Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Jez1009

So I'm currently with flogas, out of contract end Nov. Usage is approx 1800litres per year. UG tank. Warwickshire.

Current quotes-
Calor- 51ppl Yr1, Variable Yr2, but with a break clause if they go over 3.5ppl increase per qtr. £91.72py for tank rental
Avanti (via LPG Compare) - 52ppl 6 months in Yr1, then Variable
Avanti (via LPG Compare) - 54p Yr1, then variable
Avanti (via LPG Compare) - 62p fixed for 2 years   £110py tank rental in each case
LPG-Save (obviously Flogas prices...) - 51ppl Yr1, Yr2 12ppl price cap OR 56ppl for 24 months (£98.55 tank rental)
Flogas Initial Renewal Price quoted 63p fixed for 2 years (£98.55 tank rental)
LPG Compare also quoted for Midlands LPG - I have never heard of them - anyone got any experience? at 43p fixed year 1 and then 'Tracker' (variable) price Year 2 (tank rental £70)
LPG Solutions (unknown supplier) - Year 1 £43.99 and Year 2 'Tracker' rate (variable) - tank rental £60
LPG Solutions (unknown supplier) - Year 1 and Year 2 fixed at 53p - tank rental £60
LPG Solutions (unknown supplier) - Year 1 54p (free £75 LPG), Year 2 capped increase max 6p per 6 months - tank rental £110

 All prices +5% VAT

Any thoughts anyone - has anyone used Midlands LPG on this forum?

Jez1009

After a bit of investigation I think the LPG Solutions prices may well be from Birmingham based supplier, Pure LPG - has anyone on here got any experience of using them?

JerryW

Jez1009 said:

After a bit of investigation I think the LPG Solutions prices may well be from Birmingham based supplier, Pure LPG - has anyone on here got any experience of using them?

I am not aware of any previous mentions of Pure LPG on here .. but they sound interesting, as does the tracker option.. they are a bit vague about their coverage area, but they say "Most of the UK."

Be interested to hear how you get on with them

stevief

JerryW said:

stevief said:

Hi, 
Does LPG cost vary massively by area?  
I am in North Essex and currently with Calor and the cost seems to have shot up and is way more than others mention in this forum :-( 

My useage is a little over 1000 litres per annum

Standing Charge 25.13p per day (+ VAT at 5%)
LPG 75.4 per litre (+VAT at 5%)

1000l pa is on the low side and may push the price up somewhat. But you should not be paying more than 50p/l.

I assume you are out of contract? Surely you did not sign up for that price?!

Let us know your contract situation; you need to complain to Calor

Thanks for the advice
I am out of contract, I have contacted Calor still waiting for a response, I'm going to have to ring them again :-( 

Been quoted:

Avanti 62p + VAT fixed for 2 years 30p pd + VAT tank rental

LPG-Save (Flogas) 51p + VAT Litre for 24 months + 27p pd + VAT tank rental

JerryW

Thanks for the advice

I am out of contract, I have contacted Calor still waiting for a response, I'm going to have to ring them again :-( 

Been quoted:

Avanti 62p + VAT fixed for 2 years 30p pd + VAT tank rental

LPG-Save (Flogas) 51p + VAT Litre for 24 months + 27p pd + VAT tank rental

Phone Calor again and say you will move to Flogas unless they can beat the price. The Flogas price is about what you should accept, for a 24 month contract.. beware the "12 month fix and 12m who-knows what" offers.

LessImpecunious

JerryW said:

Thanks for the advice

I am out of contract, I have contacted Calor still waiting for a response, I'm going to have to ring them again :-( 

Been quoted:

Avanti 62p + VAT fixed for 2 years 30p pd + VAT tank rental

LPG-Save (Flogas) 51p + VAT Litre for 24 months + 27p pd + VAT tank rental

Phone Calor again and say you will move to Flogas unless they can beat the price. The Flogas price is about what you should accept, for a 24 month contract.. beware the "12 month fix and 12m who-knows what" offers.

I tried this strategy recently with Calor but was told that their customer retentions team (it was called something different, but you get the idea) don't negotiate direct with customers - they require an approach from the company you are thinking of switching too, and might then make a competitive offer if they don't want to lose you. I was unable to take that approach as our tank had been recently renewed by Calor, in its original site, which was a place which other suppliers would not take on as it was no longer compliant with H&S... [Tried taking this to the Dispute Resolution people, unsuccessfully, but that's another story...] When I explained our situation to the phone operative she had a little chat with the retentions team, and they did offer me a relatively good new contract price - 49p fixed for 12 months - compared to the 69.5p fixed for 12 months or 67.5p variable for two years which I had previously been offered as an alternative to the 70.5p price we were offered at contract renewal back in January this year. I was told that all these were good prices compared with the 70-90 p prices that some long-term customers were paying!

JerryW

LessImpecunious said:

I tried this strategy recently with Calor but was told that their customer retentions team (it was called something different, but you get the idea) don't negotiate direct with customers - they require an approach from the company you are thinking of switching too, and might then make a competitive offer if they don't want to lose you. I was unable to take that approach as our tank had been recently renewed by Calor, in its original site, which was a place which other suppliers would not take on as it was no longer compliant with H&S... [Tried taking this to the Dispute Resolution people, unsuccessfully, but that's another story...] When I explained our situation to the phone operative she had a little chat with the retentions team, and they did offer me a relatively good new contract price - 49p fixed for 12 months - compared to the 69.5p fixed for 12 months or 67.5p variable for two years which I had previously been offered as an alternative to the 70.5p price we were offered at contract renewal back in January this year. I was told that all these were good prices compared with the 70-90 p prices that some long-term customers were paying!

OK, but the sales departments of all the major suppliers will tell you all sorts of baloney. In this case what they said is not true. In the past I have personally been offered a better deal by Calor after I told them what Flogas were offering. They also resited the tank, and replaced all the pipework at their own expense, all I had to pay for was the new concrete base, which I provided myself to their spec.

Calor have a legal duty to make their tank comply with all current regulations. You do have to have a suitable and compliant site for the tank to move to, of course

LessImpecunious

JerryW said:

LessImpecunious said:

I tried this strategy recently with Calor but was told that their customer retentions team (it was called something different, but you get the idea) don't negotiate direct with customers - they require an approach from the company you are thinking of switching too, and might then make a competitive offer if they don't want to lose you. I was unable to take that approach as our tank had been recently renewed by Calor, in its original site, which was a place which other suppliers would not take on as it was no longer compliant with H&S... [Tried taking this to the Dispute Resolution people, unsuccessfully, but that's another story...] When I explained our situation to the phone operative she had a little chat with the retentions team, and they did offer me a relatively good new contract price - 49p fixed for 12 months - compared to the 69.5p fixed for 12 months or 67.5p variable for two years which I had previously been offered as an alternative to the 70.5p price we were offered at contract renewal back in January this year. I was told that all these were good prices compared with the 70-90 p prices that some long-term customers were paying!

OK, but the sales departments of all the major suppliers will tell you all sorts of baloney. In this case what they said is not true. In the past I have personally been offered a better deal by Calor after I told them what Flogas were offering. They also resited the tank, and replaced all the pipework at their own expense, all I had to pay for was the new concrete base, which I provided myself to their spec.

Calor have a legal duty to make their tank comply with all current regulations. You do have to have a suitable and compliant site for the tank to move to, of course

In the past I've found negotiating direct with Calor produced a better contract offer than the one sent by post, but when I tried this (twice via two different phone numbers within the last month or so) the above was the consistent response I had. But maybe different regions within Calor work differently, or I was just unlucky (though in the end lucky, when the person I spoke to put my case to the retentions team).

Tim20

JerryW said:

I am not aware of any previous mentions of Pure LPG on here .. but they sound interesting, as does the tracker option.. they are a bit vague about their coverage area, but they say "Most of the UK."

Be interested to hear how you get on with them

Their website is confusing to navigate, but there is a list of postcodes they supply on their homepage purelpg co uk  just scroll to the bottom of the page

I could not get their enquiry form to work so rang them but one question they asked was how old is my tank and on hearing 2 1/2 years they declined to quote as it would be too expensive for them to take on the tank.

I also have a tracker quote through LPG solutions that i think is from PureLPG so I wonder what the outcome would be if I pursue that.

JerryW

so

Tim20 said:

JerryW said:

I am not aware of any previous mentions of Pure LPG on here .. but they sound interesting, as does the tracker option.. they are a bit vague about their coverage area, but they say "Most of the UK."

Be interested to hear how you get on with them

Their website is confusing to navigate, but there is a list of postcodes they supply on their homepage purelpg co uk  just scroll to the bottom of the page

I could not get their enquiry form to work so rang them but one question they asked was how old is my tank and on hearing 2 1/2 years they declined to quote as it would be too expensive for them to take on the tank.

I also have a tracker quote through LPG solutions that i think is from PureLPG so I wonder what the outcome would be if I pursue that.

Ah, you are right ... just the midlands, it seems, for coverage.

A 2 1/2 year old tank is practically new! What on earth do they mean.. of all the tanks they service, I am sure that much less than 10% are that new... mine is dated 1988!