Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Energyboi545

Thank you soooooooooo much for your reply!!
They're 47kg Cylinders.......any idea how long they should last??

philtrick123

Energyboi545 said:

Thank you soooooooooo much for your reply!!
They're 47kg Cylinders.......any idea how long they should last??

47kg gas cylinder hold 92 litres of propane (LPG) gas. I presume you have more then one cylinder, joined together.
Cylinder gas costs more because of delivery costs compare to a bulk delivery. FYI- my underground bulk tank holds roughly 2000 litres when full.
I just checked and I used 110 litres in 12 days from my bulk tank. So I'm guessing you might need 2 47kg gas cylinders per month in winter. You'll need a lot less in summer, assuming you're not heating the house, just water.

richbeth

Energyboi545 said:

Thank you soooooooooo much for your reply!!
They're 47kg Cylinders.......any idea how long they should last??

we have a bigger property but I keep detailed records of usage.  On a daily basis we use more than ten times the amount of gas per day in the winter than during the summer.  So in summer 2-3 L per day, in winter 15-25 L per day depending on how cold it is.

JerryW

Cylinders will make for an expensive form of heating. It might be worth asking the freeholder to explore the possibility of having a bulk tank installed, which most providers will do free subject to a contract. The landowner would have to prepare a concrete raft for it.

Andrew1066

I was interested in the forums experience on how full their suppliers fill there bulk LPG tank to. 

Whilst I appreciate there must be room left for expansion, I recently had a fill prior to my contract price increase by Flogas and they only filled it to 85%. 

My previous suppliers filled to 90%. 

I can’t find any regulatory limits, so I don’t know whether this is normal or if it’s Flogas trying to minimise suppling at a lower price, (but I acknowledge  this maybe my cynicism when comes to LPG suppliers). 

- On another note out of interest  I wrote to my MP on the opaqueness of LPG prices as suppliers rarely publish prices on their website, so it’s down to haggling. Which does result in vulnerable people overpaying. 

I received a long reply that didn’t answer the question and effectively just said “you can change suppliers, which didn’t answer the question at all. 

JerryW

Andrew,

Avanti only fill to 85% .. my view is that if they felt they could put more in they would do, because they get paid for it.

It is a very good point about the opaqueness of lpg prices, and of the whole market in fact, including their punitive contract terms which often allow unlimited price rises .. and we all know that lots of less savvy customers are being totally ripped off.

When I have an hour, I will write to my MP too. PLEASE can I ask all you to do the same? Copy your letter here .. I will

This is still a broken marketplace that needs fixing. We know it can be done, because there has already been government action, eg to limit contracts to 2 years, enforce transfer of tanks, etc. We should NOT let the rapacious sales staff of the Calors, Avantis and Flogas of this world get away with their immoral practices.

Jerry

richbeth

mine have only ever been filled to ca. 85% have had a couple of suppliers, currently FloGas

philtrick123

The following website says a maximum of 87% https://www.clesse.co.uk/commercial-lpg-properties/
My last two fills with Flogas were 86% and 87% (from the tank telemetry). Underground tanks should be less affected by temperature, but they probably fill all the same.
Flogas gave me a 2 year fixed deal when I renewed in November- but still lots of email and phone calls to get there.
I'm also investigating air source heat pump. The ideal would be a hybrid boiler, air source for background heating, LPG for the instant water boost. But I think i'd have to beef up the house insulation. 

Andrew1066

Don’t know if this has worked, but I’ve tried to attach the reply I received after writing to my MP on the opaqueness of bulk LPG prices.  It should be two pages. 

ceh209

I'm with Avanti at the moment and up for renewal soon, and need to order gas. On the phone today they've offered 34.3p+VAT, that's my current price and that can be fixed for 12 months, with 2nd year uncapped (the usual 3ppl operational costs bollox).

Is there any point me trying to beat this at the moment?
If not, I'm tempted to just order a full tank now, let it go out of contract and I won't need to order again till about Oct/Nov anyway, so wait and see what prices are like then