Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

SD-253

Bruce_GT3 wrote: »

Perfect, Hate!! :beer:

Just what I was looking for.

Unfortunately the uklpg only lists Calor, Flogas and Shell as supplying my postcode...

I've alrerady asked Shell for a quote, particulalry as they seem to offer qutie a good deal in terms of price and price-rise cappings...

Time will tell.

I had a look at the Extrafuel website (one of the few who publish a price :j) and their current price is more than the increased rate Calor are trying to charge me

Do you know how much you use each year? The price you will be offered is based on this. Can you be certain thats how much you will use? The figure I gave was a gross over estimate and I have had no comeback (Energas). I did not know that I would get enough wood to keep my 2 bed bungalow warm for nowt. So the actual figure I gave them may have been accurate without the wood? Think about how much you may use. I will when I go through my emails give an example of this.

SD-253

I asked for quote/info LPG Homeheat

Thank for you expressing your interest in a quotation from LPG Homheat
via our website. In order for me to offer you an accurate quotation I
would need an accurate annual usage for the LPG at your property.
Please find below an example of what we offer, the price per litre is
dependent upon usage, however, the difference is marginal.
With an annual consumption of 3000 litres we can supply fuel at 44ppl
with an annual above ground tank rental of £60.00.

ME
1/ I can not be sure of my usage as I have used 3000 litres but have also
used much less due to someone giveing me a load of free wood. So to be
on the safe side say qute for 2000 litres and for 1000litres. If I do
not use this much will I be penalised?

REPLY

1) If we were to supply your LPG based on a usage of 2000 litres we would be able to offer the LPG at a price of 47 price per litre. I can't give you a quote at 1000 litres as our minimum usage is 1500 ltrs, at that usage we could offer
the LPG at 49 pence per litre. You would not be penalised if you don’t use the amount stated, however, we would review your usage and in line your price per litre.



I don't know about you but this statement difference is marginal. Is not my definition of marginal as it is an 11% increase (44ppl to 49pppl).
You would not be penalised NOT quite true if they then add this review your usage and in line your price per litre. unless one fill did you for 2 years? not likely I know but as I have stated I have had no comeback at all from my LPG company.
So worth asking these questions without of course mentioning the wood or any other alternative fuel. Further info on this and there other offers which may be of interest to others and will be added in a while when I go through me emails again.
Also no matter what people may say on this forum £60 is the standard rate for tank rental. So negotiate the price of LPG followed by making sure the tank rental is only £60.

SD-253

Also from LPG Homeheat (note also trade under Northern LPG Supplies Limited)


Providing the property is not rented we can offer , VAT Paid on all the
deliveries for the whole 2 year agreement period if you pay by form of
Direct Debit and go onto our Automatic Refilling Service.

We offer a subsidised boiler service at £58 + VAT

Any customer will automatically qualify for the home emergency
breakdown cover, this would cover your central heating should it
breakdown for two breakdowns over a 12 month period the first for £250
the second for £190.

Variable or fixed direct debit and Top up schemes are also available.

** We also offer £50 worth of FREE lpg for every customer that you
bring to us**

I asked for a bit more info this was there reply to my questions

2) The statement saying we pay the VAT on all deliveries means that we offer to
pay the 5% VAT on the fuel for you. We would charge say 47ppl instead of 47ppl
including the VAT. So the price per litre quoted would be the net figure. The is
no charge for the delivery of LPG to your property.

3) The home emergency breakdown cover is free of charge if you pay be form of
direct debit and go on our automatic refilling service. We would suggest to have
your boiler serviced annually but it is not a compulsory service you have to
take out with ourselves, you are welcome to use your own engineer is you wish to
do so.

4) We do use a telementry service as we find it highly inaccurate and generally
causes customers to run out. The variable direct debit means you can pay the
full amount 21 days after delivery by form of direct debit or you could pay
monthly if you wish.

The answer in 4/ Appears to be a mistake ie We do use & highly inaccurate and generally
causes customers to run out. I have stated the latter before on this forum.
Can anyone give there views (based please on knowledge) on the free booiler insurance and the price of boiler maintanence.
PS
"The variable direct debit means you can pay the full amount 21 days after delivery by form of direct debit" Weird this is just paying as you would normally only with a longer period inbetween IE I normally pay within a week of delivery??

SD-253

This maybe of use interest to people.
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Accumulator-hot-water-tanks.html
It is new way of linking different sources of heat/energy. IE LPG & wood etc

This is a more convetional way of linking heat sources together- http://www.boilerstoves.co.uk/linked-systems.html
Both of the latter alowes you to include a solar panel and would alowe you to run 2 or more systems together. Personaly I am looking at Economy 7 (3.6p a KwH) and My LPG together. Note loss of heat is 2 centigrade a day with an accumulator tank........pretty impresive

frankie

SD-253 wrote: »

Doesn't this mean you can go elsewhere? Does your contract say if they raise the price above a certain amount you can move on and not be breaking your side of the contract? If so have you had a look around for a better deal?

Of course I could go elsewhere. The point is that the contract clauses re price increases are worthless. It forces the customer to be inconvenienced and allows the supplier to do what they want. It is the terms of such contracts that I have issues with. A cap is a cap.

It is also annoying that such price increases are announced at such short notice. (Maybe this will change in the Autumn as new regs are expected to come into force for at least on-grid supplies).

Which in turn means that the customer, unless their tank is low, usually around 20%, is not able to take advantage of a refill at previous prices.

These are issues that affect all lpg users and once again I advocate contacting the OFT to highlight such practices.

I actually have quite a competitive price with my supplier, however, this does not mean that I will not argue a point of principle. My contract is up in June and of course I will investigate the market for my next supplier in the near future. It may even become the case that if I cannot get a competitive deal, then I will stay with my current supplier, but if possible on a rolling contract.

Bruce_GT3

SD-253 wrote: »

Do you know how much you use each year? The price you will be offered is based on this. Can you be certain thats how much you will use? The figure I gave was a gross over estimate and I have had no comeback (Energas). I did not know that I would get enough wood to keep my 2 bed bungalow warm for nowt. So the actual figure I gave them may have been accurate without the wood? Think about how much you may use. I will when I go through my emails give an example of this.

So I received a reply from Shell last Friday (very prompt :j) and got the following quote;

43.5ppl for the first 6 months,

£15/qtr tank rental,

2 year agreement, with a price increase cap of 3ppl in any 6 month period (which by my understanding means that the price cannot rise above 52.5ppl at the end of the contract).

I'll be going back to Calor to ask them to match this deal, or they can say goodbye to my custom....

drfrot

Den2Mark wrote: »

I got a letter from Countrywide Farmers today increasing my LPG price from 42 ppl to 44.85 ppl. They did not actually specify the price per litre in the letter; they just said the increase was 2.85 ppl, and left me to do the maths. I can't help feeling suspicious when suppliers don't quote the actual ppl. This was Calor's practice also when I was with them.

Anyway, last time I spoke to their Customer Services they said everyone apart from those on initial offers had the same price, and if I knew of anyone getting a different price they would adjust it down.

So if anyone with Countrywide outside their initial 3 month introductory offer is getting better than 44.85ppl I would be grateful if you could let me know.

Equally, if you are paying more than 44.85ppl and want to quote me to get your price down I'll be happy to oblige.

[hysterical laughter]Hahahahahaha!![/hysterical laughter]

I got the same letter from Countrywide, and that 2.85ppl rise puts my gas up to an eye watering 60.85ppl!!!

I no longer care. Our contract runs out next month and I had the last delivery I'll ever be getting from them a couple of weeks ago.

Good riddance!

SD-253

frankie wrote: »

Which in turn means that the customer, unless their tank is low, usually around 20%, is not able to take advantage of a refill at previous price

Why do you have to wait till it is only got 20% left? 400 litre delivery is normaly the minimum?

SD-253

frankie wrote: »

Of course I could go elsewhere. The point is that the contract clauses re price increases are worthless. It forces the customer to be inconvenienced and allows the supplier to do what they want. It is the terms of such contracts that I have issues with. A cap is a cap.

I think you will find that the contract clause says that you have the right to change so they are not breaking there side of the contract so it isn't cap at all. It is important to remember that although Shell and all the other big companies can afford to make a loss for 2 years on your contract by subsidizing it from the other bussiness they own, small companies will be wiped out if they offered a 2 year cap and the price of wholesale LPG went to high IE less competition in the long run. Price linked to the wholesale price would be a much better idea? And before anyone brings up electricity & gas tarrifs prices which are fixed for 1 year thats what they are 1 year and the company buys the electricity from the power station at the fixed price. I am afraid a real cap on LPG fixed for 2 years may prove to be a bad thing in the long run.
Nope I would love to see prices offered relative to wholesale. Probably there will be a downside to that but there is to everything?

SD-253

drfrot wrote: »

[hysterical laughter]Hahahahahaha!![/hysterical laughter]

I got the same letter from Countrywide, and that 2.85ppl rise puts my gas up to an eye watering 60.85ppl!!!

I no longer care. Our contract runs out next month and I had the last delivery I'll ever be getting from them a couple of weeks ago.

Good riddance!

When I asked for quote from countywide 14 months ago they were ludicrously high higher than you are now??