Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

msmo_2 · 4 October 2008 at 10:30PM

Sounds as If were being ripped off by all the companies doesnt it ?
lets revolt shall we

chubbybrown4real · 9 October 2008 at 10:56PM

Calor and Flogas are not the same company.
Calor probably have around half the market.
Flogas are irish and are basically trying to buy any competition out,they bought out Total and also British gas Propane,Super gas,Nwy cymru Propane
The filling of the supply pipe with expanding foam is supposed to be from a safety point of view saying they are purging the line of gas,sounds plausable doesnt it?
Its an old British gas trick to avoid roll overs ( going from one company to another)
Tank refurbs and sales were possible until Bp bought out schnieder industries in Scotland,so Bp do all the refurbs for all companies unless you goto Van leer in Belgium.
In the future companies will be able to aquire other companies tanks this is true but with main 20 year tests looming on any tank and the costs that go with it,I doubt many lpg suppliers will proceed.
Then you have different standards of tank all should confirm to Bs PD 5500 BUT some of the larger companies Exceed this,pays your money!
I wouldnt sign any contracts and at least then you are out of contract and can say so and therefore haggle.
Bp are actively fitting devices to stop Pirate tank filling as the tanks talk to sattelites when filled or get to a low level,Honour amongst thieves.
My gas boiler is 16 years old and I wait another 2 years until British gas bring out a mega efficient boiler,if my one can hold out :-)
Running new pipework and a new tank is the best way forward for rolling as the gas company who depending on who they are,are responsible for the pipework to the stop tap,so therefore wanting to replace so they know its plastic and up to scratch.
Some older houses will have a cast Iron pipe and will rot!
Most will have upso/opsos either seperate or fitted on the supply line on or near the tank,larger users will also have a 2nd stage too.
forgot to say Shell/Gleaner are big in Scotland.

www.lpga.co.uk

for suppliers who atain a certain standard

anything else Just ask.

cheers

Chubbz

chubbybrown4real · 9 October 2008 at 11:00PM

The Competition Commission (CC) is about to conclude its investigation into the domestic bulk LPG market, customers who are not in contract will be able to switch supplier without having to change tanks.
Sorry shamelessly copied and pasted.

Tweetinat · 16 October 2008 at 1:02PM

Further to the last post I downloaded the following information from the CC website today which indicates that from 13th April 2009 we should be able to obtain LPG supplies from any company without having to replace the tank:

http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/gas/lpgas_order_faq.pdf

http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/gas/lpg_order_explanatory_note.pdf

http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/gas/index.htm

Hope this helps - Natalie

notverymerrywidow · 16 October 2008 at 1:27PM

Thanks, Natalie: you beat me to it!!

I have also received a contract from Flogas - addressed to my dead husband.....

I asked them today whether they are proposing to reduce their prices in view of the 50% drop in oil price since July.

They said 'No'. What a surprise!

(PS: my first posting!!!)

Gez_W · 17 October 2008 at 2:14PM

Rather than trying to deal with the shambolic customer services team at Flogas, who are after all only following orders, trying contacting the decision makers themselves:

Russell Burrows, Head of Customer Management: [EMAIL="russell.burrows@flogas.co.uk"]russell.burrows@flogas.co.uk[/EMAIL]

Henry Cubbon, Managing Director: [EMAIL="henry.cubbon@flogas.co.uk"]henry.cubbon@flogas.co.uk[/EMAIL]

exgasman · 17 October 2008 at 6:45PM

I too am a Flogas customer and have recently been sent a contract which I have not signed. I had a second letter, about a month after the above contract, saying that the gas had gone up a further 5 pence, but that I could have this price fixed if I signed a contract. I have not replied.We have had the gas installation since the house was built, about 16 years, we installed the pipework, British Gas tested and connected it. The only contract I remember was at the time of the origional installation.
Reading the other letters has prompted me to offer this contribution.
I am a qualified Incorporated Engineer, and worked in the Gas industry for 26 years, including 18 years with British Gas, taking early retirement some 16 years ago.
I held responsible positions in the Distribution department, which dealt with the installation and maintenence of mains and pipelines. I had no dealings with LPG.
I offer this information so that readers can form an opinion as to my possible knowledge of the subject. I would like to comment on three points.
Firstly, the mention of pipes having to be filled with foam for safety reasons. I have never heard of this before, pipes can be pressure tested, and if sound, there is no engineering reason to fill it with foam, or to insist on it's replacement The gas could be purged from the pipe using nitrogene, the pipe sealed each end, and could be tested and reused at any later time.
Tanks need to be changed after 20 years? I have never heard of this, British Gas have many above ground installations, pipes across bridges, pressure reducing stations, etc, which are monitered as to condition, but a programme to replace every 20 years would be totally impractible.
I see a mention of "LPG Solutions". Does anyone know who this is? I can find no address for this organisation. I would not buy goods on the internet if I could not find an address for the seller, neither would I "register", and give personal details, on a website, unless I had some information as to their background. Perhaps if they read this, they will post a reply
I seem to have rambled on, I hope this is of some use to those Flogas (and other LPG companies) customers, who have had enough. It is past time that some regulation, or at least competition, was brought to this industry.:A:A:A

treeshark · 18 October 2008 at 11:51AM

I have recently (3mths ago) bought a house with a 1200ltr Calor LPG tank. Over this time I've used 1/8th and have approx 3/16th left so am requiring a top-up soon. I have approached Calor and have been sent a welcome pack, the terms seem very restrictive. The standing charge is 16.90/day +Vat & ppl was 40.15 +Vat. On 8th Sept I received a letter stating an increase of 6.95ppl +Vat. I have not yet signed a contract or Direct Debit mandate, but am unable to wait until April for the new Competition Commission regulations to come into force. Bearing in mind the sharp drop in crude oil is this a reasonable deal? What's my best course of action?

x-x_2 · 19 October 2008 at 10:45PM

treeshark

If Calor own your tank then they are probably the only company allowed to refill it and I would presume that you are already paying rental to them for the tank.
If this is the case just ask them to fill your tank but do not sign any contract and wait and see what happens after April next year

dlyn · 21 October 2008 at 10:07AM

Hi,
For anyone interested in Aug I contacted our supplier (Shellgas) and negotiated a new agreement reducing our price from .46ppl to .37ppl, and with the proviso that we will benefit if there are any further general reductions. I was also advised to contact them again if I thought there had been a reduction in petrol prices locally. Guess what I'll be doing in the next couple of days.
Can anyone see why with oil prices now at a 14 month low then why shouldn't lpg prices reflect this as the oil price increases were used to justify lpg price hikes?

Bulk LPG - Cheapest suppliers / supply route?

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