Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

LittleVermin

Rosyglow1 wrote: »

<snip> I agree it feels a bit too risky to take responsibility for the tank safety even if it does save a bit.

molokoid on 05.04.10 wrote that owning your own tank saved a lot of money http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=31573095&postcount=180 You could send him/her a private message - I'm sure s/he would help. You could even ask if they'd post their annual costs on the forum for all of us to see!

Extra Fuel offer an emergency cover package (see their website http://www.extrafuel.co.uk ) at £12.50 a quarter, but you'd probably save money by tracking down a LPG engineer. Most of the suppliers don't have their own engineers, it seems, and contract a local firm to do the job. A ten year test costs around £350, I think - the engineer who came to do mine for my new supplier said he had to have his ultrasonic gauges tested every year, etc, etc. He'd come out a few weeks earlier for BP when their tanker driver left the valve leaking.

Some companies, apparently, won't deliver to privately owned tanks. But you could ask each of the suppliers to your area.

There's a formula for calculating the value of a tank when suppliers change. Whether it also applies if a private individual buys a tank off their former supplier I do not know. Formula included as Schedule 1 on the Competition Commision LPG Final Order: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/gas/lpg_order_final.pdf

Info sheet from UKLPG (trade body) on owning your own tank: http://uklpg.org/lpg_property/UIS022.pdf

LittleVermin

DAVID.T wrote: »

<snip>

One last thing I note someone saying they were with one company who used flogas to make their deliveries as they had no vehicles in that area themsleves. What do you think will happen when its
-10deg and flogas are struggling to supply their own customers!!!

Yes, I made the comment. The scenario you mention should not arise unless we get a truly exceptional winter (far worse than 2009/10) - I'll ask Extra Fuel to arrange a delivery when my tank is at 25%. As usual. I've 20 months of the contract to go so I'll post my experiences - good or bad - on this forum.

Cold winters are very rare down here in mild Cornwall, fortunately. We get excited by the merest flurry of snow!

At least two farmers' co-ops have deals with major suppliers (one with Flogas, one with Calor) so there are two tiers of customers (the fleeced and the not-so-fleeced) - though of course the pecking order may be reversed with the not-so-fleeced (the farmers) being treated better.

GrandadRob

Lamplighter2, Hi.
You say you will NOT allow them to raise the price.......how do you propose to stop them, you will be IN-CONTRACT, and nobody else will supply you, surely.

I personally wouldn't sign with Flogas if they were the ONLY supplier. Their history with me over 13 years is that the price NEVER WENT DOWN........NOT ONCE. I am just coming to the end of my contract with them, they have just hyped it to 63ppl.

mcbunny

hi guys we are looking to move house at the moment and have seen a lovely looking place but it runs on LPG

our current house is a 2 up 2 down with mains gas for ch hw and hob its an electric shower though our current bill is about £15 a month and we are in credit

house we are looking at is a 4 bed detached property maybe 5 years old in whitely near doncaster/selby any ideas what it may cost per month ? we havent had the heating on since start of march untill the start of this week so usually we dont use much

LittleVermin

mcbunny wrote: »

hi guys we are looking to move house at the moment and have seen a lovely looking place but it runs on LPG
<snip>

Welcome to the LPG forum (- and LPG land - groan!).

My house is not similar so can't make an estimate for you but probably it would be best to ask the present owners for their annual cost of LPG - and the name of their supplier (and ideally what they pay per litre at present). You of course could get a new supplier - and would get a new contract. And possibly a better deal - people are getting contracts in the high 30s ppl, with maximum rises guaranteed over life of the contract (max 2 years) ... yet some people are being ripped off and paying in the 60s (as I said, welcome to LPG land!)

Hopefully other people on the forum will have similar houses to the one you are looking at - and can give you some idea of costs.

You can check who might supply the house by putting the postcode in http://www.uklpg.org/supplier-search/

Good luck!

mcbunny

just checked and there is a choice of 10 suppliers will ask the other questions when i go for the viewing

LittleVermin

mcbunny wrote: »

just checked and there is a choice of 10 suppliers will ask the other questions when i go for the viewing

Ten - that's good! Lots of opportunity for asking for a price match.

If you post (roughly) where the house is (i.e. Doncaster/Selby) and who these potential suppliers are you may find people will be able to tell you about their experiences - and deals - with them. Worth a go! The major suppliers are Calor, Flogas, Shell and BP so you've obviously got some possible smaller suppliers.

Another question you could ask the owner is whether they are on a contract - or has the contract (i.e. exclusive supplier) run out. Since April 2009 contracts cannot be for more than 2 years - but they might be on a good deal you'd want to see if you could take over (for 2 years).

mcbunny

postcode is DN14 0GL
shall ask that too

GrandadRob

Whoever you choose, just remember there is no such thing as FREE gas. Some will offer that as an enducement to sign, they will get their money back later. Let your tank run down before signing up, that way if there is an introductory offer, you get the most from it before the price rises...................Don't choose Flogas......:eek:

frankie

LittleVermin wrote: »

Welcome to the LPG forum (- and LPG land - groan!).

My house is not similar so can't make an estimate for you but probably it would be best to ask the present owners for their annual cost of LPG

Its probably more important to ask present owners for consumption rather than just price, that way you can get a better idea of costs at different rates of gas.

I would have thought as you are to become the new owner there would be a way of not taking on the old owner's contract and to be able to negotiate your own from new.

As advised, do shop around and haggle HARD. Read the other lpg posts on MSE for ideas and prices to aim for.

Good luck and let us all know how you get on!