A gas supplier for a small catering business?

[bl734]

We operate a small catering business and use quite a bit of gas. Our former gas supplier has gone bust.

So far all the other suppliers we could find are either much more expensive or not accepting new accounts at the moment. Could anyone please recommend a gas supplier that is reliable and offers reasonable tariffs? Many thanks.

[didds]

I presume you mean bottled gas ?

I cant help [1] - but when we needed to replace a bottle in our campervan last summer it proved very difficult - we were constantly told everywhere we enquired that due to lockdown in 2020 lots of people had taken up camping/vanning options instead of foreign holidays and so bought a bottle for cooking etc... which were now sitting at the back of garages and shed unused, still pretty full, and not re-entering the system. In short, there was a severe shortage of bottles available to be re-filled and thus available to purchasers.


[1] if you are in mid-wiltshire I have a suggestion - DM me.

[redsturgeon]

I assume you mean mains gas.

The whole things is a minefield for business, you are pretty much on your own I'm afraid.

It is just a case of trying to find a supplier who will take you on and then it will be expensive but that's how things are at the moment.

We had the same issue with electricity for our new business and signed up with Octopus. I believe they offer gas too. I found them honest and straightforward to deal with and gave competitive rates.

John

[didds]

for my own education...

If its a mains gas supply, indicating a fixed premises... if the supplier has gone bust... how is the gas supply to the premises thus stopped/ Wouldn't that require the visit of some sort of engineer to physically turn off the gas and prevent it being turned on again? Otherwise surely gas is just a provision via the general "street provision" - similar to water and electricity … it just arrives at the premises and the "supplier" just bills for usage.

summary: the gas still arrives but there is nobody prepared to send you a bill.

??/

didds

PS i suppsoe a smart electricity meter could be programmed to not allow electricity ? But that's a side question and i don't wish to derail!

[redsturgeon]

for my own education...

If its a mains gas supply, indicating a fixed premises... if the supplier has gone bust... how is the gas supply to the premises thus stopped/ Wouldn't that require the visit of some sort of engineer to physically turn off the gas and prevent it being turned on again? Otherwise surely gas is just a provision via the general "street provision" - similar to water and electricity … it just arrives at the premises and the "supplier" just bills for usage.

summary: the gas still arrives but there is nobody prepared to send you a bill.

??/

didds

PS i suppsoe a smart electricity meter could be programmed to not allow electricity ? But that's a side question and i don't wish to derail!

If it is anything like business electricity supply, you continue to be supplied but you are charged an "emergency rate" as you are out of contract. This rate can be pretty much whatever the new provider wants to charge you and is likely to be at least 50% higher than a contract rate. The issue is that in the business world the cost of supply is not capped and it the present climate there will be some eye watering increases this year for small businesses.

John

[didds]

If it is anything like business electricity supply, you continue to be supplied but you are charged an "emergency rate" as you are out of contract. This rate can be pretty much whatever the new provider wants to charge you
John

but there isn't a new supplier?

[redsturgeon]

There will be someone.

Nature abhors a vacuum...

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-advice- ... -goes-bust

John

[didds]

Right - so aside form the domestic cap which expires soon anyway, that's no different to a domestic user ?

And oif the only suppliers available are more xpensive so will everybody's be in a very months anyway?