Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Bethmiss

Speaking to Hazel at JGas yesterday, having put through third (and final) payment for nearly 1000 litres of LPG received in December. So nice to be able to pay that way, rather than by monthly DD. Technically, I am no longer in contract, but will continue to stick with JGas on account of service and best attempts to keep prices down for the customer.  Price yesterday was 56.11 ppl, so I wouldn't go with 61ppl either.  JGas delivers all over Scotland, and to parts of England too.  Prices went up 7+ppl on 1st January, mostly thanks to greed of people managing Mossmorran - who decided to make more money selling to the LNG market rather than the LPG market.  

Radio Scotland people frequently say gas prices are falling - not if you're an LPG user!

christie_m

YouHurst said:

Hi MoneySaving people!
This is my first post, so apologies if I am asking a question in the wrong place, but I haven't found my way around the forums yet.
We are out of contract now with Flogas for our bulk domestic LPG, and have been quoted a new 2 year contract with a fixed price of 61p for one year, then variable for year two fills.
Does this sound like a good deal at the moment?
We have only just taken over the lease of this property so have no experience in the LPG market.
As Flogas own the underground tank, will it be expensive/prohibitive to switch to another supplier, just to save perhaps 5p/litre?
I know they were supposed to bring in some competition rules, but I have no idea if it is working to make switching easy, as it would be if we were on mains gas.
I'[d be very grateful for any experience/advice with recent prices (esp Flogas deals) or switching LPG supplier.
Many thanks

Nope - that’s not a good deal.
I’ve literally just signed up to a 52.5ppl (inc VAT) deal through LPG-save, that’s fixed for two years. Supplier is Flogas. 

Calor wanted to offer a deal 69ppl plus VAT that was variable for two years. I laughed at Calor!

rinroo

YouHurst said:

Hi MoneySaving people!
This is my first post, so apologies if I am asking a question in the wrong place, but I haven't found my way around the forums yet.
We are out of contract now with Flogas for our bulk domestic LPG, and have been quoted a new 2 year contract with a fixed price of 61p for one year, then variable for year two fills.
Does this sound like a good deal at the moment?
We have only just taken over the lease of this property so have no experience in the LPG market.
As Flogas own the underground tank, will it be expensive/prohibitive to switch to another supplier, just to save perhaps 5p/litre?
I know they were supposed to bring in some competition rules, but I have no idea if it is working to make switching easy, as it would be if we were on mains gas.
I'[d be very grateful for any experience/advice with recent prices (esp Flogas deals) or switching LPG supplier.
Many thanks

Definitely shop around. I nearly signed up to an offer from LPGSave at the end of last year 51p for 2 years  but I didn’t trust the No delivery charge or the fact that the standing charges could double so I cancelled within the 14 day cooling off. 

I’ve just signed up with Extra Gas at 48p fixed for 2 years. 

I was offered, if it’s of interest

52p for 2y from LPGSave - surprise, surprise a Flogas quote. 

51p year 1 55p year 2 direct with Flogas

47p fixed for 6 months then variable with Avanti
55p year 1 with Calor Gas then variable y2

There really doesn’t seem to be many independent suppliers left, there used to be a few to get quotes from but they all appear to be Avanti now. 

Mister_G

I've just filled up with 1000 litres from my local independent at 53ppl.  I'm not in contract and don't pay a tank rental charge as that's included in the ppl price.

JerryW

YouHurst said:

Hi MoneySaving people!
This is my first post, so apologies if I am asking a question in the wrong place, but I haven't found my way around the forums yet.
We are out of contract now with Flogas for our bulk domestic LPG, and have been quoted a new 2 year contract with a fixed price of 61p for one year, then variable for year two fills.
Does this sound like a good deal at the moment?
We have only just taken over the lease of this property so have no experience in the LPG market.
As Flogas own the underground tank, will it be expensive/prohibitive to switch to another supplier, just to save perhaps 5p/litre?
I know they were supposed to bring in some competition rules, but I have no idea if it is working to make switching easy, as it would be if we were on mains gas.
I'[d be very grateful for any experience/advice with recent prices (esp Flogas deals) or switching LPG supplier.
Many thanks

There are good deals in the bulk LPG market, but there are a lot of bad deals too so keep your wits about you and read all contracts carefully. For example, if you sign up to a contract fixed for 12m and variable for the next 12m they will cane you in year two, Even if they say max increase 3p/l or similar, there will be a clause somewhere that gives them power to apply an unlimited increase if their supply price goes up. Therefore I recommend:

- ALWAYS ask for a fixed 2 year quote. All major suppliers will do this. I have had them myself from Avanti, Calor and Flogas

- Get quotes from everyone who will supply (google!) and also from LPG Save.

- Go for the cheapest one, all the major suppliers have similar levels of service

- don't be afraid to negotiate tell them you will sign up if they will do it for Xp/l less

- When they send you a contract to sign, read it carefully. Don't be afraid to cross out and initial any clauses that no longer apply, given the price is fixed for 2 years.

- DON'T sign up to pay by regular direct debit, or sign up to an auto top-up arrangement. Monitor the gas level each month and tell them to fill it when it gets down to 25-30%. You can place an order online.

- you may be eligible for a government payout of £200 under the energy price guarantee. I am not sure of the timings here.. talk to your electricity provider (daft I know, but they administer the payments)

I am currently on a recently concluded 2 year fixed contract at 47p/l with Flogas. If I were doing it now, I might expect to do a little better. Aim for 40-45p/l.

I hope this helps. any other questions just say..

It may all feel a bit like the wild West to start with, but the system works if you keep your wits about you, and I reckon LPG is cheaper than oil or electricity by a fair bit, just at present, and not far off mains gas.

YouHurst

JerryW said:

YouHurst said:

Hi MoneySaving people!
This is my first post, so apologies if I am asking a question in the wrong place, but I haven't found my way around the forums yet.
We are out of contract now with Flogas for our bulk domestic LPG, and have been quoted a new 2 year contract with a fixed price of 61p for one year, then variable for year two fills.
Does this sound like a good deal at the moment?
We have only just taken over the lease of this property so have no experience in the LPG market.
As Flogas own the underground tank, will it be expensive/prohibitive to switch to another supplier, just to save perhaps 5p/litre?
I know they were supposed to bring in some competition rules, but I have no idea if it is working to make switching easy, as it would be if we were on mains gas.
I'[d be very grateful for any experience/advice with recent prices (esp Flogas deals) or switching LPG supplier.
Many thanks

There are good deals in the bulk LPG market, but there are a lot of bad deals too so keep your wits about you and read all contracts carefully. For example, if you sign up to a contract fixed for 12m and variable for the next 12m they will cane you in year two, Even if they say max increase 3p/l or similar, there will be a clause somewhere that gives them power to apply an unlimited increase if their supply price goes up. Therefore I recommend:

- ALWAYS ask for a fixed 2 year quote. All major suppliers will do this. I have had them myself from Avanti, Calor and Flogas

- Get quotes from everyone who will supply (google!) and also from LPG Save.

- Go for the cheapest one, all the major suppliers have similar levels of service

- don't be afraid to negotiate tell them you will sign up if they will do it for Xp/l less

- When they send you a contract to sign, read it carefully. Don't be afraid to cross out and initial any clauses that no longer apply, given the price is fixed for 2 years.

- DON'T sign up to pay by regular direct debit, or sign up to an auto top-up arrangement. Monitor the gas level each month and tell them to fill it when it gets down to 25-30%. You can place an order online.

- you may be eligible for a government payout of £200 under the energy price guarantee. I am not sure of the timings here.. talk to your electricity provider (daft I know, but they administer the payments)

I am currently on a recently concluded 2 year fixed contract at 47p/l with Flogas. If I were doing it now, I might expect to do a little better. Aim for 40-45p/l.

I hope this helps. any other questions just say..

It may all feel a bit like the wild West to start with, but the system works if you keep your wits about you, and I reckon LPG is cheaper than oil or electricity by a fair bit, just at present, and not far off mains gas.

Many thanks, Jerry and all the other kind-hearted souls who have offered advice.

We are 4 cottages sharing one LPG tank, which makes it even more tricky getting a good deal on LPG, since the usage needs to be metered for each house and people want to pay what they have used (like Mains Gas) rather than pay for filling the tank in advance.
Originally these were 4 farm workers cottages where the LPG use (and borehole water) was provided with the housing as part of their remuneration package, but as is the way of things in farming these days, the farming has stopped, the workers made redundant, and the farm estate sold to a millionaire overseas investor who now simply seeks as much rent as possible  from the homes on the estate and expects us all to sort out the utilities ourselves. 

Lisa_mj

It's gone very quiet on here, guessing that those that have had to apply for the AFP like me are still waiting for the elusive 200 squids to hit their bank account (drums fingers on desk, again). Never mind we're (just) over half way through the promise of an outcome within 6 weeks (believe it when I see it). Forgive me if I sound ever so slightly sarcastic and cynical...

JerryW

YouHurst said:

Many thanks, Jerry and all the other kind-hearted souls who have offered advice.

We are 4 cottages sharing one LPG tank, which makes it even more tricky getting a good deal on LPG, since the usage needs to be metered for each house and people want to pay what they have used (like Mains Gas) rather than pay for filling the tank in advance.
Originally these were 4 farm workers cottages where the LPG use (and borehole water) was provided with the housing as part of their remuneration package, but as is the way of things in farming these days, the farming has stopped, the workers made redundant, and the farm estate sold to a millionaire overseas investor who now simply seeks as much rent as possible  from the homes on the estate and expects us all to sort out the utilities ourselves. 

That is interesting but if there is one tank, presumably the individual usage is a separate issue. And on the face of it, you should get a better than average deal if the consumption is four times a single home .. what is more, I would bet you are FAR better off sorting out the utilities yourselves, than letting a millionaire overseas investor, or his nominee management company, do it ...

Tell them you will deal with all the admin, get a good 40p/l deal from lpg save or similar, charge the other properties 45p/l, and watch the money roll in :-) ...perhaps the system will not permit that; but still, i bet you live in a lovely spot.  :-)

JerryW

Lisa_mj said:

It's gone very quiet on here, guessing that those that have had to apply for the AFP like me are still waiting for the elusive 200 squids to hit their bank account (drums fingers on desk, again). Never mind we're (just) over half way through the promise of an outcome within 6 weeks (believe it when I see it). Forgive me if I sound ever so slightly sarcastic and cynical...

Everyone seems sarcastic and cynical these days ...

I received my £200 via Shell Energy at the beginning of March. Sorry if you haven't, who is your energy provider?

JerryW

It is clear that there are many people who find it hard to get to grips with the LPG bulk gas market. Not surprising, given the free-for-all nature of the market, the lack of heavy regulation, and the undeniably rapacious nature of the major suppliers' sales departments. Many of us are not used to fending for ourselves any more,  in such a market.

But very reasonable deals can be had once you are used to the way it works. In an effort to be helpful, I have listed some points below that should be borne in mind; I will repeat this post every couple of months, as new folk do appear here regularly.. if you have any helpful comments, I will add them:

- contracts are for two years. ALWAYS ask for a fixed 2 year quote. All major suppliers will do this. I have had them myself from Avanti, Calor and Flogas

- Get quotes from everyone who will supply (google is your friend!) and also from LPG Save.

- Go for the cheapest one, because all the major suppliers (Avanti, Calor, Flogas) have very similar levels of service

- don't be afraid to negotiate; tell them you will sign up, if they will do it for xp/l less

- When they send you a contract to sign, read it carefully. Don't be afraid to cross out and initial any clauses that no longer apply, given the price is fixed for 2 years. If you sign up to a contract fixed for 12m and variable for the next 12m they will cane you in year two, Even if they say max increase 3p/l or similar, there will be a clause somewhere that gives them power to apply an unlimited increase if their supply price goes up.

- DON'T sign up to pay by regular direct debit, or sign up to an auto top-up arrangement, or accept any remote monitoring device. Monitor the gas level each month yourself, and simply tell them to fill it when it gets down to 25-30%. You can place an order online. If the cost of a full tank is hard to handle, save £x into a separate account yourself to pay for it.

- you should be eligible for a government payout of £200 under the energy price guarantee. I am not sure of the timings here.. talk to your electricity provider (daft I know, but they administer the payments). Mine arrived early March 2023

I am currently on a recently concluded (nov 22) 2 year fixed contract at 47p/l with Flogas. If I were doing it now, I might expect to do a little better. Aim for 40-45p/l.

I hope this helps. any other questions just say.. It may all feel a bit like the wild West to start with, but the system works if you keep your wits about you, and I reckon LPG is cheaper than oil or electricity by a fair bit, just at present, and not far off mains gas.It is the free market in action, welcome aboard! The market is as competitive as we make it..