LPG customers in South Holland are being urged to ensure orders are in early as supply problems hit.
Some customers who rely on ‘smart’ technology to re-order supplies when tanks get low are running out completely after refinery issues earlier this year.
One Spalding Calor customer was shocked when her domestic supply ran out suddenly.
We rely on it for heating, hot water and cooking but Calor said it could be a week or ten days before they can get to us. Other customers need to know to order early,” she said.
The family use a smart meter which tells the supplier when it needs re-filling, so hadn’t manually checked the level in their tank.
“We apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience caused to our customers in South Lincolnshire. It is certainly never our intention to leave any customer without a gas supply. Since the beginning of the year, the whole LPG industry has been impacted by exceptional conditions,” said a Calor spokesman.
Three gas refineries, half of the total, were temporarily closed and a pipeline in Scotland broke down before Christmas, causing problems.
Supply is not the issue now, said the spokesman, but catching-up on a backlog of deliveries would continue until next month.
Flogas is also having delivery issues because of the same reason.
“This has been compounded by poor weather conditions over recent weeks which has resulted in limitations in certain parts of the country,” says a company statement.
Both companies are urging customers to check their levels and ensure they order early in a bid to avoid running out altogether.
Nationally, some 193,00 homes rely on LPG, mostly in rural areas.
