Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

paddytt

JerryW said:

123Ed said:

paddytt said:

Hi All
Our bulk tank has just been filled up on 16th December at 57.25p + VAT, we’re with Calor through a buying group in East Anglia.  Just wondering how this compares?
thanks
TT

@paddytt you mention a buying group in East Anglia. Do you know if it covers North-east Suffolk? Thanks.

I'm sure they are great but at over 60p/l inc vat they are not cheap. I'm paying 47p + vat

Are you in contract?  Who are you with?

thanks

TT

JerryW

I'm sure they are great but at over 60p/l inc vat they are not cheap. I'm paying 47p + vat

Are you in contract?  Who are you with?

thanks

TT

I'm with Flogas at present. Contract for 2 years fixed, from Oct 2022. Prices have gone back down since, hoping to do better next time but we shall see...

123Ed

@paddytt - thanks for the reply, I will contact Fram Farmers.

@JerryW - 60ppl may not be cheap, but it's better than what I've recently been offered by my current supplier. I became out-of-contract in 2021, but the price remained much the same and seemed fairly competitive when checking against what others were quoting on this forum, so I didn't shop around. Then just before Christmas my supplier contacted me to thank me for being a "valued customer" but then saying I was out of contract and therefore they were increasing my price form 52 to 72ppl, or I could fix for 6 months at 62ppl. Neither option seemed good value so I contacted them to ask about longer/cheaper fixes, but they wouldn't offer anything else and said that "the wholesale market has increased".  Hence I'm now shopping around! ...the cynic in me thinks they have very deliberately picked their timing as it is a high use period of the year and hence a more difficult time to switch, compounded by offices being closed over the holiday, so also difficult to get quotes from others. Unfortunately where I live there are no local independent suppliers, so finding a local buying group could help. 

JerryW

Woldlink (now called Woldmarsh) are another excellent buying group. I was with them for years, lovely people to deal with. Their price went uncompetitive but for all I know is back in the frame now. I am due to renew this autumn and will definitely give them a ring. They say they are a farmers' group but anyone can join them. They cover most of England, including all of East Anglia.

Please can I ask everyone to say which supplier they are with, if they want to talk about them? Being coy helps nobody.

123Ed

JerryW said:

Woldlink (now called Woldmarsh) are another excellent buying group. I was with them for years, lovely people to deal with. Their price went uncompetitive but for all I know is back in the frame now. I am due to renew this autumn and will definitely give them a ring. They say they are a farmers' group but anyone can join them. They cover most of England, including all of East Anglia.

Please can I ask everyone to say which supplier they are with, if they want to talk about them? Being coy helps nobody.

I too was previously with Woldlink, like you say they were excellent. I would've stayed with them, but seem to remember that at the time they couldn't agree a new competitive deal with Flogas (so withdrew from the market?) and customers were offered a deal directly with Avanti, who I'm still currently with.

Sorry, didn't mean to be coy about my supplier.

Lisa_mj

Update to my post dated 10 Jan, after begging and pleading (and 6 weeks since placing my order), Flogas topped me up yesterday Saturday 13th. Gauge reading before was 14% and after was 85%. At full it's 1900 litres, it took 1760 litres which suggests only 140 litres were remaining, which by my maths is less than 14%, I appreciate the gauge is only ever an estimate. At least I can relax and sleep better and start using gas normally now without fear of running out if snow arrives. 

Happy Sunday everyone 

Poundnote

There is a facility on your account with Flogas

https://myaccount.flogas.co.uk/overview

which provides daily tank readings, usage and how many days supply of LPG remaining.

Mike2cv

Had an issue with getting a contract with a new supplier recently as my tank is apparently non-compliant. I was sent some details of what is required for a tank to comply but I found it very hard to interpret and I don't want to go to a large effort and expense without some certainty that I will fix all of the issues. Is there an idiot's guide as to how to comply somewhere. Many thanks. It's also very annoying that the tank is sited exactly as it has always been and has been inspected and even replaced in 2021 and no issues were raised!

QrizB

Mike2cv said:

Had an issue with getting a contract with a new supplier recently as my tank is apparently non-compliant. I was sent some details of what is required for a tank to comply but I found it very hard to interpret and I don't want to go to a large effort and expense without some certainty that I will fix all of the issues. Is there an idiot's guide as to how to comply somewhere. Many thanks. It's also very annoying that the tank is sited exactly as it has always been and has been inspected and even replaced in 2021 and no issues were raised!

My understanding from reading lots of LPG threads here is that if your tank is non-compliant, and you rent it from your current supplier, it's for the current supplier to rectify.

Of course if the problem is that you've eg. built a summerhouse too close, that's your problem not your supplier's.

JerryW

Mike2cv said:

Had an issue with getting a contract with a new supplier recently as my tank is apparently non-compliant. I was sent some details of what is required for a tank to comply but I found it very hard to interpret and I don't want to go to a large effort and expense without some certainty that I will fix all of the issues. Is there an idiot's guide as to how to comply somewhere. Many thanks. It's also very annoying that the tank is sited exactly as it has always been and has been inspected and even replaced in 2021 and no issues were raised!

When that happened to me, many years ago, the new supplier had sent a surveyor to assess the tank, and he said it was the most noncompliant tank he had ever seen! I showed his report to the existing supplier (Calor) and they carried out all the necessary work. They even met the lower supply price the new supplier had offered. All I had to provide was a concrete base for the new tank site, which I did myself.

Suppliers own the tank and they have a legally enforceable duty to see that it is compliant. This would only be at your expense if you had caused the non compliance issue(s). There are rare exceptions where the tank simply cannot be made to comply with current regulations (eg insufficient space) but they are few & far between.