LPG Switch impossible as Avanti Gas derelict in their duty to performing mandatory safety tests.

Beukmann

I am literally being held to ransom by Avanti Gas, who over the past five years failed to perform periodic and mandatory safety checks (so called CP tests and something I pay for in the yearly tank rental fee) on the LPG tank at my house. Because of this, I cannot switch to another supplier (until Avanti produces the test certificates). 

To add insult to injury, Avanti increased their price to 72p per litre which I have to accept or lock myself into another six month contract (max they will offer) at 62p per litre. This means I am paying in excess of £440 more for the tank to be filled when compared to the offers I have from Calor Gas and FloGas, the only two options I have in our area.

I initiated a switch to Calor Gas early January and for the reasons mentioned above this failed yesterday as Avanti did not respond to their request for the test to be done and so the 28-day for the switch ended. Calor Gas happy to say sorry, but nothing we can do. FloGas told me from the offset they could not do a switch from Avanti for the same reason but was happy to offer me a price which was comparable to Calor Gas's offer. The FloGas customer service lady even stated that this is becoming a common problem. I offered in both cases to pay for the test myself but I am told this is not allowed even though both Calor Gas and FloGas offer this as a service to the consumer on their websites. To me this all reeks of anticompetitive behaviour as the sense of complacency shown by these companies suggest they are all doing this effecting customers coming out of contract.

The only trade association I can find related to LPG is Liquid Gas UK, who has an Ombudsman Scheme administered by UtilitiesADR (a division of The Retail Ombudsman) however, navigating the complaints procedure is impossible in bringing the problem specifics to them. And of course, there is now way to speak to them. I wish OFGEM will do what is right and include LPG customers to their remit.

I am happy to hear form others or get advice as I am just about to have yet another extortionate tank fill by Avanti Gas.

Poundnote

Two years ago I initiated a change of supplier from Calor to Flogas via LPG save.

The appropriate notices were given and all was going well until Calor was unable to provide the 20 year test certificate. The tank was 20 + years old and as Calor were the owners had to provide the test certificate which they could not do.

Instead Calor replaced the tank with a newly refurbished one at their cost.

Eagle_lpg_user

We have successfully left Avanti for another company recently. Their representatives had access to a database of certificates and were satisfied our tank, while not recently new, had had the necessary checks.
Our Avanti price was quoted similarly to the 62/72p mentioned above. Our new supplier is at 42p inc vat. We’re very happy to have saved 000s.
We were nervous as we had read about difficulties, there’s definitely something amiss as no one can reasonably get away with such a price differential long term, unless they can tie their customers in somehow.
Surely lpg needs to come under the auspices of Ofgem.

MikeFl

Placing LPG suppliers under OFGEM is a start (depending on how useful OFGEM are...) I've raised this with my MP. I think that's all we can do - keep mentioning it, until enough MPs get enough letters from their constituents. As it is, LPG companies seem pretty free to treat customers however they fancy. 

Mike2cv

I am stuck with Avanti at the moment as, like some others in similar threads, Avanti replaced my tank a couple of years ago but put it in a non-compliant situation. It was exactly where the previous tank was and I was fully expecting them to say at the time that I would need to get some work done in the area, but they didn't and just put it in the same spot. I was only when I came to renew my contract that I was told by all the other suppliers that they couldn't take the tank on as it was incorrectly sited! That seems like very sharp practice to me but I feel powerless to do anything about it. I am contemplating doing some major re-design and rebuild of walls and structures in that area but I am really not keen on doing a load of work only to find out that the tank is still not compliant for some obscure reason that isn't obvious from the impenetrably worded information that I got from the relevant body. Is there a service that can recommend and confirm compliance out there? I would pay a good whack of cash to get a definitive answer.

gayle.

Did anyone ever get a resolution for this issue.
I've been with avanti and now trying to move to calor as they're 20p cheaper per litre. The move has been declined as avanti cant/wont supply a manufacturers certificate or a tank refurb certificate which calor need. Flogas won't take me as a customer (even though I was with them before avanti) as my tank now doesn't comply with their rules as it's near a garage. Do I have any options other than to stick with avanti and pay their ridiculously high prices?

Sorting_Hat

The paperwork and the tank siting are not connected.
Tanks are priced on a sliding scale so if a tank has no paperwork its a cheap tank. However cheap or not if its not correctly sited then it can be declined.