Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

philtrick123

ARHarh wrote: »

Lpg save could only get me 36p litre how did you manage 32p do you use a lot of gas?

Unfortunately you might get the best deal when you tell your existing supplier you're going to leave.
This happened last year when I got 5 quotes, the best deal was from Calor. Filled out the forms to moved and then the incumbent Flogas suddenly improved their offer to beat Calors price. Its an annoying unregulated game you have to play

Wee_jock

JerryW wrote: »

32p from Avanti, signed up just this month. Before deciding, speak to Woldlink whatever you do. Also, LPG Save apparently get very good quotes out of Flogas ..

Hi
Where abouts in the country are you? Avanti proposing to increase my gas to 45p/litre

JerryW

Wee_jock wrote: »

Hi
Where abouts in the country are you? Avanti proposing to increase my gas to 45p/litre

I am in Kent. I got my Avanti quote via Woldlink, having had gas via them for a few years. I use c3,500l pa. I doubt if Avanti would have quoted me that figure direct, and I was unable to get anybody else below 36p, though I did get offers of £100 credit from one or two.

Avanti have charged me for a year's tank rental upfront, which I suppose they might be entitled to do as the paperwork is silent on how payment is made .. but it has been quarterly from everyone else, over the past 20 years. They also sent me a copy of my signed contract, which can be cancelled during the first 14 days, and by an amazing coincidence it arrived fifteen days after they signed it! Avanti are not feeling like fair dealers. Shame I could not stick with dealing via Woldlink..

My advice to anyone and everyone is: look hard for a local, independent supplier. They do not always show up on things like UKLPG searches. Google independent lpg + name of your county, or similar. Even if they are 2p more expensive, it will be worth it. And talk to Woldlink!



Jerry

D4rkS4v4nt

I've recently moved into a 3 bedroom bungalow in the Worcester area with LPG and have been walking through the minefield of getting LPG quotes. My current tank has a 1200 litre capacity (believe it is a 1400 litre tank with room for expansion) and level is a smidgen under 30%. It is just me living in the bungalow so won't be using a huge amount of LPG and it is also very well insulated. The previous occupant was supplied by Callow Gas who seem to run their contracts in a very odd way. I called them up and they would only initially give me a price for a full tank fill from 30% -
£359.26 - which I worked out at around 48 PPL!!!

I asked them for a PPL price on a contract and they would not give me a price over the phone and said they would pop a contract in the post with the quote. 5 days later I received the quote and was amazed that they would only quote "Cost + 20 PPL" on a 2 year contract! So I called them up and said I wanted to know what I'm paying as "Cost" could be anything, they told me this is how all their contracts work and they do not provide fixed prices. I politely told them I wasn't interested and the search continued.

I've emailed and phoned Flogas - spoke to a call taker but they weren't in the right department for new contracts and could not provide me a quote although they took down my phone number and said someone would be in touch - no contact from them so doesn't look good.

I contacted Jon Rose at LPG Compare although I'm not sure how "independent" he is as I have read elsewhere on the interweb that he only ever quotes Calor Gas as the cheapest supplier - surprise surprise he came back to me with a quote from Calor Gas at 38.4 PPL with a 2.5p cap in year 2.

I'd also contacted Calor Gas directly and was given a similar if slightly more expensive quote of 39.9 PPL with a 2.5p cap in year 2.

Avanti are the cheapest coming in at 34.9 PPL with a 3p cap per 6 months in year 2 so I guess they could add a whole 6p over the 2nd year which would make them cheaper still than the others.

Good tips on here about Woldlink and LPG Save - I have contacted LPG Save and will call Woldlink on Monday.

So summary of current quotes -

1. Calor Gas (direct) - 39.9 PPL Year 1, £16.75 Standing Charge per quarter, 2.5p cap in year 2
2. Calor Gas (LPG Compar) - 38.4 PPL Year 1, £63 Standing Charge for year, 2.5p cap in year 2
3. Avanti - 34.9 PPL Year 1, £66 Standing Charge for year, 3p / 6 months cap in year 2
4. Callow Gas - Cost + 20 PPL, £15 Standing Charge per quarter

Hopefully that 30% will last me a while whilst I work on these quotes!

JerryW

D4rkS4v4nt wrote: »

... (believe it is a 1400 litre tank with room for expansion) ...
I asked them for a PPL price on a contract and they would not give me a price over the phone and said they would pop a contract in the post with the quote. 5 days later I received the quote and was amazed that they would only quote "Cost + 20 PPL" on a 2 year contract!
...
I've emailed and phoned Flogas - spoke to a call taker but they weren't in the right department for new contracts and could not provide me a quote although they took down my phone number and said someone would be in touch - no contact from them so doesn't look good.
...
I contacted Jon Rose at LPG Compare although I'm not sure how "independent" he is as I have read elsewhere on the interweb that he only ever quotes Calor Gas as the cheapest supplier - surprise surprise he came back to me with a quote from Calor Gas at 38.4 PPL with a 2.5p cap in year 2.
...
I'd also contacted Calor Gas directly and was given a similar if slightly more expensive quote of 39.9 PPL with a 2.5p cap in year 2.
...
Avanti are the cheapest coming in at 34.9 PPL with a 3p cap per 6 months in year 2 so I guess they could add a whole 6p over the 2nd year which would make them cheaper still than the others.

Welcome to the wonderful world of bulk lpg! LPG Save have had some good reports on here but will only do Flogas. Also, be aware that Avanti can put the price up much more than 6p in year 2, the 6p cap is only for rises caused by "operational reasons." A different clause in the contract says that they can put it up by unlimited amounts, if the cost to them of lpg increases .. and it seems they are doing so, see posts above. So far as I know all the major supplier contracts have similar clauses, unfortunately. To be fair to Calor, in my time with them they did not exceed the stated cap but others have reported bigger increases. All you can do is to insist that they provide proof of the underlying cost increase. If they don't you would have the right to consider the contract broken and go elsewhere. Another reason for looking for small independents. You live far from me, but a quick google search brought up https://carvergases.co.uk/ Carver Gas, no idea what they might offer? It may be worth trawling through all 187-odd pages here to look for other local firms .. an hour's effort now could save you a lot of money!
One more thing, if you agree a contract the supplier will probably want to inspect the tank before supplying gas. You will need to allow at least a fortnight for this, a month to be safe.

collectors

Might be worth a look??
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/domestic-bulk-lpg-suppliers-unfair-contract-terms

You could start here. Or similar https://www.ipetitions.com/

JerryW

moving_forward1 wrote: »

Dear All
It's about time LPG got regulated. We are in 2018 and customers like yourselves should not be ripped off or messed around.
Now this can easily happen... all it requires is 10000 signatures to go to parliament to seriously review.
Please somebody start this off. Just because you are not on mains gas and off grid why should you be treated so unfairly.
Also please read the above and share online via Facebook or any other methods.
GET THIS 10000 SIGNATURES STARTED AND HOPEFULLY SOON LPG WILL BE REGULATED.

.. you sound like one of those made redundant. If so, sympathy, but haven't you been enforcing the behaviours you now feel are so wrong? If you look back over past posts here you will soon see what consumers feel about Flogas, and it is not good reading. Why have Flogas staff never tried to improve their own behaviour, or their company's? Those of us who have been wrestling with the lpg industry for 20 years or more just want a fair market and fair contracts, that is all. Calor and Flogas sales staff are seen as totally unprincipled and I can confirm this from personal experience. That is why I suggest that such companies should be avoided wherever possible.

Perhaps you would like to start the petition? If so I will sign it ..

Equites

Get in touch with the Press and Journal in Aberdeen and ask to speak to one of their Aberdeenshire reporters - they are doing a ongoing investigation into Flogas pricing in Aberdeenshire - https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/contact-us/

Equites

moving_forward1 wrote: »

Thank you Equites - will contact them too. Not sure what they can actually publish. The difference in prices is so astronomical where you could pay 65ppl and someone next door will pay 29ppl. It's disgusting what they do. In addition there are customers who are elderly that don't switch and are paying a continuous 65ppl+ for years.

That type of price differential between neighbours is exactly the issue they are investigating, primarily regarding our metered estate in Sauchen - the lead reporter is Stephen Walsh (contact details are in that link I provided earlier).
As soon as they heard that the local paper was involved Flogas sent out a proposal to our part of the estate for a fixed rate deal for two years.
As ever with Flogas, the letter is exceptionally vague with no terms and conditions provided and no indication of the standing charge per day - only information being a proposed ppl price less than what we are currently being charged with a price promise of no more than 5p ppl rise in year two (so much for the need for a price rise due to market conditions...).
I personally smell a very large rat and advised everyone not to sign anything until we see more details - I feel sure that the 5p charge relates to their own admin charges only and they will have some sneaky clause somewhere where they will allow themselves the right to pass on any old price rise they feel relates to "market conditions" (that infamous Platts Index).
Ultimately though, they know we know they have us in a monopoly situation - for a fact there are some people signed onto contracts which have 22 months to run so what they are currently offering is a voluntary proposal and they can easily turn hardball on us.
For reference, here is a story from last year in the Press and Journal highlighting Flogas's pricing irregularities in the Scottish Highlands - https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-press-and-journal-moray/20170329/281479276250609

D4rkS4v4nt

Is anyone here with Calor Gas or Callow Gas for their LPG? if so are you in year 1 or 2 of your contract and what price increases have you had? Has this breached the cap that was given to you when you took out the contract? and lastly how would you rate the customer service?


I've been doing some work getting quotes and my best is from Flogas via LPG Save but I'd prefer not to go with them as A) I couldn't get through to them via phone or email (in over a week) and they have really bad feedback from other forum members about increasing above the promised price cap in year 2.


Thanks!