Current LPG availability at petrol stations

[Togger]

Hi
Could we keep a thread for updates on LPG availability please?
As at 9.30 am today the Sainsburys at Colney was still out of LPG as was the Asda at High Wycombe last night.
Does anyone have any updates for these two stations please?
is there a general lack of LPG supply at the moment?
Thanks

[Brian_H]

Rather than a thread, recommend you check out the following

Www.filllpg.co.uk
Http://autogas.app
Www.mylpg.eu

There seems to be some sort of issue at the minute, though I've no idea what. It may be down to demand given that a load of stations have closed and most of the remainder are flogas supplied round there.

London gateway services just down the m1 tends to be more reliable though more expensive. It's still cheaper than the other stations round that area for the most part.

[Togger]

Many thanks

[Brian_H]

Sainsburys at Colney has been out for weeks now, suggesting a problem with the pump. May be worth asking via customer services or asking in the shop, though I tend to find most of the staff don't have much of a clue what's going on with lpg when you ask unfortunately.

There is an app for filllpg on the forum here if you have an Android phone, the other two listed also have apps on their websites or the play store

[Pinger]

Asda in Aberdeen had run out due to lack of delivery.
Base stocks for lubricants are in very short supply just now due to refineries having been mothballed during Covid and lack of demand for fuels. Seems to be some difficulty getting the refineries back on stream. Would this affect LPG supplies?

In other news - shortages of everything. Building materials especially but also long lead times on machinery parts. It's going to be an interesting year.

[Gilbertd]

Seems to be some difficulty getting the refineries back on stream. Would this affect LPG supplies?

Almost certainly as Propane is a by-product of refining crude into petrol and diesel. It's the same stuff that you see being burned off at a refinery.....

[Avensist]

Hi
Could we keep a thread for updates on LPG availability please?
As at 9.30 am today the Sainsburys at Colney was still out of LPG as was the Asda at High Wycombe last night.
Does anyone have any updates for these two stations please?
is there a general lack of LPG supply at the moment?
Thanks

Back in 2019, Sainsburys at Colney had similar issues which went on and on for weeks. What I have done then was lodged a complaint from Sainsburys website every week until it got sorted. Each time you do this, it gets passed on to the 'relevant managers' (whatever that is!) or at least logged on their system which somehow put pressure on them to resolve the issue. The more people doing this the better.

On that occasion, the pump at Sainsburys at Colney went out of action around beginning of October 2019, I started bombarding them with weekly complaints via website at beginning of November and the pump was repaired end of November or early December time.

By default most companies have complaint procedures in place which records need to be kept and any outstanding issues after certain time someone will eventually take action. And the best way to do this is in writing via website not via phone.

[Brian_H]

Back in 2019, Sainsburys at Colney had similar issues which went on and on for weeks. What I have done then was lodged a complaint from Sainsburys website every week until it got sorted. Each time you do this, it gets passed on to the 'relevant managers' (whatever that is!) or at least logged on their system which somehow put pressure on them to resolve the issue. The more people doing this the better.

On that occasion, the pump at Sainsburys at Colney went out of action around beginning of October 2019, I started bombarding them with weekly complaints via website at beginning of November and the pump was repaired end of November or early December time.

By default most companies have complaint procedures in place which records need to be kept and any outstanding issues after certain time someone will eventually take action. And the best way to do this is in writing via website not via phone.

Could you advise where you contacted for Sainsburys? It seems their only options are Twitter or facebook, and the answer from those appears to be "its an internal matter we will look into and we cannot provide you any info on the outcome of that either way". Their website appears to have very little in the way of customer contact options beyond calling them or social media?

edit - Nevermind found it, search for complaint and a contact us form is found!

[Avensist]

I've just checked and you're right. They seems to have deleted the online form, which was there before. They must have got tons of complaints come through in the wake of this Covid situation.

Nonetheless, the direct email I have of them is:
customer.service@sainsburys.co.uk

Not sure if this still works but worth a try I suppose. This came with the reply I got from them.

[Brian_H]

Found this > https://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/refu ... -complaint

Click contact us, and a form to email them appears!

Suspect its an issue with getting supplies from Flogas as they supply most of the MFG stations that are also out of supply round there as well and most have been for weeks now.

[Avensist]

Well done for finding that form. Failing that, this could also used:
https://www.resolver.co.uk/
Either way, it compels them to take some sort of action. More noise people make the better.

You might be right about the supply issue though. Quite a few places are out of supply.

Last time with Colney, it was parts for the pump. In one of my bombardment, I told them that the length of time taking them to get the parts is longer than building a new filling station! And then they repeated that -: "this has been logged with the relevant managers and we are awaiting parts for the LPG pump to be fixed", which the reply was like coming from one of the politician of some sort... Nonetheless it got sorted in the end.

Hope it gets sorted soon on this occasion as well.

[Gilbertd]

Just been and filled up at my local Flogas depot and asked if there is a current shortage. The reply was most definitely. Apparently the refinery that supplies the majority of Propane had a problem at the beginning of last week. Rather than the 1000 tonnes per day that they would normally supply, they are down to 150 tonnes a day until a faulty valve can be replaced. They are having to decant bulk gas off into smaller tanks and fill the tankers from them. My local depot normally has 14-15 bulk deliveries a week and they are down to 5. They expect things to be back to normal by the end of this week or early next week.

[Avensist]

Thank you for the additional input. Didn't know they were going through that much of trouble to shift LPG around... Hopefully the supplies get back to normal soon.

[george chick]

Down to refinery maintenance apparently https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2222 ... aintenance
Incombination with reduction in demand/reduced capacity or vice versa.
There's lots of crude sitting about apparently in tankers.

I'm interested in part of the article related to London taxi drivers.
"The LTDA is trying to secure a dedicated supply of LPG pumps for taxi drivers in central London to ensure reliable supply."
Haven't a clue where they're expecting to secure this 'dedicated supply' given that Shell and BP seem to have removed all their LPG kit, apart from Old Kent Rd.

[Brian_H]

Dedicated supply would also be rather stupid of them of they are trying to only have access for Ltda folk. At least if it was anything beyond short term.

[LPGC]

Received an email reply from Mike at LiquidGas today (won't post his full name here although I doubt he'd mind).

=================
Hello Simon

Thank you for your enquiry and hope you are well

We have been advised that there is a supply issue of autogas in some regions of the UK. This issue is as a result of maintenance at some UK oil refineries resulting in reduced levels of propane produced. This matter is being addressed urgently and it is hoped this issue will resolve itself with supplies being fully restored in the coming weeks.
==================

This agrees with Gilbert's info in post #12 and George's info in post #14

[george chick]

Land in London is expensive, hence why old petrol stations don't stay abandoned for long, anymore, soon have the tanks out, land cleaned up and a block of flats on the plot.

Dedicated supply is either an agreement with an existing station or setting up at a taxi fleet operators existing plot.
Setting up on a taxi fleet operators plot, entails new kit, commisoning etc = expensive.
I'm assumging a 'Dedicated supply' will soon be open to anyone with a debit card 24/7, to recoup costs and actuallly make a profit.

[Gilbertd]

I would suspect it's much like the Ashford services on the M20, which is only open to HGVs, having recently installed LPG tanks and pumps to cater for the Volvo and Daf trucks that are now running on it. That, and the fact that you can now buy a brand new Dacia with LPG might start to reverse the trend of closures.

[Brian_H]

True, I think there can also be permissions needed from the council in some cases as well.

[george chick]

I thought LNG/CNG from renewables was the coming thing on HGV's, not LPG.
I thought the LNG/CNG option seemed to be winning also as it's not a bi-product of the oil boiling business.
I see there are a few HGV fleet operators with their own LNG refuelling kit.

Does any manufacturer offer an LPG car in the UK anymore, apart from Dacia?
LPG might be still be all the rage in Europe, just on userbase, think it's on it's way out in the UK.
Enthusiasts/extreme tightwads and Taxi drivers.
I think it will be the big supermarkets or independents with shops attached who'll stick with it, as shops make money.

I did have a quick looksee at refilling from gas bottles, looks like a right faff and would lead to all sorts of unpleasnt
conversations with passing punters.
Now I know it's just part of ther recent unplesantness, I'll wait until the refineries start winding themselves back to capacity.
The gas bottle/home heating sector might get first dibs on supply though.