New house with LPG tank..how do i get LPG?

jerree

Firstly i apologise if this has been covered in the HUGE thread regarding LPG, but could only manage to read last 100 replies....

So i have recently purchased a house with LPG as the form of heating. There is a tank in situe from Calor. I have 20% gas in tank and now would like to purchase some more....
the previous owners left without sharing any information regarding utilities, except sellers questionaire (thank god for that!)

I am reading that there are tie ins, contracts, prices freezes, new legislation etc etc etc....i am greatly confused by this..
As i still have building work going on, i do not know of useage figures, as i havent moved in, nor of any other information.


Where do i start??


The house is a large 5 bed stone property in South Cornwall, North Coast...it is exposed at front but sheltered from elements at rear. Old UPVC windows, little insulation (roof being done though), floors being re laid with concrete and insulation boards...if any of that makes a difference to your advice

My previous houses were either mains gas or oil...thus easy to work out. I didnt realise that LPG was so complicated.....

PLease help this LPG virgin!

bernithebiker

Common sense really - phone around a few suppliers and explain your situation which is straightforward. Let them fight for your business. Look for the lowest price, but be careful of locking yourself in.

I don't know if you have any obligation to Calor or not - I would think not. They may be the best bet, as it's possible that if your business goes elsewhere, they would have to come and take their tank away. Speak to them.

jerree

Since we are having loads of work done on the house and having read most of the replies on the forum we feel it may be better to have an oil boiler put in to replace lpg. Do readers agree?

mfmaybe

It depends. If your LPG boiler is fairly new, it will be very efficient. I believe LPG is a "cleaner" fuel, and the one big plus is it's pretty hard to steal, whereas Oil theft can be rife in rural areas. If you need to replace the boiler anyway, then certainly consider oil (as I understand it, the workings of the boiler are simpler and you will have a wider choice of "repair man") but don't discount LPG totally. Also remember if you move to oil you would need a gas cylinder if you have a gas hob.

Regarding the huge thread, what you will find is that there is one particular supplier that you will be advised not to touch with the proverbial bargepole. Their name begins with F end ends in Gas! First thing to do is find your local suppliers, the biggies will likely be Calor, BP, Shell and F**gas. Call them all up and ask for a price, telling them you don't know what the useage is. But do your best to find an independent supplier if you can, or perhaps a co-operative. The UK LPG website should be your first port of call, but apparently isn't always complete. I believe a current fair price would be around about low to mid 40ps, I am paying quite a bit more than that. You will likely have to sign a 2 year deal as the new supplier will take on the tank from Calor. You will have to pay a rental/maintenance, mine is about 18p a day. Make sure you are clear on the terms of the contract, aim to fix the price for as long as possible, then to have a cap on increases, and if you can find the holy grail you are looking for a supplier who will put prices down as well as up! You should also expect the new supplier to visit and check the siting of your tank (can't be closer to a building than 3m, can't be under trees etc).

All of the above has been gleaned primarily from reading the LPG thread. Re suppliers, perhaps put a specific post at the end of the big thread and someone might be able to help, if they don't see this.

LittleVermin

"LPG virgin" - not a desirable situation!

A UKLPG search for Cornwall will turn up Calor, BP, Avanti (which bought Shell's LPG business) and Flogas. Another option, I think, would be the independent Extra Fuel, which looks to have left UKLPG. And then there's Mole Valley Farmers - which has bulk buying deals with the majors for its members (?tenner a year, and you don't have to be a farmer - or even live in Mole Valley Land!).

If you go for Extra Fuel your LPG will be delivered by Flogas in Cornwall (my situation - no problems for the 20 months I've been with Extra Fuel). They have a monthly price - see here for its ups and downs relative to the wholesale price of propane. If you go with MVF you'll be signing a deal with a major - but at the MVF rate.

If you go with flo .... !

Hope that helps. I agree with what mfmaybe has advised.

Some, of course, would advise you to stay - forever! - a "LPG virgin". Check out some of the links here.

PS You might want to check your tank siting against Calor's spec (based on the UKLPG code of practice). You have NO obligation to Calor - you can choose your supplier - and Calor has to offer to sell them the tank (and the switch has to take max 28 days, or if your new supplier instals their tank it has to be done in 42 days.)

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[Deleted User]

jerree wrote: »

Since we are having loads of work done on the house and having read most of the replies on the forum we feel it may be better to have an oil boiler put in to replace lpg. Do readers agree?

Yes and no...

Given the size and construction of your property I'd remove the LPG as the cost will be huge new boiler or not. Oil, why bother most folk I speak to want to get rid of that too.

Look into renewables as the long term saving are huge with RHI on the horizon... Especially as no doubt you are insulating as best you can. But in saying that our old house could do with a load more insulation but bills are still cheap.

Switching from LPG to ASHP has transformed our house and lives. The house is warm 24/7 with loads of DHW ongoing costs a fraction of minimal LPG use. Can't recommend the EcoDan enough, amazing piece of kit. Yes install may be dear but bung it on the mortgage and the lower bills will pay for it.