Calor Gas - biggest rip off ever?

jontr

Hello everybody. I wasn't sure where to start a thread, but this part of forum looks just about right.

I'm renting a house on a development, where the only option for heating is Calor Gas. Initially I was very happy about gas supply, as I had gas heating before and it was great and cheaper than oil heating. I was with Board Gais before, and my bills were showing my usage in kWh.

Things are different with Calor Gas... First of all, they don't show on the bill the kWh units, they show cubic meters. But internet helps with that and shows, that 1 m3 of gas equals to 10.3 kWh - that's the conversion that Board Gais is using at least.

So lets do some math:

Board Gais charges around 5.9 cents (inc. VAT) per 1 kWh. that would equal to approx 61 cents per 1 m3. Now guess how much Calor Gas is charging for 1 m3 of gas?

You would think it's around the same? Think again! The charge on my bill shows EUR 2.8987 (and that's excluding VAT!!)

Now I'm in a difficult position - I love the place, but I hate being ripped off by paying for a gas like 4x as much as the rest of the country.

Any suggestions on what I could do in that situation?

Unfortunately Calor Gas is the only gas supplier in the area (development isn't part of national gas network), so I can't switch to anything else. Is it normal, that there's such a rip off just because Calor Gas is the only supplier available?

TheChizler

There's a lot more calorific energy in LPG compared to natural gas, hence the higher price. Also I'm fairly sure they're delivered at different pressures, so m^3 isn't a fair comparison.

hairynipple

Same situation here, crazy bills coming in the letterbox, reminder letters every few days. Few people got solid fuel stoves in our estate, but its a huge job, costs a few grand. In your situation (a tennent) there's fu* k all you can do except hope the landlord wants to invest money into wall insulation or a boiler service

sandin

There's a fuel cost comparison on the seai website - http://www.seai.ie/Publications/Statistics_Publications/Fuel_Cost_Comparison/

As for above, Natural gas is delivered via a pipeline that was heavily subsidised and the effective delivery cost fromport to the home is very small.

LPG on the other hand has to be converted to liquid form, sent from port to distribution depot, then to consumer. Its a costly method.

Here's a rough guide per kwh

Coal 4.50
Natural gas 7.50
Oil 10.00
LPG 13.50 (almost twice natural gas cost)
Electricity - 20.00

above is the basic cost, but then you need to knwo the effeciency of the system you have, An open fire may only be 30% efficient, whereas an electric heater would be 100% effeciaent.

A modern kitchen oil burner for the past 3/4 years will be up to 90% efficient, whereas a 10 year old boiler situated in the shed could be as low as 40%.

So best advice is to read the SEAI survey, check your boiler / appliances and where you actually need the heat and then see what the best mix is for you.

For me, after studying it, I changed to a Kitchen model burner (was located at end of garden), in winter its on from 6.30-7.30am and from 5pm - 7pm. We use open fires a lot and this gives enough heat for rest of the evening.
In particularly cold spells, the oil is on longer.
Fuel cost last year was less that half the year before. - The new boiler being the biggest contributor to the lower cost.

Aglomerado

I dread letters coming in the door with the Calor logo on them! They keep hiking the price! Maybe if they didn't send so many bills and statements they could cut costs and lower prices!

stephen_k

I have been a ambivalent to unhappy (never happy) customer of Calor Gas for the last 4 years... Without going into all the problems I've had with them I will just surmise the final nail in their coffin where I'm concerned.

Last December I got a delivery of 400l of gas, I had accidentally let the gas run out and therefore had to pull the toggle in the regulator to get the gas to flow again, I was in a hurry and asked the driver to pull the toggle for me, to which he agreed to do... For my next delivery in Febuary, I wasn't in when the truck came, same thing again as the gas had run out, went to the tank to pull toggle and it was loose in the housing... No one would have any reason to go near it, this was pulled out by the driver... (I acknowledge that I have no proof bar my word on this, the driver is not going to admit to this), Calor's stance was that the regulator was outside of their remit for repairs and I would have to foot the entire bill, as someone who works in sales their lack of even attempting to meet me in the middle on this was disappointing.

I tried to argue my case and got short shrift, however the repairs were made and no bill was forthcoming, until last week! A bill of €370.00 (€120 for parts €200 for labour + VAT)... Again I tried to put my case to them, and questioned the cost of the repair, no joy...

Incensed I immediately contacted their rivals Flogas (to be honest I wasn't sure if it was possible to switch providers), turns out it is... They offered me a rate of €0.725/l... At that I have to admit I was quite shocked... Calor had been charging me €0.98/l (A DIFFERENCE OF OVER 35%), confused I then thought that I had misheard and that that rate didn't include VAT, but no it was an all in price, on further discussions with their very professional rep I negotiated a price of €0.69/l and a complimentary delivery of 400l free of charge on initial installation... As you can imagine I jumped at the offer...

I admit that in my ignorance of LPG prices and lack of shopping around has cost me a small fortune, but Calors exploitation of the situation and overcharging beggars belief... I can only urge anyone who is being supplied by Calor is to look carefully at what they are charging you and SHOP AROUND... They have lost a customer due to their poor customer service and their rip off overcharging.

TheChizler

Did you have propane or butane with Calor and what do you have with Flogas?

stephen_k

TheChizler wrote: »

Did you have propane or butane with Calor and what do you have with Flogas?

Propane in both instances...

annoyed 19

hi did anyone have any problems with calor gas in relation to them charging customers in error with the same name , sending you a bill from 2012 and its now 2014 with no real explanation only ...ohh human error.....thats a surprise bill of 290 euro for our mistake we didnt charge you on time ......i have recieved there reads outs which i cant make head nor tail off...and find them a disaster to deal with ......i have already paid 700 for that period of 2012 and now they say they forgot another 290 and they deducted it from another persons account in wicklow when it should of being added to mine ,,,,,,,i nvr got a bill for this 290 ever ...its now 2014 and there looking for it .........any opinions advice accepted ....ty

moreannoyed

Calor Gas have practically left me with no option but to wear a hat...indoors...all winter. Last year it cost me approximately €1300 to run five radiators for a couple of hours in the evening on Monday to Friday and for approximately four to five hours on Saturday and Sunday and I wasn't going around in a t-shirt I promise. I only used the upstairs radiators on about three or four occasions. Unfortunately, I am stuck with Calor, although I did have a small stove installed last October which saved my life!!! Only on Friday last I attempted to pay €50.00 on account only to have them deduct €85.85. Dont ask me how they managed to do this. Their billing system is an utter joke. Some of their representatives don't even understand how it works. In January of 2013, I received a bill for over €700.00 for something like 70 days. I recently saw a post on Facebook with Calor advertising something or other for free if you signed up with them. Dont even think about it, you will become a sufferer of 'heating poverty'.