This thread makes me smile.. (and others alike) Do people really have this much time on their hands!?? get a hobby? (Google them!)

I think Flogas and all LPG companies are taking advantage of the fact that they are NOT regulated.

I am in the middle of a campaign to get them regulated and have a meeting with our MEP 28th January - he will then take the matter to the House of Commons and raise the issue - putting pressure on the CC to take action on their findings of 2004/5.

Yes, wholesale prices have gone up and we expect to pay the going price - however, at present Flogas have some 27 million pounds worth of fuel in stock - bought at the old price - we are to be sold this gas at the new price - a 42% increase overnight !

What can you do?

1. Write to your local MP and express your concerns that htese companies are not regulated
2. Write to the Competitions Commission (Google them) and express your concerns and demand that the results of their investigations are implemented

Note: This post has been moderated and contact details removed. Please ensure you read the Moneysupermarket.com User Community Standards and Terms of Service before posting. Thanks.

Hi all! Well i am really glad I have found this site. At least now I am alone in my feelings. I think that maybe Flo Gas should move into the sanitary services because their prices, service and staff are all a load of old s***! Perhaps with a bit of luck someone will flush them away like a foul smelling gas!!! And rest assured i will be following this space avidly, for as soon as I am able i will be getting rid of them!

Once again, many thanks Steve.

This information is very useful to us.  What a fantastic forum this is.  It's amazing what you can find out.

I wish I knew about Flogas's profit increase when I met their representative.  That would have been my 'ace card.' 

Good luck with your continued crusade. No doubt I'll be back here in three months time, (when our 'rate guarantee' expires), moaning once again.  ;o)

 

Hi Indispensable,

 The information was obtained using a Company that my organisation uses to obtain a risk report on prospective clients. It is a summarised version of what can be obtained directly from Companies House. A full report can be obtained online from Companies House on this link http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/toolsToHelp/findCompanyInfo.shtml

It costs around £3 to £4 for a report (sorry I can't give you an exact cost as it closes at midnight and I didn't look until 12:15am)

 If you obtain the report then you should be able to see a list of the 10 Directors of Flogas (DCC) and the facility I have at work enables you to cross check their Directorship status in other companies. I did this for each of the 10 Directors and was able to generate the list of Companies that I showed in my previous post.

The list was not extensive as there were other companies linked to the 10 Directors that I intentionally left out because they 'appeared' to have no association with the supply of fuel. I may, of course, be wrong in that assumption meaning that there are indeed more companies to add to the list.

 Regards

Steve

Hi stv1x

Just to let you know, I've passed your comments onto our Management Company as I'm sure they'd be interested in the contents, particularly the other companies that Flogas have an interest in.  I would be grateful if you could let me know where you sourced this information from as it will prove useful in the future.  It's slightly worrying that the list does not include Direct Gas, who you know for a fact have been acquired by Flogas and I too wonder how many other companies they have an interest in.  Flogas seem to have their 'finger in many pies.'

Once again - thank you for this information, it is extremely useful.  I hope you manage to move away from LPG so you're not at their mercy for much longer.  Please let me know how you go on.

 

stv1x:

It was good to see some 'flexibility' in the stance of FloGas in the last post but I'd suggest that this was an exception rather than the rule. If FloGas do indeed read these Forums then perhaps a 'Commercial Decision' was made somewhere in their organization to muffle the voice of an ever increasing mutiny by their customers?

Hi stv1x

You make some very good points here and I am flabbergasted at the profit increase from 2006 to 2007!  You may well be right when you say that it was probably a 'commercial decision' to muffle the voice of the mutiny by their customers.  It is encouraging to know that we actually do have a voice and I was amazed to have finally broken through the icy exterior of the authorities at Flogas to achieve a positive outcome (for the time being..... the reduced rate is only guaranteed for 3 months)!!!

Thanks for the list of the other gas providers connected with Flogas.  The day will hopefully soon come when we, personally, are released from the powers of Flogas and can finally 'shop around' for our LP gas and your list will be of great help at that time.  I think the decision to move away from LPG will be the only satisfactory outcome for all.

 

It was good to see some 'flexibility' in the stance of FloGas in the last post but I'd suggest that this was an exception rather than the rule. If FloGas do indeed read these Forums then perhaps a 'Commercial Decision' was made somewhere in their organization to muffle the voice of an ever increasing mutiny by their customers?

 

Let me resurrect this topic by saying that I detest FloGas with a passion. They send out letters concerning increases on what almost appears a monthly basis and yes, I know that the Worlds oil prices are high but I have yet to receive a letter in my 15+ years association stating that the prices would ever be decreased! There is flagrant opportunism in my opinion to squeeze as much out of their customers as possible and what better excuse to use than the current volatility in the oil market. To put it bluntly, if FloGas ever reduce my bill then I'll eat my hat!

 

Only yesterday I took delivery of gas. Today, I received letter stating the normal blurb about increases in oil prices and that deliveries made by them the day before would attract a further increase of 8p per kilogram! So now they are using retrospective pricing...letting the customer know of the increase the day AFTER they make a delivery!

 One year ago I managed to get rid of FloGas because of tactics like this and moved to Direct Gas. FloGas charged me money to get the cylinder removed (which could only be done when it was empty) but at least I was rid of them...or so I thought. Within 6 months of using the new Supplier I received a letter stating from Flo Gas that they had bought Direct Gas and that any money owed now and in the future would have to be made to them! Annoyed is an understatement.

 I have every intention of moving away from LPG completely. The cost of doing so is high but at least I will not be at the mercy of the ******* from Leicester!

 Oh, if anyone pleads poverty at FloGas next time you have cause to contact them then be aware of the following: -

(the following information is readily and publicly available at Companies House if anyone wishes to verify)

 2006 - Pre Tax Profits £2,896,000                          

 2007 - Pre Tax Profits £4,730,000

Times must be really getting tough if they can increase their profits by 60% !!

I read earlier in this thread something about them holding a monopoly. Just be aware if you needed confirmation of this that the 10 Directors of FloGas also hold positions of Directorships in the following Gas Providers: -

C & J Atlas Energy, Mobile Gas Ltd, New Alta Gas Ltd, Powagas Ltd, L M Chambers & Sons Gas, G W 393 Ltd - Fuel Dealers, United Custom Ltd, Brett Fuels Ltd, Carlton Fuels Ltd, Charter Fuels Ltd, CPL Petroleum Ltd, DCC Energy UK Ltd, EMO Oil Ltd, Fuel Network Ltd, Dyneley Holdings Ltd, GB Oils Ltd, Martindale Fuels Ltd, Noble Fuels, Scottish Fuels Ltd, Town & Country Heating Supply Company Ltd, UK Petroleum Products Ltd....

 

I'm sure that from reading above that you get the idea! Incidentally, the above list does not include Direct Gas who I know that they bought as they were my supplier so goodness only knows how many more of these small suppliers have now gone due to acquisition by FloGas that are not included on the above list.

Your choices are all but gone which results in no competition which results in extortionate prices and a 'couldn't care less attitude taken by FloGas...after all, where else are you going to source your LPG from???

 

Hi All

I'm delighted to tell you that the Customer Services Manager from Flogas travelled to meet me to discuss the extortionate rate that we (myself and ten neighbours), were paying for our gas.

After explaining how they arrive at their 'figures,' he agreed to review our rate and has adjusted it to a more satisfactory level.  It is still quite high but much better than what we were paying previously. 

I'm encouraged by the fact that Flogas have taken time out to listen to us and that we have reached a satisfactory outcome with them. 

I would like to thank all the contributors to this thread.  Thanks for your advice, all of which has helped in my negotitations.  I keenly await the Competition Commission's ruling and hopefully, then, we will be able to shop around and ensure that what we pay for our gas remains competitive.

Here's to a warm Winter.  ;o)

Hi BazInTheNorth

My fellow frustrated LPG customer.  Thanks for that very useful information.  Let's hope that the transfer of tanks will enable the competition to be opened up.  Hopefully some media interest will help our cause along the way too.  If you hear of further progress I would appreciate it if you could let me know.

There certainly does need to be a greater transparency in their pricing policy.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I am in contact with a senior member of Flogas and I have received an e-mail from him saying that he has looked in on this thread and will make a comment on it in due course, so watch this space and let's see what he has to say. 

Kev:    Your question regarding the period which my gas bill covers is a good one.  I'm not entirely sure myself.  The bills received from Flogas are sporadic to say the least.  I think they aim to send one out quarterly but this is not always the case.  Unfortunately, I don't have all my bills to hand as I've handed them to my Solicitor friend to have a look at.  I would imagine it was for a quarter or thereabouts.

So according to the information given so far it would equate to around 4.5 pper kwh. I think you would save a lot if you could switch to economy 7, or at least as much as you can. Can I also ask what period the £700 bill covered. If the 4.5p per kwh is right it does seem like an awful lot of use? My gas bill for a year for a 4 bed detached comes to £360 if that helps. Kevin

I have just stumbled on this forum and found the views expressed mirror my own frustration with the LPG industry. I have following the industry since I wrote to the Office of Fair Trading in the late 90’s. As a consequence of the many letters they received they eventually asked the Competition Commissioner to investigate. I then followed their website to this day and have just written to them complaining that they have allowed the LPG suppliers to protect their individual pricing policies from public scrutiny.

According to their website the Competition Commissioner will publish their Order next month. The Draft Order can be viewed on their website and the following link gives an insight to their final thinking.

Thier we site is at

competition-commission.org.uk

and select

/inquiries/current/gas

and then

/explanatory_note_of_order.pdf

(sorry, but I am advised that I cannot print the link in full as an HTML code)

They obviously believe that just by simplifying the procedure for the transfer of tanks they will open up competition. I hope that the publication of the Order will produce some media interest and give us, the consumers, the opportunity to lobby for greater transparency in the pricing policy of the suppliers and in particular the method by which they suppress dissent from voluble customers by offering tailored discounts.

For those who would like to do electricity/LPG price comparisons may I offer the following:-

1 Kilowatt Hour (equiv 1 unit of electricity) = 3412 British Thermal Units

1 Litre of LPG will produce 24,130 British Thermal Units

Thus if my maths are right:-

Burning 1 Litre of LPG will produce the same heat as 7 Units of electricity.

Just one word of caution; the benefit of that heat will depend on the efficiency of the device that consumes that energy.

Mr Spock:

 I cant work out your pence per Kwh price

Hi Spock

Neither can we.  The unit price on the bill is 100.38.  I was told over the telephone that we are paying 31.97p per litre, although even that price differed between whoever I was speaking to on the phone.

Here's an example of one of my gas bills:

     Metered propane                       unit price 100.38                      £547.07

     Meter Daily Standing Charge      unit price  10.41                      £   8.54

     Gas Surcharge - Metered           unit price  22.71                      £123.77

     VAT                                                                                             £ 33.97

TOTAL BILL                                                                                  £713.35

Now can you see why I'm vexed with Flogas?

Thanks for your advice on the IPGTs - that's well worth knowing.  I'll look into all these options too.

Very thankful for your help.  Best wishes.

Hi Shark

Yes, indeed, this is a consideration and we may end up going down this route. 

The ideal scenario would be for Flogas to allow another LPG supplier to purchase the tank and supply us with LP gas at a fairer price or drop their own prices!  Their customer relations manager has promised a visit so I am hopeful that something will come of it.

The rumours are that hopefully the Competition Commission will rule that Flogas (and others) cannot maintain their 'hold' and will have to sell the tank on and we will then be able to shop around and keep warm without worrying when the letterbox pings with the dreaded gas bill.

Thanks for your advice.

Have you not thought of getting individual tanks for each property - surely that would be cheaper and fairer?

Here in the west country we all have our own tanks either for oil or gas (sometimes both) and we choose who we want when we want. The communal tank was hauled away years ago!

SHARK!