Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

HateLPG

mike817217 wrote: »

Hi everybody my first post

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Any thoughts ?

mike817217, welcome :-)

On first reading, it seems to me that (by-and-large) you've been quite happy with Shell, and that the reason you intend to leave is that you are no longer under contract, and don't want to pay the hight price Shell are currently asking?

I think your current delivery could be a tricky one, HOWEVER, given your current situation, this would be my approach:

1. Call Flogas and put them "on hold" for the time being, "until such time as you have sorted out the contractual issues" (don't blow them out of the water JUST yet - keep that quote "in your back pocket"). The introductory price may be good, and the £100 bribe might look attractive, but as you point out, there is no cap on the price, and Flogas are notorious for pushing the price sky-high whenever they get the chance;
2. Get some quotes from other suppliers ASAP, just so you've got a good bargaining position - see LittleVermin's typically useful post earlier on this thread (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39104984&postcount=413 for advice on getting LPG quotes;
3. Contact Shell in writing as soon as possible (and certainly within 14 days of your recent delivery) and explain the situation to them. Explain that you are quite happy with the service and provided they are able to move on price, you will be able to continue doing business with them. Make it clear that you want any NEW contract to be retrospective (i.e. to cover your last delivery when you were not technically bound in to your contract) as a condition of signing that new contract; The worst that can happen is they refuse to move on price at all, in which case it is time to change supplier anyway!
4. Whoever you finally choose, do NOT sign a contract that does not offer a capped price rise, no matter HOW attractive it may seem. To the best of my knowledge, Shell are offering 3ppl/6months cap and Calor are offering 3.5ppl/6months (if you find this to be different, or if you find price caps for any other suppliers, it would be useful if you could give an update in this thread!). Note: bear in mind that this "capped price" is not (as it was on some contracts in the past) a hard and fast limit on the price, but it DOES give you an escape clause if your particular supplier's price sky-rockets!

Keep us posted and Good luck

tumuli

If it makes anyone feel better (reading this thread makes me feel like a mug anyway, so why not), I got a letter from BP this morning with a 9.5ppl hike, on top of last month's 5.5ppl (I think) hike.

That makes our current ppl ... wait for it... 68.95

Do I win a prize for that?

Was thinking of switching to Calor, but really not sure after reading this thread. They offered me (this morning) 43ppl, 16.9ddp standing charge, £100 gas credit with a 2 year contract (no more than 3.5ppl increase in 3 months). We have an above ground tank. Still sounds like we're being ripped off from what others here are paying.

Any thoughts?

LittleVermin

tumuli wrote: »

If it makes anyone feel better (reading this thread makes me feel like a mug anyway, so why not), I got a letter from BP this morning with a 9.5ppl hike, on top of last month's 5.5ppl (I think) hike.

That makes our current ppl ... wait for it... 68.95

Do I win a prize for that?

Was thinking of switching to Calor, but really not sure after reading this thread. They offered me (this morning) 43ppl, 16.9ddp standing charge, £100 gas credit with a 2 year contract (no more than 3.5ppl increase in 3 months). We have an above ground tank. Still sounds like we're being ripped off from what others here are paying.

Any thoughts?

So when does your contract end? (It can't be more than 2 years long - and that applies retrospectively). Or are you already out of contract, but still with the tank owned by BP?

And - welcome, tumuli, to the forum! You do, I think, win the prize - by a whisker. The previous highest posted was 68ppl from Flogas (at the same time as another Flogas customer was paying just 30ppl .. if that doesn't make people sign up to voisin's post, nothing will - it's linked from here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39205254&postcount=477.).

Calor's cap: 3.5ppl / 3 months? So you could be paying 67.5ppl for the last 3 months of a 2 year contract (if my arithmetic is correct!). You might try to go for a better cap - or a guarantee of the initial price for 6 months (i.e. over this winter) or 2 fills. If you look back over this thread you'll find a range of options which people have had. And then you'll need to remember the small print - Calor is terribly careless and has a reputation for forgetting the small print in its contracts.

Where are these tumuli based? Maybe there are potential suppliers in addition to BP and Calor? Maybe local deals (farmer's co-ops, etc)?

HateLPG

tumuli wrote: »

Still sounds like we're being ripped off from what others here are paying.

Any thoughts?

There is, as always, the caveat that the price is to some extent dependent on usage and location, but that still does sound pretty steep!

A month or so back I posted the prices being paid by or quoted to everyone who had posted their price info in THIS thread, and Windward usefully re-formatted that into a csv text format (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=38832156&postcount=368). You might find that useful to get a handle on a "fair" price.

(P.S. I plan to update the figures and re-post the info for 2010 once the year has finally ended.)

HateLPG

LittleVermin wrote: »

Calor's cap: 3.5ppl / 3 months? So you could be paying 67.5ppl for the last 3 months of a 2 year contract (if my arithmetic is correct!).

From what others have said, I think that Calor have now revised this down to 3.5ppl / 6 months - when I took the 3.5ppl/3months rate up with their "customer" retention team a few months back, they told me that clause was killing them.

Or it could just be that the 3.5ppl/3 months was the "Awkward Squad" rate and that they thought I qualified for that one instead.

Either way, don't assume that just because it's been posted here, that is what will be on your contract - ALWAYS scrutinise any contract that you are being asked to sign VERY carefully before scribbling on the dotted line!

tumuli

We're in Angus, Scotland. No local co-ops/farmers/neighbors on LPG to do a deal with unfortunately.

They def quoted me the 3.5ppl/3months this morning when I spoke to them, but as I was only inquiring and not in a position to "do the deal" I wasn't going to push it there and then.

tumuli

Keep meaning to ask, is there a way of finding out what my options are (re: suppliers) in my area without compiling a list of all the suppliers and phoning them all?

LittleVermin

tumuli wrote: »

Keep meaning to ask, is there a way of finding out what my options are (re: suppliers) in my area without compiling a list of all the suppliers and phoning them all?

Put your postcode in http://www.uklpg.org/supplier-search/

cheers!

HateLPG

tumuli wrote: »

They def quoted me the 3.5ppl/3months this morning when I spoke to them....

Sharks!!!!

That's GOT to be a deal breaker in ANYONE'S book!

tumuli

Thank you LittleVermin