Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

LittleVermin

Red364 wrote: »

.........my litre price to 60p. :eek:

I need to change but could do with some help as to suppliers in Devon.

Welcome to the forum!

The UKLPG website gives Countrywide, AvantiGas, Calor ...and BP and Flogas for EX5. You need to put your postcode in here.

There are also non-UKLPG members - such as Extra Fuel (who'll probably get Flogas to deliver, but you pay Extra Fuel's price - it changes monthly and is on their website here).

Also you can join Mole Valley Farmers - you don't even need to own a hamster farm! or live anywhere near Mole Valley (wherever that is) - and as a MV Plus member (?for £10 a year) you'll get the price they negotiate with the majors.

Please post the offers you get - and tell us how much you use a year (and the size of your tank and whether it's surface or underground). People may then be able to post prices, etc they've recently got ... and you may be able to get a better deal. You can also ask the supplier about a free boiler service, etc (unless you've a Gas Safe mate and don't need this).

MikeB77

Hi,

I came across this site when I was researching my problem and I was hoping the group could help with some advice.

We signed up with Calor in 2009, after refurbishing our house in Surrey and fitting an LPG tank. They delivered the tank, the builders buried it where they told us to.

Last month, fed up with the rate Calor was charging, we tried to switch to Flogas at a rate of 42ppl for about 4,000 litres per annum. However, when they looked at the tank they found it was made in 1977, had only one certificate supplied (from 2002), had no cathode inspection certs or conversion certificate (it was an above ground tank). Flogas have (understandably) refused to take the tank.

Calor never said we would be burying a 30 year old + tank, they implied we would be getting a new one. I don't want to be stuck on Calor, as, aside from this they left us without gas over Christmas 2 years ago when it was -10 outside. Can anyone suggest what my options are (other than suing them for the cost of fitting a Flogas tank?)

We are also nearly out of gas - are there any suppliers that will just come and fill the tank for us until I can get this sorted?

Thanks,
Mike

elegant_elephant

We've been with Flogas for 5 years and have just had a delivery of gas for which we were charged 67.5ppl :eek:

I 'm so annoyed with myself at get ripped off like this. We are in the Cardiff Gas supply area so will be switching pronto.

I've been reading this thread and all the stories that people have to tell and still can't quite believe the situation. Thanks to everyone who posted with advice and info about the deals they got - it's been so helpful.

I must admit the reason we didn't switch before now is that everything seemed so unclear with regulations about who owns the tank and it's condition etc etc that we didn't want to start going down the road only to face problems with new suppliers and face having a cold house over the winter.

Well now I don't care if I have no gas!! We will camp in our kitchen if necessary as we have a woodburner there to keep us warm.

I'm switching and Flogas can go and *********!

LittleVermin

elegant_elephant wrote: »

We've been with Flogas for 5 years and have just had a delivery of gas for which we were charged 67.5ppl :eek:

I 'm so annoyed with myself at get ripped off like this. We are in the Cardiff Gas supply area so will be switching pronto.

....

Welcome to the forum! Glad you've found it useful.

Sorry to hear your tale - but not surprised.

I believe Flogas should have advised you of the price BEFORE delivery. This is covered by unfair trading regs (The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008). I've posted on this before - please use "Search this Thread" but this link to OFT (here) may help (and then look at the chart on p16 in the guidance notes - that's oft1008.pdf - the critical thing is that you would have acted differently if you'd known the price in advance). Here is the legislation (probably not your chosen reading matter for a Sunday!)

I would expect you have a strong case to get the fill at the last price Flogas told you about. I've certainly got gas at the price I ordered at, not the price current at delivery, twice now.

Can I suggest you also contact Sharon Dias at OFT - [EMAIL="sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk"]sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

Please keep the forum up to date on what happens. Good luck!
..

elegant_elephant

LittleVermin wrote: »

Welcome to the forum! Glad you've found it useful.

Sorry to hear your tale - but not surprised.

I believe Flogas should have advised you of the price BEFORE delivery. This is covered by unfair trading regs (The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008). I've posted on this before - please use "Search this Thread" but this link to OFT (here) may help (and then look at the chart on p16 in the guidance notes - that's oft1008.pdf - the critical thing is that you would have acted differently if you'd known the price in advance). Here is the legislation (probably not your chosen reading matter for a Sunday!)

I would expect you have a strong case to get the fill at the last price Flogas told you about. I've certainly got gas at the price I ordered at, not the price current at delivery, twice now.

Can I suggest you also contact Sharon Dias at OFT - [EMAIL="sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk"]sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

Please keep the forum up to date on what happens. Good luck!
..

Really??? Those lovely people at Flogas have never, ever told me the price when I've ordered gas. I hate the whole outfit even more now. I feel a mini-war coming on....

Lum

Lum wrote: »

Well apparently we (as in the estate) have some kind of agreement in place with Calor that it wont go above 43.5p, and have had for several years now.

And today I receive a letter telling me it's going up to 47ppl.

I also have a final demand for an overdue payment which is rich given that when I called to pay by card, their computer crashed half way through payment and the person didn't want to put it through again in case we got charged twice. Instead she promised to call me back if it hadn't gone through.

Bloody useless.

thozza

I have come across another source of information on traded LPG, Lorentzen & Stemoco, an Oslo based shipbroker & consultant now publish a weekly Gas Report, with some useful information about LPG prices and trends. The latest is for week 36, but as I'm not allowed to post links you will need to or do a Google search for

GAS REPORT 2012 Lorentzen & Stemoco

and change the most recent week number it throws up, to the current week number (their website is very well organised). I'm sure someone with more posting rights than me can extract and post a link!

Unfortunately it looks as though Bloomberg have taken down the LPG spot price graphs, or put them behind a pay wall, but the forward rate graph is still available and thankfully shows the market price is falling again.

Thozza

HateLPG

dunc72 wrote: »

Our former house owner was in a contract with Carvers and I have contacted LPG compare for help with finding a new supplier. The first one he found would not take our business as 'one of the senior mamagers used to work for Carvers, and din't want to upset them'

CompareLPG wrote: »

It was not a case of not wanting to upset them but he knew that any price quoted would be matched and it would just start a price war!!

Jon Rose

Jon, thank you for that clarification. That just underlines how the market is utterly failing. A price war is exactly what this market needs, but we are being denied that as (from your statement and Carver's response) it is clear that the suppliers are in cahoots and acting anti-competitively.

The OFT keep telling us that they are taking a "light touch" approach to LPG because they believe that in the light of the CC rulings, competition should drive the market. Apparently, that is an impossible dream!

[Deleted User]

Just to recap I still have a bulk tank but recently out of contract. We don't heat using LPG anymore so just running the tank down on the hob as far as we can prior to a new kitchen so not going to renew. I would also add that Calor have had nothing but excellent service....

BUT

Hopefully this is of interest... Yesterday I received a contract renewal letter from Calor and the ppl price quoted was 59.4 with a daily standing charge of 16.9p!!! Two years ago we paid 36ppl.

I guess this serves as a reminder to negotiate hard/possibly switch supplier every two years...

Sheer lunacy as my electric in the same time frame has gone from 8.71p to 9.32p per unit. Thank god for the ASHP

BOBSPOPS

I have just been offered 49 pence per litre by Calor with a 16.9 pence daily standing charge for the tank. I live in East Yorkshire and I am just out of contract where i was getting charged 59 pence per litre by Calor.

Has anyone had a better offer than this recently?