Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Sorting_Hat

I can only stress again that possession of tank certificates is proof of ownership and therefore is not shared with customers unless they own their tanks and of course these tests and certificates are charged for. No tank rental or contract for these self owners as a contract would be unenforceable for a tank the gas company did not own as a self owning customer could sign a contract promising to only buy gas from firm A  but could in fact buy gas from anyone and firm A would not know.
You see gas firms are forbidden to fill each others tanks on pain of great penalties.

LittleVermin

Sorting_Hat said:

<...>
You see gas firms are forbidden to fill each others tanks on pain of great penalties.

"Forbidden" - by which law ..or body? "Pain of great penalties"... applied by which law or body?  Thanks for your comments but the bulk LPG market is murky, to say the least. The Competition Commission has tried to improve competition between the suppliers so customers have more choice but many of us think that treating us (the customers) as mushrooms suits them (the suppliers) just fine. Despite the CC's actions the majors still control the vast majority of the market  -- maybe 90%. The independents did grow a bit after the CC report in 2006, I believe ......but several have been taken over by the majors since then.

Sorting_Hat

6 figure fines and court cases. This applies to the propane/butane cylinders as well.
LPG firms do talk to each other and will readily admit to errors in filing where a driver has filled a tank in error.
Also tanks do get lost in the ether from time to time and the LPG firms ask each other "is this your tank" at such and such location.

LittleVermin

Sorting_Hat said:

6 figure fines and court cases. <...>

Thanks for your reply and insight. But the fines are the result of which law(s), please? You obviously know what you are talking about - thanks for correcting misinformation in some earlier posts!

Sorting_Hat

There is a lot of well established legal precedent that covers both the small exchange cylinders and the large  bulk tanks.
A quick search of the majors will show their policy of their exchange cylinders and the bulk tanks are guarded just as vigorously
Interesting Countrywide did have a specific clause that would allow their customer to have one fill from a rival firm if Countrywide were unable to supply gas. This in fact happened when that bad winter "the beast from the east" affected LPG supplies across the UK. I'm aware that some Countrywide customers tried to exercise that right calling around to try for gas but I'm not aware if any succeeded as this was also the time Countrywide was being merged.

Bethmiss

Thank you all again. Sorry to take so long to respond. I had something nearly read to Post on Friday, but looked back to check something - and lost the lot!

The tank is owned by JGas just now. I have the Customer copy of the Test Record, details of which I posted last week. I'm not aware of even suggesting I own the tank. If I did, I'd certainly not have been paying a Standing Charge.  In the early 1980s we did have our own tank,  "inherited" from a couple about to move house. They'd asked repeatedly for the tank to be taken away and, finally, offered it to us. We got it with quite a lot of gas in it, and used it at our grain drier for several years. NEF supplied our gas at that time, and I'm fairly sure it was all checked and tested by their Engineer. When my parents retired, ti moved with them. When it was due next testing etc, they then started renting a tank. The old tank became the diesel tank, until such times as it was not economical to buy a large quantity of diesel, and the LPG delivery driver had a use for it. 

I spoke to somebody at JGas about contract. It was in my mother's name and we'd been out of contract since November 2018. I had shopped around for quotes, but JGas price made it not worth bother of shifting. They wouldn't quote for new contract though, as concerned about volatility of market. It suited both sides. I notified them of Mum's death, but didn't see any need to waste paper and postage sending in new paperwork - agreed by JGas too. The woman I spoke to on Friday said I'd sent in a scanned, but undated, document last year and the account had been put into my name from 24th May 2020.  I've no idea what the undated document is, but I know full well that I wouldn't have sent something in undated - I date received mail! I can find nothing on PC or hard copy of anything I might have sent to JGas, so will have to get clarification of what they hold. JGas wrote to my mother in January this year, so clearly the account hadn't been put in my name. So, having said all the above, I'm not entirely sure whether I'm in or out of contract.  Sorry JerryW!        I will, though, ask JGas to send me a copy of the mystery document.

The thing I went back check on Friday was lower prices some of you seem to be on. Somebody said they're on 36ppl, and I'd be delighted if I could get that. I'm in North-East Scotland, and suspect we maybe pay more than folks further South - in the same way as electricity costs more up here.  Any input on ppl much appreciated, thank you.  I'm going to have to order gas in not too distant future - tank been sitting at 20% for ages. Hope I've addressed all comments and advice I received from everybody.

mcmullank

Bethmiss said:

Any input on ppl much appreciated, thank you.  I'm going to have to order gas in not too distant future - tank been sitting at 20% for ages. Hope I've addressed all comments and advice I received from everybody.

I am currently paying 31ppl on a 2-year fixed deal from Flogas and I am also in the NE Scotland.  I signed up to this last October so I still have a year to go.

Bethmiss

JGas put price up from 36ppl to 40ppl in January this year. Once I find out what is on scanned document, I'll maybe know whether I'm in or out of contract. 

GWebster39

Hello,

I'm new to this forum but wonder if anyone can help and advise.  We recently bought a new property that has an underground gas tank in the garden.  I'm planning for the winter and would like to establish a supply of gas for myself and my two children.  How am I best to go about this to ensure I am not paying over the odds on tariff?  Are there price comparison sites to use? I note from various responses on here that there is a tank charge?  Is this correct?  The previous owners live in Australia and the information that was provided was sparse.  The tank was previously filled by Flogas.  I have dropped an enquiry to both Flogas and Calor gas but I am still awaiting a response.

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks Gemma

Sorting_Hat

The first thing is to establish who owns the tank as more often than not you dont.

Have a look where the pipework goes into the property and there will be an emergency phone number. Call it and see who answers.
Having worked out whose tank it is then yes you will have to pay rent for that tank.