gas supplies now 41.5 ppl +vat. 1st jan went up 2.5p then again on 11th jan up another 2p. The last I heard of Calors price was 42 ppl +vat so nothing much in it. Shell also supplying area but I don't know their price, I would be interested to know if anyone can oblige.
Regards

Pukka

Interesting read.....I moved back to Lancs recently and using lpg for the 1st time. made a few enquiries and found we could make svings by shopping around, big ones. We changed from FloGas to Premier but keeping a close eye on the situation. so far very satisfied esp because the driver made it to us during the snow. I know atleast 2 people in the village who ran out!!!

Splott_Boy

Pukka - just curious what price you ended up with and what the range was between the various suppliers in your area ?

p.charnick

Hi All,

Does anyone know how much it is to buy a tank? BP have pulled delivery in my area - I've had plenty of offers from companies to purchase my tank from BP and tie me in. I wondered if it would be better for me to purchase the existing tank and buy from whoever is cheapest at the time.