Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

Cheery_Daff

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

Not sure what would happen if I signed a contract, then they couldn't deliver because their tanker was too big? I suppose the summer is the time to find out!

All the majors will have more than one size of tanker. My advice would be to carry on getting quotes (the current one is too high, unless you are in Stornoway) without mentioning anything about it, and then when you get to agree the best offer, tell them about the restricted access then. They will not want to lose the business, but if they truly can't manage it, go to the next one until you find one that can. LPG save are brokers and won't want to get involved in details like that. All they will guarantee is the price..

Thanks, that's helpful  

Had a quick response from LPG Save: 

• Proposal Summary (2 Year Supply Agreement) – All Home Bulk Tank LPG Supply Agreements are for 24 months only
• Estimated annual usage: Unlike some other suppliers, there is no minimum or maximum usage associated with your Flogas ‘Supply Agreement’.
• 48 pence per litre (+vat @ 5%) - Fixed for the full 24 month Supply Agreement term. 
• Tank Rental / Standing Charge: 16.4 pence per day (+ vat @ 5%), including FREE 'Telemetry Unit’
• £40.00 M&S Gift Card, courtesy of 'Power & Gas' upon first delivery. 

So already cheaper than we paid for the last two year fix, and way cheaper than the renewal offer. 

We're in the Peak District, so not exactly difficult to get to. Have requested quotes from a couple of other places, and will see what they come back with. 

Cheery_Daff

Quick but unattractive quite in from Calor

1st year 47.9ppl, £62 yearly charge
2nd year - market rate, but we can cancel contract if it increases 3.5ppl per quarter.

No thanks - he did admit it wasn't great 😂

JerryW

Cheery_Daff said:

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

Not sure what would happen if I signed a contract, then they couldn't deliver because their tanker was too big? I suppose the summer is the time to find out!

All the majors will have more than one size of tanker. My advice would be to carry on getting quotes (the current one is too high, unless you are in Stornoway) without mentioning anything about it, and then when you get to agree the best offer, tell them about the restricted access then. They will not want to lose the business, but if they truly can't manage it, go to the next one until you find one that can. LPG save are brokers and won't want to get involved in details like that. All they will guarantee is the price..

Thanks, that's helpful  

Had a quick response from LPG Save: 

• Proposal Summary (2 Year Supply Agreement) – All Home Bulk Tank LPG Supply Agreements are for 24 months only
• Estimated annual usage: Unlike some other suppliers, there is no minimum or maximum usage associated with your Flogas ‘Supply Agreement’.
• 48 pence per litre (+vat @ 5%) - Fixed for the full 24 month Supply Agreement term. 
• Tank Rental / Standing Charge: 16.4 pence per day (+ vat @ 5%), including FREE 'Telemetry Unit’
• £40.00 M&S Gift Card, courtesy of 'Power & Gas' upon first delivery. 

So already cheaper than we paid for the last two year fix, and way cheaper than the renewal offer. 

We're in the Peak District, so not exactly difficult to get to. Have requested quotes from a couple of other places, and will see what they come back with. 

That is an acceptable offer, imo, though prices are still dropping, slowly. If another comes in cheaper, good... when/if you get a contract to sign from Flogas remember to neatly cross out any clause that mentions price increases, operational or not. But I think you can trust LPGsave,

The mention of max/min usage is not something I have seen before, and it is mildly disturbing. I hope that doesn't become yet another cross for us users to bear. If anyone tried to put it in a contract for me, I would refuse it. I have no direct control over gas usage, I just live here and don't want to freeze...

Thank them kindly for the telemetry offer but decline it. It works far more to their convenience than to yours (that's why it's "free!"). Deal with them online, look at the tank once a fortnight or less, and when it gets to c30% order up a tankful. Set up a direct debit by all means but not monthly, pay all in one go for the tankful. You will get at least a couple of weeks notice and are better off keeping your money on deposit until then.

Cheery_Daff

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

Not sure what would happen if I signed a contract, then they couldn't deliver because their tanker was too big? I suppose the summer is the time to find out!

All the majors will have more than one size of tanker. My advice would be to carry on getting quotes (the current one is too high, unless you are in Stornoway) without mentioning anything about it, and then when you get to agree the best offer, tell them about the restricted access then. They will not want to lose the business, but if they truly can't manage it, go to the next one until you find one that can. LPG save are brokers and won't want to get involved in details like that. All they will guarantee is the price..

Thanks, that's helpful  

Had a quick response from LPG Save: 

• Proposal Summary (2 Year Supply Agreement) – All Home Bulk Tank LPG Supply Agreements are for 24 months only
• Estimated annual usage: Unlike some other suppliers, there is no minimum or maximum usage associated with your Flogas ‘Supply Agreement’.
• 48 pence per litre (+vat @ 5%) - Fixed for the full 24 month Supply Agreement term. 
• Tank Rental / Standing Charge: 16.4 pence per day (+ vat @ 5%), including FREE 'Telemetry Unit’
• £40.00 M&S Gift Card, courtesy of 'Power & Gas' upon first delivery. 

So already cheaper than we paid for the last two year fix, and way cheaper than the renewal offer. 

We're in the Peak District, so not exactly difficult to get to. Have requested quotes from a couple of other places, and will see what they come back with. 

That is an acceptable offer, imo, though prices are still dropping, slowly. If another comes in cheaper, good... when/if you get a contract to sign from Flogas remember to neatly cross out any clause that mentions price increases, operational or not. But I think you can trust LPGsave,

The mention of max/min usage is not something I have seen before, and it is mildly disturbing. I hope that doesn't become yet another cross for us users to bear. If anyone tried to put it in a contract for me, I would refuse it. I have no direct control over gas usage, I just live here and don't want to freeze...

Thank them kindly for the telemetry offer but decline it. It works far more to their convenience than to yours (that's why it's "free!"). Deal with them online, look at the tank once a fortnight or less, and when it gets to c30% order up a tankful. Set up a direct debit by all means but not monthly, pay all in one go for the tankful. You will get at least a couple of weeks notice and are better off keeping your money on deposit until then.

Thanks, that's all really helpful 😊 Oddly enough, Avanti fitted a telemetry thing to the tank (told us there was no choice, I think) months ago but it's still not operational.

All quotes in, and none have beaten LPG Save. 

In summary, in case it's helpful to anyone else (all prices + VAT)

* Avanti renewal - 2 yr contract, 55ppl + £66/yr in year 1, year 2 increase no more than 5ppl per 6 months

* Calor - 47.9ppl + £62/yr in year 1, year 2 can exit contract if there's an increase of 3.5ppl per quarter

* Bywater (local) - no 2 year contract (unusual - I thought you had to have one?), currently 53.9ppl + £62/yr. Nice local family run.

* Flogas through LPG Save - 2 year fix of 48ppl, no increase in year 2. 16.4p per day charge (£59.86/year)

LPG Save have requested photos of tank, so I'll do that tomorrow, if they're happy I'll check the contract for no hidden nasties, and get signed up.

Thanks for your advice @JerryW - this will be our 6th year on bulk LPG and I do miss mains gas 😂

Lisa_mj

Top quality advice from @JerryW as always.  @Cheery_Daff just one thing to add, Flogas are recommending that fill up is requested when tank reaches 40%, given the recent experience of delivery delays for a couple of their customers (including me) I would definitely go with their advice on this during colder autumn/winter months when usage increases

Cheery_Daff

Lisa_mj said:

Top quality advice from @JerryW as always.  @Cheery_Daff just one thing to add, Flogas are recommending that fill up is requested when tank reaches 40%, given the recent experience of delivery delays for a couple of their customers (including me) I would definitely go with their advice on this during colder autumn/winter months when usage increases

Thanks, that's good to know. Avanti let us get to 5% once, I was biting my nails 😂

This is, I suppose, one of the advantages of the local firm... On an average of the last two year's usage we'd only be paying an extra £40 a year with them (although no price fix of course, so who knows what could happen - but also no 2 year contract...). 

Mister_G

Cheery_Daff said:

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

JerryW said:

Cheery_Daff said:

Not sure what would happen if I signed a contract, then they couldn't deliver because their tanker was too big? I suppose the summer is the time to find out!

All the majors will have more than one size of tanker. My advice would be to carry on getting quotes (the current one is too high, unless you are in Stornoway) without mentioning anything about it, and then when you get to agree the best offer, tell them about the restricted access then. They will not want to lose the business, but if they truly can't manage it, go to the next one until you find one that can. LPG save are brokers and won't want to get involved in details like that. All they will guarantee is the price..

Thanks, that's helpful  

Had a quick response from LPG Save: 

• Proposal Summary (2 Year Supply Agreement) – All Home Bulk Tank LPG Supply Agreements are for 24 months only
• Estimated annual usage: Unlike some other suppliers, there is no minimum or maximum usage associated with your Flogas ‘Supply Agreement’.
• 48 pence per litre (+vat @ 5%) - Fixed for the full 24 month Supply Agreement term. 
• Tank Rental / Standing Charge: 16.4 pence per day (+ vat @ 5%), including FREE 'Telemetry Unit’
• £40.00 M&S Gift Card, courtesy of 'Power & Gas' upon first delivery. 

So already cheaper than we paid for the last two year fix, and way cheaper than the renewal offer. 

We're in the Peak District, so not exactly difficult to get to. Have requested quotes from a couple of other places, and will see what they come back with. 

That is an acceptable offer, imo, though prices are still dropping, slowly. If another comes in cheaper, good... when/if you get a contract to sign from Flogas remember to neatly cross out any clause that mentions price increases, operational or not. But I think you can trust LPGsave,

The mention of max/min usage is not something I have seen before, and it is mildly disturbing. I hope that doesn't become yet another cross for us users to bear. If anyone tried to put it in a contract for me, I would refuse it. I have no direct control over gas usage, I just live here and don't want to freeze...

Thank them kindly for the telemetry offer but decline it. It works far more to their convenience than to yours (that's why it's "free!"). Deal with them online, look at the tank once a fortnight or less, and when it gets to c30% order up a tankful. Set up a direct debit by all means but not monthly, pay all in one go for the tankful. You will get at least a couple of weeks notice and are better off keeping your money on deposit until then.

Thanks, that's all really helpful 😊 Oddly enough, Avanti fitted a telemetry thing to the tank (told us there was no choice, I think) months ago but it's still not operational.

All quotes in, and none have beaten LPG Save. 

In summary, in case it's helpful to anyone else (all prices + VAT)

* Avanti renewal - 2 yr contract, 55ppl + £66/yr in year 1, year 2 increase no more than 5ppl per 6 months

* Calor - 47.9ppl + £62/yr in year 1, year 2 can exit contract if there's an increase of 3.5ppl per quarter

* Bywater (local) - no 2 year contract (unusual - I thought you had to have one?), currently 53.9ppl + £62/yr. Nice local family run.

* Flogas through LPG Save - 2 year fix of 48ppl, no increase in year 2. 16.4p per day charge (£59.86/year)

LPG Save have requested photos of tank, so I'll do that tomorrow, if they're happy I'll check the contract for no hidden nasties, and get signed up.

Thanks for your advice @JerryW - this will be our 6th year on bulk LPG and I do miss mains gas 😂

Yes, I'm with my local independent and I do not have a contract. I currently pay 48ppl through our local buying group with them for the past 13 years and they have never let me down.

JerryW

Mister_G said:Yes, I'm with my local independent and I do not have a contract. I currently pay 48ppl through our local buying group with them for the past 13 years and they have never let me down.

I am curious, who owns your tank? Does the local independent care?

Mister_G

JerryW said:

Mister_G said:Yes, I'm with my local independent and I do not have a contract. I currently pay 48ppl through our local buying group with them for the past 13 years and they have never let me down.

I am curious, who owns your tank? Does the local independent care?

The tank belongs to my supplier.  They say that their LPG price includes tank maintenance.

kassy64

kassy64 said:

Hi, I'm down to about 18% of LPG in my tank (2,000 litre capacity I believe). In contract with Flogas and have an order of about 1,500 litres on my account showing since mid January. Been with Flogas for about 5 years now and tank has never gone as low as it is currently. I have messaged them but had no response (yet). Before I get on the phone to them does anyone know of any shortages or problems at Flogas, i've read on this thread that they are prioritising those that have run out 😢. Hope this is not the case as we regularly have very young and very old people stay with us. I am in East Sussex by the way.Thanks  

Panic over, just had 1,700 litres delivered (should last me well into next winter hopefully).
ps - tank was showing 12% yesterday