Liquid Gas UK Customer Charter

1) Cold Weather Priority Delivery

Liquid Gas UK supply members strive to ensure that they can deliver LPG to their customers throughout the year. In winter demand for LPG is at its highest and should there be severe enough weather to block roads then normal delivery patters may become disrupted. At times of restricted supply the industry will seek to ensure that the following groups do not run out of energy:

• Those (account holder or permanent occupant of the residence) aged 75 or older
• Those who are chronically ill or registered disabled

In addition to the above criteria, Liquid Gas UK member companies are aware that there are other temporary extenuating circumstances which may warrant priority delivery treatment (e.g. pregnant mothers/households with children under 2 years old) and all reasonable endeavours will be taken to ensure such customers do not go without energy.

Each Liquid Gas UK member company will have its own policy on how it seeks to meet this commitment, including working with customers who fall into the above categories to help ensure that they go into winter with an adequate stock of LPG, or identifying at an early opportunity when they might need a further delivery.

2) Customers with Visual or Aural Impairments

In the case of customers known to have visual or hearing difficulties, LPG suppliers will use their best endeavours to provide additional support:

1. If blind or partially sighted, provide a means for that customer to access details and information about their bill free of charge
2. If blind, partially sighted, deaf or hard of hearing, provide facilities or means by which that person can ask or complain about any domestic bill, account or enquire about supply of LPG or any other service provided by the LPG supplier
3. Have their bill and other account information sent to another nominated individual; and
4. Facilitate the means by which they can assess tank levels to establish whether they need to place an order for LPG. This can be done via a tank telemetry system or other local arrangements.

3) Customers in Payment Difficulties

Typically LPG is delivered before payment becomes due meaning that any arrears or refusal to pay comes after the customer has access to LPG. LPG suppliers will work with customers who have difficulty in paying and use their best endeavours to help them to more efficiently manage their use of gas already in the tank.

Additionally, LPG suppliers will use their best endeavours to offer payment plans of regular instalments to these customers, or other means by which they can pay for and access LPG for essential heating.

Where money is owed, LPG suppliers will take all reasonable steps to recoup money owed through payment or restricted delivery plans that allow the supply of LPG to continue whilst addressing arrears. Where disconnection or credit limitation is unavoidable due to inability to pay, LPG suppliers will take all reasonable steps to ensure that customers who have not paid for their LPG are not disconnected or not supplied during the winter if the LPG supplier knows or has reason to believe that the customer is of pensionable age and lives alone, lives only with persons who are of pensionable age or under the age of 18, or is chronically sick or disabled.

4) Competition in the LPG market

All bulk domestic LPG customers whose gas is supplied via a bulk tank are able to switch their LPG supplier along with the ownership of their tank once they are no longer bound by any exclusivity period in a supply contract. Your existing LPG supplier will advise you one month before you become eligible to switch. Details of this date are also to be found in your supply contract.

For all LPG customers, Liquid Gas UK provides a ‘switch supplier service’ enabling you to easily find details of alternative LPG suppliers. To find bulk domestic, commercial or cylinder LPG suppliers in your area, please visit our supplier search and type in your full post code. For customers without access to the internet, please telephone Liquid Gas UK's switch supplier line on 01926 513753 and leave a message with your name and full address. Liquid Gas UK will then send you the contact details of your local suppliers.

For more information on your ability to switch supplier including information for those customers who are supplied via a ‘metered estate’, please click here. 

5) Protection embodied in contracted supply arrangements

In adherence to the Competition and Markets Authority order that came into effect in April 2009, all bulk domestic LPG customers whose gas is supplied via a bulk tank are able to switch their LPG supplier along with the ownership of their tank once they are no longer bound by any exclusivity period in a supply contract, which can last no longer than two years. LPG suppliers advise customers of this one month before they become eligible to switch. Details of this date are to be found in customers’ supply contracts and all supplier invoices carry details of how customers can switch suppliers.

The terms of the supply contract will include inter alia confirmation of tank ownership and that only the tank owner may supply gas to that tank. The existence of a supply contract provides a number of consumer protections additional to those provided under consumer law:

• The supply contract will detail the customer’s price, including any fixed price offers applicable at the time.
• All price increases must be notified to the customer in advance of taking effect.
• The customer knows their guaranteed supply price at the time of ordering.
• In addition, customers have improved rights to cancel or to switch supplier if prices rise beyond a specified level.
• Transparency in price variation clauses gives customers a more informed view of the likely cost of a contract.
• It enables LPG suppliers to make credit arrangements available to customers i.e. gas is typically paid for in arrears via a variety of payment methods – including budget plans.
• It provides additional supply security e.g. an “auto top up” system which minimises the risk that customers will run out of LPG, and timely deliveries that anticipate and manage times of peak demand.
• Under the supply contract the supplier takes on all the relevant statutory safety duties and is legally obliged to discharge them.
• It facilitates the provision of comprehensive public liability insurance at minimal cost.

6) Safety Standards

All Liquid Gas UK members are committed to ensuring a safe environment in which they supply LPG including the safety of their workforce and customers. All members sign up to abide by the Liquid Gas UK Codes of Practice and other guidance as published from time to time by Liquid Gas UK. Included in these standards and guidance is that regarding the safe siting of LPG storage vessels.

7) Complaints Procedure

Liquid Gas UK understands that there may be times when you are unhappy with the service you receive. If the service you receive from one of our members does not meet your expectations, in the first instance you will need to follow the supplier’s own complaints procedure.

All Liquid Gas UK members remain committed to resolving customer grievances as quickly and efficiently as possible. However if you are unable to reach a mutually agreed resolution to your complaint with your supplier, you can refer your complaint via the Liquid Gas UK Ombudsman Scheme to Utilities ADR, a division of the Retail Ombudsman, who is authorised by the Government under the Alternative Dispute Resolution service for customer disputes.

The Liquid Gas UK Ombudsman Scheme gives customers of Liquid Gas UK member companies who purchase domestic bulk LPG, LPG cylinders, autogas and LPG equipment, access to independent arbitration should you wish to pursue this route to resolve your complaint.

For more information, please visit utilitiesadr.co.uk.

To download the Customer Charter, please click on the link below.