Calor Phone Call
Saturday morning I received a phone call from a Calor rep.
Me thinks they are beginning to realise they have made a mistake with the 5.5p PL price rise. The salesman was very polite and keen not to lose my custom, obviously the Countywide wheels had gone in to motion about taking over the contract. The Saleman explained the price rise was due to the American dollar and importing the gas (yeah right), but I let him carry on with his prepared speech. The nitty gritty is he offered me 36p PL and a £100 cash back for two years plus if the price went up by over 3p PL in any 3 month period I had the option to pull out of the contract.
I’ve told him to put it all in writing so that I can compare against Countrywide’s offer, but he readily admitted that the Countywide deal was a good one.
I’d be interested to know if anyone else who is currently with Calor and has threatened to move contracts has had the telephone call as I am convinced that they are now realising their mistake?
Visited this site for the first time, prompted by yet another letter today from Calor (dated 23 November 2010) increasing the price of my bulk LPG by 3.5p/pl , from 48.9p/pl to 52.4p/pl.
By way of background,I have been a bulk tank LPG customer of Calor for over 23 years, and live in North Devon, served by Calor’s Ivybridge Plymouth Depot. Our home consumption is c.3000 litres per annum.
I too received the ‘economic uncertainty’ letter (dated 21 May 2010) advising that my bulk LPG would increase by 5.5p/pl from 43.4p/pl to 48.9p/pl. At that time I contacted Calor only to be advised that the price was ‘nonnegotiable’ and ‘all our domestic bulk tank customers are paying the same price’. Clearly, I now know that was a pack of lies, and my loyalty and valued custom counts for nothing in Calor’s eyes.
A further irritant is Calor’s insistence that they will only make deliveries to FILL my 2000 litre tank. Hence, if this mug runs low on LPG, on the cusp of turning off the central heating in Spring 2011, he has to buy c.2000 litres at 52.4p/pl. I have to wonder whether Calor HQ in Warwick actually know how their Regional Depots operate ?
I now realise that, as far as Calor’s customer are concerned, it is every man for himself, and there is no such thing as standardised domestic pricing. Such are Calor’s duplicitous wiles that customers are re now forced to air their concerns on the web, and seek support for local consortiums of domestic bulk users. With a properly regulated industry, and an ethical approach to serving the loyal profit generating customer, that should not be necessary. Clearly, OFGEM need to be involved, as it is the same old tale – industries are incapable of regulating themselves !
As for me, I suppose I will now have to hawk my custom around the other LPG suppliers, and horse trade for the best deal I can get – just what I need in retirement !
I would love to hear other Calor customers’ experiences via this site. What I have discovered, is that we will all have a different tale to tell. As for Calor HQ – well I suppose they will keep on sending out the ‘economic uncertainty’ letters, and turn Nelson’s eye to the unscrupulous profiteering of their Regional Depots, until Dom Littlewood pays them a visit.
BBC – ARE YOU LISTENING ?
I have just switched from Calor to Shell. My Calor price was 42.4, plus the 5.5p rise mid 2010 to 47.9. Their best offer was 39.9 so I switched to Shell at 35.9 (fixed for 6 months and then 3p per 6 months cap) and today I recieved a notice from Calor that they are adding another 3.5p rise from Dec 1st.
So why would I stay with Calor … why would anyone?
HI i phoned calor on 14 dec 2010 as i was low on gas with a new baby at home and still havent received gas yet tue 18 jan 2011 i phoned this morning to find out why they blamed the snow i have been with calor for 22years i think its time to change calor now charge 51.5 ppl so country wide here i come
Having just seen Dom on BBC regarding the variation of prices within the LPG market the outcome of the OFT investigation cannot come soon enough. I currently use 2500 ltrs per annum and am paying 52.4pltr with a further increase of 4p plus VAT effective 4th April 2011.
Further to my previous comment I forgot to say that my supplier is Calor.