Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

johnnybebad2000

Hi there

I didnt mean to suggest that i thought the prices go down in summer, i think what i meant was my consumption would be lower over summer compared to winter so i might only benefit say 1000 litres at the low 6 month fixed price then 1500-2000 litres at a higher price after the fixed rate which i would be ties into for 18 months.

I asked Avanti if they could fix the 42.4ppl for a year and they have come back saying they can.

I am trying to phone Alba Gas, but no answer so far and will try again later.

frankie

Contacted Extrafuel yesterday and they qouted me as follows:

A price fixed annually at our best market rate , this month is 46p + 5% vat. 2. A variable price, set at the beginning of every month and published on our website www.extrafuel.co.uk. This month’s price is 49.76p per ltr + 5% vat. This choice will enable you to take advantage of the seasonal nature of gas prices, ordering before the inevitable winter peak can mean big savings. The switching process is free of charge, tank rental is £60 p.a.

I asked about minimum usage and they have just replied:

There is no minimum annual usage but there is a minimum delivery of 900ltrs or fill to 85% whichever is the lesser.

I'm thinking this is not a bad deal compared to Calor and will definitely be looking into this when my contract ends in June.

My location is SE Cornwall.

pigbread

howdoo all.

Buy first house.
Calor gas tank fitted.
Spend first year in house. Ace.
Realise price of calor. Bummer.(currently 59.4p not on contract)
Have to eat pigbread to live.
Pigbread ???My mate buys dustbin bag sacks of bread fresh from the bakers that he feeds his pigs on. £1 a sack.
Want to change from calor
Ring avanti, they say you cant change to us because your tank is next to a building and does not comply with regs.
Cant afford to move tank....see pigbread.
Where do I stand, are calor responsible.....they put it there!
Help required
Tar very much

crazyz

You do not say if the tank is underground or aboveground, either way if Calor fitted the tank, then yes I would challenge it with their Health & Safety Manager, even if they come back and say they risk accessed the site, this will stop you switching to another supplier.

You mention that you have only been in the house a year, are you sure that you are not in contract ? as contracts are two years long. It is normal practice to get people contracted as soon as they move in.

Moving aboveground tanks is not as expensive as you think and can save you money if you get a better price, and remember other suppliers want your business so they tend to do this cheaper than probably Calor would charge you. So I would ask Avantigas to give you a quote to move the tank and do some sums, you may find out its worth you doing the upgrade.

Undergrounds tanks are a different story....only option would be to negotiate with Calor, saying they are restricting you ability to switch because of the siting issues, also put it in writing.

Good luck

pigbread wrote: »

howdoo all.

Buy first house.
Calor gas tank fitted.
Spend first year in house. Ace.
Realise price of calor. Bummer.(currently 59.4p not on contract)
Have to eat pigbread to live.
Pigbread ???My mate buys dustbin bag sacks of bread fresh from the bakers that he feeds his pigs on. £1 a sack.
Want to change from calor
Ring avanti, they say you cant change to us because your tank is next to a building and does not comply with regs.
Cant afford to move tank....see pigbread.
Where do I stand, are calor responsible.....they put it there!
Help required
Tar very much

pigbread

Thanks for the prompt reply.
Tank is above ground. Before the house we lived in a static on a farm with a color unit so I had previous experience of them robbing my eyes out when stuck in a contract so I didnt sign one when I first moved in the house. The master plan was to throw a woodburner in the house straight away and offset the demand for LPG however monetary requirements of owning a big house compared to a static are somewhat different so the woodburner hasn't happened as yet. I've succumed to the fact I need a contract but I dont seem to have much leverage to negociate with a tank that no other company is willing to take on. Calor seem to be holding all the aces. We bought the house of the inlaws so we know for definate that they put it in. Is there any regulating bodies I can contact or threaten calor with if they dont move it for nowt, credit me with a years free gas and apologise for this untold stress? On a separate note they also overfilled the tank with more than what I ordered and payed for. They said there's nowt they can do an I have to pay. These dudes are utter cowboys, and I can feel my urine boiling as I type these words.
Sorry for war and peace.

Yes the tank is above ground and no I dont have a contract.

LittleVermin

pigbread wrote: »

...
Tank is above ground. .......... I've succumed to the fact I need a contract but I dont seem to have much leverage to negociate with a tank that no other company is willing to take on. Calor seem to be holding all the aces. We bought the house of the inlaws so we know for definate that they put it in. Is there any regulating bodies I can contact or threaten calor with if they dont move it for nowt, credit me with a years free gas and apologise for this untold stress? On a separate note they also overfilled the tank with more than what I ordered and payed for. They said there's nowt they can do an I have to pay. ............

I hope these links help:

Calor on siting: here. Similar plans on other suppliers' websites (e.g. Energas here).

UKLPG, the trade organisation, issues Codes of Practice (CoP) - but these are only for sale.

Have the H&S regs changed recently? See this post giving the HSE answer to HateLPG's questions, and see DAVID.T's post as well (he works in the industry ..for an independent, I guess).

Can you get Calor to do anything about it? Maybe - see here and here. And here is someone else with a problem.

The Office for Fair Trading has had quite a few complaints from people on this forum (plus submissions to their enquiries ...most people have not been impressed by their understanding of the bulk LPG 'market'). Sharon Dias at OFT was handling bulk LPG: [EMAIL="Sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk"]Sharon.dias@oft.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

Putting more in the tank than you paid for is a difficult one. I pay Extra Fuel when I order (I tell them the figure on the dial, they know the size of my tank so they work out what I need to get to 85% full and I pay by card, and if more is needed to get to 85% then I pay the extra by cheque). But if you had an arrangement with Calor to only buy, say, 500l then you may have a complaint under unfair trading regs for unsolicited goods (see here). Calor can come and pump it out, no probs! That's what they do when they have to remove a tank with more than 5% left in it. Of course, they don't want the cost of sending a tanker and a driver out ....
..

LittleVermin

LittleVermin wrote: »

Putting more in the tank than you paid for is a difficult one. I pay Extra Fuel when I order (I tell them the figure on the dial, they know the size of my tank so they work out what I need to get to 85% full and I pay by card, and if more is needed to get to 85% then I pay the extra by cheque). But if you had an arrangement with Calor to only buy, say, 500l then you may have a complaint under unfair trading regs for unsolicited goods (see here). Calor can come and pump it out, no probs! That's what they do when they have to remove a tank with more than 5% left in it. Of course, they don't want the cost of sending a tanker and a driver out ....
..

Sorry - forum glitch so couldn't put in the link "see here".

Unfair Trading Regs - see here ... it's number 29 on page 17 (unsolicited product).

How far you want to go with all this heavy stuff is up to you - especially if you think you might want to have a contract with Calor. But as endless posts on this forum attest most suppliers don't do sweet reason. At least not the major ones (which is why many people suggest you go with an independent if you can).

PS Where are you? There are more suppliers than come up on the UKLPG website (here).

Edycelt

Edycelt wrote: »

HI I am coming to the end of a contract with flogas, and would like to ask if the energy club works for people who are looking for the best deal with LPG supplies.

HI Thanks for your interest. Postcode is LL57 , tank is above ground Annual usage is 1268 ltrs of LPG have been on with flogas "curerent supplier" and with Avanti, after which I did some number crunching and with flogas with current consumption next two years should work out at £1450.00 including standard charge, and with Avanti at £1442.18 including rental of tank. and with the added benefit that if they should go above their cap you are free to leave the contract, so I think I need to get back to them see if I can get an even better deal. The other advantage is that there depot is not far, and should we be in need in bad weather conditions, they are more likely to get a supply through.

LittleVermin

Edycelt wrote: »

HI Thanks for your interest. Postcode is LL57 , tank is above ground Annual usage is 1268 ltrs of LPG have been on with flogas "curerent supplier" and with Avanti, after which I did some number crunching and with flogas with current consumption next two years should work out at £1451.00 including standard charge, and with Avanti at £1387.54 including rental of tank. and with the added benefit that if they should go above their cap you are free to leave the contract, so I think I need to get back to them see if I can get an even better deal.

Congratulations - you manage to use not much of the expensive stuff!

I don't think you can really predict what you'll be paying per litre over 2 years - I wish we could! But from your figures it looks as if Flo have quoted a bit over 54ppl and Avanti a bit over 52. Both are a bit high at present - see HateLPG's chart here (March figures have yet to be added but you can find Extra Fuel, Cardiff Gas and MHDC-Lister Gas on-line).

Both Calor and Cambrian Gas (an independent - here) - both UKLPG members - also supply LL57/Bangor. And possibly Extra Fuel (non-member) too. And for £10 p.a. membership you could join Mole Valley Farmers (it's called Mole Valley Plus) and get their bulk buy rates. Maybe others.

Please keep us posted! ....and good luck!

pigbread

Thanks again for the time and info. Had a chat with wife whom dissuaded me from having a go at calor for the tank placement and overfill. We are running on vapours as it is and the thought of her having to use the electric shower (have to run round to get wet) and seeing her breath in the morning would only make things worse. I really would get it in the neck while we got the tank swopped. In addition the tank would eat up half the garden if repositioned again giving the missus more bullets to fire at me. Anyhow, rung calor who agreed to meet avantis 44p and give me the overfill at this rate two plus 50 quid gas credit. Hopefully this will do me till I get the woodburner in next year and then the plan for world domination can be put into place. Well, maybe i'll just start with not living on pigbread.

Oh, we're in wakefield, west yorks, gods country tha nos.