Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

HateLPG

meagan wrote: »

I have posted before that I had received a letter saying price increase. My contract is at a fixed price for the 1st 6mths( this is written on the front page of my contract), so I rang Calor 1/12 to check my price.|At the mention of the letter I would only respond that I had a fixed price for 6 mths,the young lady said she would check the paperwork and get back to me,this she did saying my price was fixed at 37p for 6mths so now I can turn the heating back on.

Meagan,

I can pretty much guarantee that Calor will put the price up the DAY your 6 months expires

Make sure that if (when) they do, they do NOT try to put it up by more than the amount specified in the small print on your contract - probably 3.5ppl, if it's a recent one, but check YOUR contract for specifics. And remember, once they've done that, the price should then effectively be fixed at that new level for a further 6 months. And so on, for the life of your contract.

If they DO put it up by more than that, and refuse to move on the price, remember that you then have the option to terminate your contract and find a new supplier - but you have only a limited time to inform them that you wish to do so.

LittleVermin

meagan wrote: »

I have posted before that I had received a letter saying price increase. My contract is at a fixed price for the 1st 6mths( this is written on the front page of my contract), so I rang Calor 1/12 to check my price.|At the mention of the letter I would only respond that I had a fixed price for 6 mths,the young lady said she would check the paperwork and get back to me,this she did saying my price was fixed at 37p for 6mths so now I can turn the heating back on.

Hi Ann,

Good news! And another story where persistence with Calor has paid off - and FORCED them to honour the contract they have signed.

But it's strange to see the words "Calor", "honour" and "contract" together! So I've copied the title of your post for this post. Tongue in cheek? Moi?

Addition: HateLPG replied a minute before I did. And suggested Calor would put up your price on 6 months + 1 day. What a cynic! Maybe there's a Calor employee on the forum who can help us here? I believe Margretwilkins, who posted in August http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=35421723&postcount=21 may work for Calor: she posted that she had done lots of research and they were excellent in the Midlands and she had got a wonderful contract (you get the drift?). But she never replied to my request for details of her contract (nor to a pm, either!).

John_Day

DAVID.T wrote: »

hi,
Current LPG worker here, The lpg industry codes of practice say they need to be calibrated once per year, but i think most companies do them more often because due to their design if meters go out they usually go in favour of the customer not the other way, so the gas companies would not wish to give away product.

It does come under trading standards remit, but I can say in 20 years in the industry they have never checked our tankers! I have seen a couple of "one man operations" who dont use tickets that would concern me but one the whole I think you get the fuel you pay for.

David - many thanks for that.

As I get older, and read daily of corruption in Government ( both MP's and the ermine clad nobility ! ) corrupt FIFA Committee members ( not that it stops us rubbing shoulders with them ) and Government Inquiries that are invariably deemed as contrived whitewashes from the outset, it is well within the realm of this man's imagination that Calor et al would happily turn Nelson's eye toward a poorly calibrated LPG meter - not necessarily through corporate skullduggery, but simply tardy maintenance or incompetence. Of course, there is a very good reason why every Local Authority has a Trading Standards.

So, David, when you say ' in 20 years in the industry they have never checked our tankers! ' I have to wonder whether this is something that needs to be flagged up and looked into. As the saying goes - the wheel is only greased when it starts squeaking - so perhaps I need to 'squeak' with the local Trading Standards and get the SP on this one ?

Thanks again David. I am sorry to be perceived as such a Doubting Thomas, although, as I have alluded to above, life's experiences have taught me that corporate integrity should never be assumed.

meagan

I certainly don't think that's that and yes I think they will put up the price, but I can hopefully get through the worst of the winter before having to get the spy glass out to read my contract.

MaritzUK

I've now got a bit of an issue. Very brief history: moved into a house over the summer where previous owner was with Calor. Therefore, even though I have no contract with them, I take it they still technically own the tank. Have now signed a contract with Shell and sent it off to them on Monday. Unfortunately due to the weather I don't think their post has arrived for the last couple of days, and indeed their office was shut when I tried to call them today.

Now the issue is this. The tank is about 10% full. Shell won't deliver any gas until Calor transfer the tank to them. The Shell lady was going to fax the request over to them as soon as she received my contract and then give me a call to let me know. I've had no call, and can't find out why because their office is closed.

So it's a bit of a conundrum. Have very little gas left. Can't order any more for the forseeable future. I'm led to believe Calor technically have 28 days to do the transfer. So no gas = no heating since we're keeping the last 10% for hot water. It could be a very cold xmas day.

Any suggestions on how to speed up the process, or get a delivery from somewhere else, anyone? I do realise it's basically my fault and I shouldn't have let it run down so far before trying to sort out a contract, but we live and learn!

LittleVermin

MaritzUK wrote: »

I've now got a bit of an issue. Very brief history: moved into a house over the summer where previous owner was with Calor. Therefore, even though I have no contract with them, I take it they still technically own the tank. Have now signed a contract with Shell and sent it off to them on Monday. Unfortunately due to the weather I don't think their post has arrived for the last couple of days, and indeed their office was shut when I tried to call them today.

Now the issue is this. The tank is about 10% full. Shell won't deliver any gas until Calor transfer the tank to them. The Shell lady was going to fax the request over to them as soon as she received my contract and then give me a call to let me know. I've had no call, and can't find out why because their office is closed.

So it's a bit of a conundrum. Have very little gas left. Can't order any more for the forseeable future. I'm led to believe Calor technically have 28 days to do the transfer. So no gas = no heating since we're keeping the last 10% for hot water. It could be a very cold xmas day.

Any suggestions on how to speed up the process, or get a delivery from somewhere else, anyone? I do realise it's basically my fault and I shouldn't have let it run down so far before trying to sort out a contract, but we live and learn!

Yes, the transfer should be completed in 28 days so long as the tank is not changed.

BUT on Consumer Direct's Energy pages you'll find one on LPG and Changing Supplier & Moving Home

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/EnergySupplyandPost/energysupply/563247/LPG

with:

During the switch from old supplier to new, both suppliers must do all they can to ensure continuity of supply to you.

You wrote "It could be a very cold xmas day" - Is that the long range forecast? OK, but it should be toasty inside! Snowmen, women and children staying firmly in your garden!

MaritzUK

Thanks for that link - something to quote at one or both companies if it comes to it.

Shell's surveyor came out and inspected the tank, and all was ok, so it should definitely be a transfer rather than an uplift.

It'll be toasty inside as long as I get a delivery. Otherwise it's electric heaters which, thinking about it, are probably only slightly more expensive to run than LPG!

drfrot

Can't believe I'm back here after only three weeks.

Yes, just three weeks after a massive price hike, it's - you've guessed it - another massive price hike, yay!

Countrywide excel themselves in the PR department (the letter was almost tearful at the thought of shafting their customers yet again) but it doesn't detract from the fact that in the last TWO months, the cost of their gas has risen by 14ppl!!!

So, just to recap, if anyone is mad enough to consider moving to these people (he types, biting his tongue)

Jun 09 (swapped to Countrywide): 33.0 (with a £12.50 + VAT quarterly rental fee)

5 months later... November 09: PRICE RISE. Up 3.9p to 36.9 ppl
2 months later... January 10: PRICE RISE. Up 1.5p to 38.4 ppl
2 months later... March 10: PRICE RISE. Up 1.8p to 40.2 ppl
7 months later... October 10: PRICE RISE. Up 3.5p to 43.7 ppl
1 month later... November 10: PRICE RISE. Up 5.5p (!!!!) to 49.2 ppl
3 WEEKS later... December 10: PRICE RISE. Up 4.9p to (*fanfare*) 54.1 ppl !!

Do I win a badge for this or something?

Sick as a dog and thinking about burning the furniture...

G

DAVID.T_3

drfrot wrote: »

Can't believe I'm back here after only three weeks.

Yes, just three weeks after a massive price hike, it's - you've guessed it - another massive price hike, yay!

Countrywide excel themselves in the PR department (the letter was almost tearful at the thought of shafting their customers yet again) but it doesn't detract from the fact that in the last TWO months, the cost of their gas has risen by 14ppl!!!

So, just to recap, if anyone is mad enough to consider moving to these people (he types, biting his tongue)

Jun 09 (swapped to Countrywide): 33.0 (with a £12.50 + VAT quarterly rental fee)

5 months later... November 09: PRICE RISE. Up 3.9p to 36.9 ppl
2 months later... January 10: PRICE RISE. Up 1.5p to 38.4 ppl
2 months later... March 10: PRICE RISE. Up 1.8p to 40.2 ppl
7 months later... October 10: PRICE RISE. Up 3.5p to 43.7 ppl
1 month later... November 10: PRICE RISE. Up 5.5p (!!!!) to 49.2 ppl
3 WEEKS later... December 10: PRICE RISE. Up 4.9p to (*fanfare*) 54.1 ppl !!

Do I win a badge for this or something?

Sick as a dog and thinking about burning the furniture...

G

hi,

18 p of that is the refinery : conoco jet, shell oil, etc
3 p of that is countrywide.

i know this doesn't help but though you may find it interesting, who is actually making you pay more.

LPG_info

The price of Propane has gone through the roof this year.

Current marker (open market trade price) for LPG (today 3rd Dec) is >$1000/mT. Most marketing companies (Calor, Flo, Shell, BP etc.) have to buy this from wholesale suppliers at a premium to this - usually $50/mt
Base price of gas alone is then at 34ppl (1.6 xchange rate).
With overheads, fixed costs, transportation and profit then starting price to you is 45ppl. If you are getting anything less than this, then it is a loss leader by the supplier to get volume and manage price upwards over the next 2 years.
Any price between 45 and 55 is relative to market price.

Advice then is - if you are getting a good service and you are in this bracket then decide whether reliability of service or price is more important. If it is price then move.... but do not be surprised if it is back to the same level within a year....