Gas Rip Off Prices

[fordfocus66]

My folks live near Latheron and use bottles of Calor Gas for heating and cooking.
On getting a new bottle yesterday i was amazed at the Price charged and felt it was a rip off so i thought i would check some of our local Gas outlets to see.
Boy i am amazed at the prices and yes we have been getting ripped off.

47 Kg Calor Propaine
Lybster-£75.
Wick-£62
Helmsdale-£79.75
Tongue-£80.
Castletown-67.50
Mey-85.00
Watten£67.96
Thurso-£70.35
Groats-£70.00

15 kg calor Blue
Wick 27.00
Groats-25.14
Lybster -29.99
Helmsdale- 28.99
Mey-33.99
Tongue/Castletown-29.99
Watten-26.67
Thurso 27.30.

Prices seem to vary between shops in Wick and Thurso and the prices i have quoted are the lowest

[Gronnuck]

Little point in complaining on here, everyone will agree with you and shrug it off. Try lobbying our MP, MSP and local councillors. Start a facebook campaign. There's probably even an energy regulator that you can complain to.

[bekisman]

Very good list - coincidentally just been outside to defrost our 19kg Propane cylinders, kettle of hot water sorted it, and a number of turns with bubblewrap for the cylinder and foam insulation tubes for the pipes, has sorted it..
We usually ring around for our 19kg and have always found W&D Ross, Riverside, Thurso the best price (when ringing the others always say "no thanks you're too expensive"..).

[Tugmistress]

Well the price listed for thurso can't be ross as about 3 weeks ago i bought a 47kg propane and it was over £80 :(

think i'll travel through to wick for the next one! - where was it at £62 please?

[Daisy]

W always get our gas from Ross'. 47kg £70.35.
They do have to add more on if you arent returning a bottle - but that should be once off.

[Tugmistress]

i did take in an empty though :(

[fordfocus66]

Have done some more research into gas prices it seems that the Cheapest Gas is at MacEwens Coal Merchants George Street Wick Tel-01955 603188.
They sell Flogas same stuff as Calor but a differant name and there prices are better than i listed before by a fair bit:lol:
They deliver also and go as far as Tongue in the west and Helmsdale in the south.
Dont charge for delivery either if it is on there coal route
Nor Charge for Bottle rentals like others do
Think they had an advert in last weeks local papers

[TP3980]

I think you are missing one very important point, the small gas outlets are there for your convenience, they are not buying direct, so you must expect them to make a profit!

I can assure you, this profit is not large by any means. Like most people, you seem to believe, they are making 10s of pounds profit and are ripping people off, this is simply not the case.

Secondly your cheapest price rates are wrong!!! fact!!!!

You have made assumptions and slighted individual outlets, who are stocking goods for the convenience of their local customers, should we begrudge them a few quid profit for the hassles involved in stocking this particular product..............of course not.

Do you know they have to pay a rental charge for the cages?? More overhead to absorb.

I could go on, I am not one of these stockists but I honestly believe you have been very unfair in your comparisons without knowing the facts.

[orkneycadian]

Looks like a typical free market scenario!

If you are not happy with the prices, shop elsewhere! But, if you don't support your local outlet, and it closes down, down come greeting that its too snowy to drive 50 miles to "Gas-is-Us" and that you have run out!

For centuries, shoppers have had the choice to "take it or leave it", and buy things where they wish. If retailer A sells something for £10 then retailer B comes along and undercuts retailer A with a loss leader, does that automatically make retailer A a rip off merchant?

No.

Shop where you please! Its a free country!

[EDDIE]

My folks live near Latheron and use bottles of Calor Gas for heating and cooking.
On getting a new bottle yesterday i was amazed at the Price charged and felt it was a rip off so i thought i would check some of our local Gas outlets to see.
Boy i am amazed at the prices and yes we have been getting ripped off.

47 Kg Calor Propaine
Lybster-£75.
Wick-£62
Helmsdale-£79.75
Tongue-£80.
Castletown-67.50
Mey-85.00
Watten£67.96
Thurso-£70.35
Groats-£70.00

15 kg calor Blue
Wick 27.00
Groats-25.14
Lybster -29.99
Helmsdale- 28.99
Mey-33.99
Tongue/Castletown-29.99
Watten-26.67
Thurso 27.30.

Prices seem to vary between shops in Wick and Thurso and the prices i have quoted are the lowest



If you live in lybster your not going to go to castletown to save £7.50 on a bottle are you.
There is a difference in prices but it aint to bad its like most things in life depending on how much overheads the business have will determine the price?