Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

HateLPG

Shower-of-roses wrote: »

So far - Listers have offered 46ppl and 40 quid per annum tank rental.
2500L = 1190

Callow - 43ppl and 52 quid per year rental.
2500L=1127

If someone can check my maths. Callow chaps were lovely on phone and coming over tomorrow to do a site assessment. Listers are ringing me back and will do a site assessment this week probably.

So what is my best bet? I'm kind of leaning toward Callow due to their all round niceness and lack of spiel. I suppose it all depends now on their site assessments.

Your maths looks fine to me, and both offer a massive saving over what you're paying at the moment (£1,813 per year for 2,500 litres)

Assuming the site survey comes out ok (although from what you've said, I suspect you'll have to lose the wall) then both seem fair prices. It will then boil down to the details of the contract and small print, any other sweeteners (e.g. some suppliers include emergency boiler cover as part of the contract), your payment options (e.g. payment in full vs budget payment plan). After that, if everything else is equal, choose the supplier you feel most comfortable with as you're going to be with them for a minimum of two years.

Tinhat

Hi All,

Has anyone tried LPGUK for bulk lpg supply? Their prices seem too good to be true (currently 38.0 ppl + VAT). I've logged an enquiry on their website and am awaiting a reply.

I can't post links, but their website is "wwwDOTlpgukDOTinfo"

I live in West Sussex and it takes me to another website (which is where the 38.0 ppl price comes from, however I think all counties give the same price). Is it a scam?

I'll be out of contract with Avanti in a couple of months (currently 50 ppl using 2500l/year) and am looking at alternatives...

HateLPG

Tinhat wrote: »

Hi All,

Has anyone tried LPGUK for bulk lpg supply? Their prices seem too good to be true (currently 38.0 ppl + VAT). I've logged an enquiry on their website and am awaiting a reply.

I can't post links, but their website is "wwwDOTlpgukDOTinfo"

I live in West Sussex and it takes me to another website (which is where the 38.0 ppl price comes from, however I think all counties give the same price). Is it a scam?

I don't think it's a scam, but I suspect all may not be quite as simple as it seems. If you look, you will see that there are loads of websites listed along the lines of www.lpg<insert name of your county here>.co.uk. Further digging reveals that the contact address is the same as the contact address for Extra Fuel (as used by our very own LittleVermin, so definitely not dodgy).

I suspect that the 38ppl is an introductory special (possibly based on owning your own tank). Extra Fuel are currently quoting 39.22ppl for self own - http://www.extrafuel.co.uk - and they are quite transparent about their pricing, having a standard tariff that (more or less) tracks wholesale as you can see if you look at the graphs elsewhere on this thread (Orange line).

Tinhat

Thanks HateLPG,

That all seems to make sense. I know ExtraFuel use third parties to deliver their LPG - does anyone know if this causes problems (for example in cold weather because the 3rd parties are too busy looking after their own customers)?

I am tempted to go for a tank fill at 38ppl and then fix at 46ppl for 12 months (if they allow).

Shower-of-roses

More questions.....
Callow came out, the wall is a small prob but if I bash down the wall facing the house they'll be happy to supply me. He seemed very reasonable about everything. They've left a contract for me to sign.

Before I telephone the chap and go ahead with the switch, I'm wondering about replacing the tank with an underground tank as it's going to be very visible from the house.
If I decide on the underground tank route, would Callow sort out the existing tank's removal or would I have to contact Countrywide? If so, would I be charged for this and what's a reasonable charge as Countrywide don't seem to know the definition of reasonable so forearmed is forewarned.
Additionally Callow have included a price fix of 43ppl until april 2014..
As for the small print, it's so small I'm struggling to read it

HateLPG

Shower-of-roses wrote: »

Before I telephone the chap and go ahead with the switch, I'm wondering about replacing the tank with an underground tank as it's going to be very visible from the house.
If I decide on the underground tank route, would Callow sort out the existing tank's removal or would I have to contact Countrywide? If so, would I be charged for this and what's a reasonable charge as Countrywide don't seem to know the definition of reasonable so forearmed is forewarned.
Additionally Callow have included a price fix of 43ppl until april 2014..
As for the small print, it's so small I'm struggling to read it

43ppl fixed until April 2014 sounds like a pretty good offer to me. You really do need to double-check on the small print, especially in respect of potential price rises, but even so, you could do far worse (like stick with Countrywide ). If you genuinely can't read the small print (and teeny-tiny faint small print seems to be par for the course with LPG suppliers), I believe they are obliged to provide you with an alternative version that you can read.

Not all companies will provide underground tanks, and when it comes to switch time, some companies are a bit wary of taking on underground tanks installed by others - I have an underground tank installed by Shell (as was) and Calor flat refused even to quote when I told them that last time I renewed as they said the tank "didn't meet their standards". Strictly speaking, under the Competition Commission Order of 2009, I could have made a fuss about that, but as I didn't really want to go with Calor, I let it ride.

You will pay somewhat more in annual rental fees for an underground tank (supposedly to cover the cost of cathodic testing), but it's still not a fortune (typically £90 - £120 per year). The big cost is that you will have to pay to have the hole dug and made good again afterwards; if you ever want to move away from LPG, you will have to pay again to have a hole dug and re-instate it afterwards; if you still have the tank at the end of its service life, and it needs replacing, you will have to pay to have the hole dug and made good again afterwards.

On the plus side, it will be very unobtrusive once it's installed and if there is easy access for a digger (to keep costs down) and you don't mind the disruption and hassle of losing and repairing a chunk of your garden, it is a good solution where siting options are limited.

There are other (perhaps less costly and more flexible alternatives). It is possible that you could have a new wall built, provided it conforms to siting regulations and is of the correct type; it is also possible (I believe) to "bank" the tank, which is effectively burying it over ground, although I've never heard of anyone doing this. If you ask the friendly people at Callow, I'm sure they would be able to check in the relevant UKLPG Code of Practice and advise you on possible alternatives.

Good luck.

crazyz

To switch suppliers you must be outside your exclusive period of your contract, so if you have not signed a contract in the last two years you are free to switch tomorrow, there are many LPG providers the larger supplier are BP/Flogas, Avantigas or Calor + some independents may be able to supply to your specific postcode, but shop around.

The tank transfers from one supplier to another, so the rental will be paid to them, the process to switch is approx 30 days. You can not get gas from them immediately but if you have alternative electric for your hot water, switch before getting more gas, stop any orders in the system if you don,t need gas. or order a minimum deliver.

You mention that you could not pay the last bill because of the last price and put yourself on direct debit, this will mean you will asked to pay the balance before they will release you, but this does differ with companies.

Make sure you get your gas usage for the last year, so incoming can work out a direct debit for you.

Good luck 70 + is a very high price

Shower-of-roses wrote: »

Can someone help me? I've only just found this thread and I'm feeling a bit wobbly. We inherited a LPG tank when we moved in and not being very wise about these things, I continued filling it up over the years via Countrywide farmers. I won't go on about the £400 a month initial cost of filling it over 20 years ago, the good old days when we naively turned radiators on and were warm. The current story is the LPG heats the water and we run 6 radiators off it (only 2 of which we use infrequently) and having recently run out of gas I was in a position to find out the ppl. It's a little over 70ppl, the bill is downstairs so I forget the oddment. I'm reeling looking at the prices on here. The last time I filled it, I couldn't afford to pay the bill up front so switched to a budget account which is now up to 135 a month.

Basically I need to know how I can switch to another supplier. I know Countrywide farmers wrote to me years and years ago to tell me I was out of contract (I hadn't realised I was in one). I don't know where that letter is. I know I pay something like 13 quid a quarter for tank rental. I'd like someone to advise me regarding telephoning a different supplier, will they fill the tank and I continue renting from Countrywide or do I need to switch the tank to another supplier? I'm really confused as to who owns the tank, what the rental is for (I presume Countrywide own the tank hence the rental). Am I making any sense? I have no test certificates, someone on here has suggested you need to show one to a new supplier. I don't remember having ever been supplied with one but there is a new trip switch near the door so I presume it has been done.
In essence, if I ring up, Callow, for instance and get a lower price per litre, will they fill the tank for me or do I need to be supplied with a new tank.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can decipher my ramblings I'm feeling rather ripped off at the moment and not a little sick.

LittleVermin

Tinhat wrote: »

....................... I know ExtraFuel use third parties to deliver their LPG - does anyone know if this causes problems (for example in cold weather because the 3rd parties are too busy looking after their own customers)?.......

I'm with Extra Fuel and down here in Cornwall they use Flogas. I've had NO problems with deliveries (despite blood-curdling warnings on this forum!) - even when there was thick snow (yes, it even happens in Cornwall. Once in a blue moon). Flogas had got a terrible press the previous year for letting people run dry (and for a terrible lack of info) so they put all their engineers on deliveries and kept the tankers running 24 hours. (And, yes, I posted kind words about Flogas on this forum).

Tinhat

Thanks LittleVermin,

That's very good to know and I think I will try ExtraFuel when my contract with Avanti expires (although Avanti's top-up service has been first class for the last couple of years. Frequent deliveries and my 2200l tank never went below 40%).

I'll keep you posted.

routly

All you may be interested I negotiated an umbrella contract with flogas for our 37 houses , that puts all under one contract , this means we cannot be held by those who sign new individual contracts as people move , this gives us the ability to move suppliers if required . Flogas have been very good and agreed to fix prices in 6 month blocks based on market price ,
You may be interested we secured a fixed price of 44ppl from jan 13 to June 13 , and now 41.5ppl for July 13 to jan 14 . If all those on an estate get together and all agree to work as one voice you I am sure can make the same happen .