Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Sorting_Hat

Its important to establish whose tank it is as only the firm that owns it can fill it. Having said that though you dont have a contract with Flogas (assuming its their tank) so you can shop around.
If you chose another firm then the new firm will buy the tank from Flogas and so you would then rent the tank from that new firm.

LittleVermin

GWebster39 said:

Hello,

I'm new to this forum but wonder if anyone can help and advise.  <...>

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks Gemma

Hi Gemma, welcome to the forum! Glad you found us as there are NO comparison sites ....so people posting what they are paying (both for gas and tank rental) and what offers they get when their 2 year contracts near their end is the best and only substitute for a comparison site. Welcome to the wonderful world of bulk LPG (bit like a mushroom-growing shed)!

Sorting_Hat has posted about finding out the owner of the tank (I hope the safety notice is still there!). I'd ask the tank owner when the tank was last tested (above-ground tanks are tested every 10 years - underground more frequently, I believe).

You do NOT have a contract with the tank owner. As the new owner of the property you can sign a contract with the tank owner and be supplied by them ....OR you can switch supplier...which might save you a lot of money! Or it might not! The majors seem to send out contracts for new owners to sign..which locks you in for 2 years. NO, you can switch suppliers ...and the new supplier buys the tank off the former supplier.

Maybe tell us the first part of your postcode, please? Or the county you live in. There are some good local suppliers (like HBS) which charge low prices. And some excellent local suppliers with real humans whose names you'll get to recognise! if you tell us where you live :forum members can help you here. Suppliers for your postcode can be found on the LPG trade site https://www.liquidgasuk.org/domestic/supplier-search

Tank rental for an underground tank ranges from around £60 (that's exceptional!) to around £130. 

All suppliers have to give a quote over the phone... but that's subject to inspection. So before anyone comes to inspect make sure there are no overhanging trees, and the delivery driver can see the tank top, etc.

There are one or two middlemen - e.g. LPG Save who can get good deals out of Flogas (he used to work for them!) ...but (probably!) only if you are a potential new customer! You can find these people by searching...

Please post all the offers you get! That's how this forum stays helpful to forum members and browsers!

Cheers!

Tinhat

Hi Gemma,

I recently came out of contract and asked LPG Save for a quote and was very happy to accept 33ppl fixed for two years (with no sneaky wholesale gas pice increase clauses) and £60 a year standing charge for an underground tank. They were very efficient setting up the switch and it all went smoothly - Flogas are now my supplier. 

Good luck with your search and avoid a one year fix on a two year contract- you’ll pay silly prices in year two (ask me how I know 😳). 

JerryW

Hi Gemma

If you haven't signed anything, you are not in contract and have a free hand to agree one with whoever will supply you.

The contract will be for two years and you MUST try to get quotes for a two year fix. Ie not give them an opportunity to increase it after 12 months. They will say "3p increase" or similar, but beware..  they weasel around it, to increase it by more, sometimes much more.

I also recommend LPG Save. I am paying 29p/l fixed for two years from last October, thanks to them

Sorting_Hat

The mechanics of contacting the existing supplier even if its just to declare your existence are so that if you want to chose another firm the switch will be processed smoothly.
All to often if a customer signs a switch form and no contact has been with the owner of the tank the switch form is rejected out of hand as the tank owner has not heard of this new person.

I see on some major firms websites there is a section to tell them about yourselves.

CircuitW1zard

Hi All,
I'm at the point where my estates 2 year contract is expiring. We are paying 39ppl at the moment. Could I get a view from you all as to what the current rates are you are all getting from your suppliers and quotes? I'm not sure where the market sits at the moment and if prices are higher or lower.

Sorting_Hat

CircuitW1zard said:

Hi All,
I'm at the point where my estates 2 year contract is expiring. We are paying 39ppl at the moment. Could I get a view from you all as to what the current rates are you are all getting from your suppliers and quotes? I'm not sure where the market sits at the moment and if prices are higher or lower.

 Did you know the rules for metered estates have changed/are changing?

Apologies if this is old hat to everyone here.

1. All customers on a metered estate being supplied by the same tanks will be offered the same tariff options on new metered estate contracts from 01/01/2021

2. To align all contract end dates from 31/12/2020. From this point any new contract on a metered estate will have an exclusive supply term which is aligned to the latest existing contract on said estate, this will be no later that 31/12/2022

3.From 31/12/2022 suppliers will permit switching of estates where less than 10% of residents or 1 resident where less than 10 homes are in an exclusive supply term providing 100% of residents agree to switch suppliers.

4.The maximum time vlength for switching a metered estate will be 42 days from the 1/1/2021

So no 1 person can hold up the switch as used to be the case.

Sorting_Hat

Apologies " 1 person CANT hold up a switch as used to be the case."

LittleVermin

CircuitW1zard said:

Hi All,
I'm at the point where my estates 2 year contract is expiring. We are paying 39ppl at the moment. Could I get a view from you all as to what the current rates are you are all getting from your suppliers and quotes? I'm not sure where the market sits at the moment and if prices are higher or lower.

Welcome! If you can state where your estate is (first part of post code - or county, etc) and how many dwellings then maybe someone, or the organiser, on another estate (maybe even in your area!) can post info. Estates are cash cows!...so you ought to get a good price..

I'VE DELETED MY EARLIER REPLY - BECAUSE IT CONTAINED OUT-OF-DATE INFO. Thanks @Sorting_Hat for correct info!

LittleVermin

Bulk prices? Contracts often mention wholesale prices, related to Pratts. But Pratts is behind a paywall, ANSI (Argus North Sea Index) ditto...so the supplier rarely lets you see the evidence for their price hike. The link should give you propane futures (from a US trading platform in Atlanta). I won't post the actual chart as that will go against their IPR (Intellectual Property Rights ...e.g. copyright). .https://www.theice.com/products/6590282/Propane-Argus-CIF-ARA-Future/data?marketId=5680734&span=3