gas again

[pessimist]

I've nearly exhausted my last 4.5 Calor cylinder and, like everyone else, am finding it impossible to source a replacement. Having now been shafted twice (we used to use camping gaz) I'm keen to switch to another supplier. Our local marina have switched to Flogas but are not able to supply new cylinders. I've tried to find some second hand cylinders to exchange but the 4.5s are like hens teeth. The marina are unable to tell me when or if Flogas cylinders will be available. Anybody any idea if Flogas are really interested in servicing this sector of the market?
I know I could go down the route of refilling my bottles but that would still mean purchasing a donor bottle from Calor and I'm extremely reluctant to have any further dealings with them.

 

[KevinV]

Buy an empty larger cylinder on Facebook or ebay, and refill from that. It's the only reliable and cost effective way it seems.

 

[Boathook]

I've nearly exhausted my last 4.5 Calor cylinder and, like everyone else, am finding it impossible to source a replacement. Having now been shafted twice (we used to use camping gaz) I'm keen to switch to another supplier. Our local marina have switched to Flogas but are not able to supply new cylinders. I've tried to find some second hand cylinders to exchange but the 4.5s are like hens teeth. The marina are unable to tell me when or if Flogas cylinders will be available. Anybody any idea if Flogas are really interested in servicing this sector of the market?
I know I could go down the route of refilling my bottles but that would still mean purchasing a donor bottle from Calor and I'm extremely reluctant to have any further dealings with them.

I'm sure that the calor bottle will work with flogas butane in it. Just make sure that it is butane and not propane.

 

[Sandy]

Have you tried Go Outdoors or the Calor place in Marsh Barton, Exeter?

 

[Jodel]

My local B&Q has a poster at the door advertising Flogas bottles.

 

[Martin_J]

The B&Q website only mentions 6kg and larger for Flogas though..



Edit: re-reading the above, it looks like 7kg or larger for Butane.

 

[chrishscorp]

Flogas have been dropped in this like the rest of us, please dont blame them.
Calor have a massive market share a, monopoly, Calor will supply from the depots but it has to be booked and paid for online is my understanding, they are taking the piss frankly. Flogas I believe are trying to up supply but basically that means buying in truck loads of brand new bottles and there is obviously going to be a time delay in that all happening.

 

[Stemar]

If you can find room for a 7kg Calor bottle, most places will supply one in exchange for a 4.5kg. Much as it grieves me to stay with Calor after they dropped us in it, that's what I did, though I did have to move my gas locker to do it.

I wanted to go with Flogas, but it was too hard to get a new bottle.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Gas in 907 cylinders seems to be about £40 for 2.7 kg so the cost per kg is about £15. Disposable cartridges bought in bulk like this...

28x Butane Gas Bottles Canisters for Portable Stoves Cookers Heaters Weed Wand | eBay

the gas is £4.70 per kg, less than a third of the price. Maybe something like this could be used instead of extortionately expensive Camping Gaz or an unobtainable Flogas/Calor Gas cylinder...

Cadac Trio Power Pak | Cadac UK

 

[ctva]

Flogas have been dropped in this like the rest of us, please dont blame them.
Calor have a massive market share a, monopoly, Calor will supply from the depots but it has to be booked and paid for online is my understanding, they are taking the piss frankly. Flogas I believe are trying to up supply but basically that means buying in truck loads of brand new bottles and there is obviously going to be a time delay in that all happening.

Agree. Flogas even offered to buy the entire Calor 4.45 and 3.9 stock of bottles as they are very much in this market but Calor said no and would rather just scrap the lot than sell to an other company.

Calor, the classic example of a great company destroyed by inept management.

 

[Laysula]

Agree. Flogas even offered to buy the entire Calor 4.45 and 3.9 stock of bottles as they are very much in this market but Calor said no and would rather just scrap the lot than sell to an other company.

Calor, the classic example of a great company destroyed by inept management.

Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face.

 

[pessimist]

Buy an empty larger cylinder on Facebook or ebay, and refill from that. It's the only reliable and cost effective way it seems.

Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face.

Or cutting the supply off to screw your customers.

 

[Aja]

Agree. Flogas even offered to buy the entire Calor 4.45 and 3.9 stock of bottles as they are very much in this market but Calor said no and would rather just scrap the lot than sell to an other company.

Calor, the classic example of a great company destroyed by inept management.

It is my understanding that Calor know exactly what they are doing.

They have, like boatbuilders of late realised that there is not enough money supplying in small amounts. Why build a 30' boat for £x when they can sell you a40' boat for £2.5x.

Cynically they have decided to stop selling 4.5kgs of Calor butane for ~£30 and rip us off by selling 2.7kg for ~£40 renaming the gas as Campingaz.

Who would now be a customer of Calor?

 

[Stemar]

Who would now be a customer of Calor?

Someone who can't get Flogas.

That's the only reason I went with the bigger 7kg Calor bottle

 

[SaltyC]

It is my understanding that Calor know exactly what they are doing.

They have, like boatbuilders of late realised that there is not enough money supplying in small amounts. Why build a 30' boat for £x when they can sell you a40' boat for £2.5x.

Cynically they have decided to stop selling 4.5kgs of Calor butane for ~£30 and rip us off by selling 2.7kg for ~£40 renaming the gas as Campingaz.

Who would now be a customer of Calor?

They THOUGHT they knew.

They understood their costs and economics, costs of providing and refilling a 4.5Kg are (nearly) the same as a 7Kg except for the minimal cost of 2.5Kg of gas.

Therefore, more profit on bigger cylinders. No Brainer.

Unfortunately, it appears as usual with British management and not understanding their market, they hadn't realised that a major sector of the market, Motorhomes, Caravans and Yachts can only accomodate the 4.5Kg Cylinder.

Their arrogance will not allow them to admit their mistake.

 

[Stemar]

Alternatively, they knew all too well that those who can only use the 4.5kg bottle would have to switch to Camping Gaz, with an obscene profit margin.

 

[reallycoliholic]

In the Moho sector where this is also a big problem, many users have resorted to filling their own Calor cylinders (illegally but who's going to know) from larger cylinders. Correct valves pipes and connectors are available from Google/Ebay and the technique involves filling with your cylinder on a set of bathroom scales to ensure you remain under 80% full (critical). Once you've used up the gas in the big cylinder it's dirt cheap to refill at autogas garages typically 85p litre

 

[lustyd]

illegally but who's going to know

What law is being broken? Calor agreements are not laws

 

[AngusMcDoon]

...many users have resorted to filling their own Calor cylinders (illegally but who's going to know)

From Consumer Guide Sheet number 37 published by Liquid Gas UK...

Most cylinders are owned by and remain the property of the gas supplier whose name is printed/marked on the cylinder. These cylinders are filled by weight and must ONLY be filled in a dedicated filling plant by the gas supplier or their authorised filling contractor. It is unlawful for anyone else (either a company or private persons) to fill these cylinders.

Even selling the adapters can be a prosecutable offence (from HVP Magazine)...

LPG distributor Calor Gas has welcomed the prosecution of a semi-retired engineer who sold more than 700 potentially dangerous adaptors to members of the public, enabling LPG cylinders to be filled at petrol station forecourts.

Alan Middleton, 60, of Barnoldswick Road, Higherford, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Pressure Equipment Regulations 1999 at Preston Magistrates Court on 30 October.

 

[Roberto]

they hadn't realised that a major sector of the market, Motorhomes, Caravans and Yachts can only accomodate the 4.5Kg Cylinder.

Didn't something similar happen with Coca Cola? new managers put on the market a new bottle size which could not fit inside US fridges (?)