Calor Gas currently not supplying new fills

[Richard10002]

2 hours ago, peterboat said:

Barnsley is open main depot which is where returns have to go to

 

   

 

It might be "open", but is it "open" to customers.

 

https://www.calor.co.uk/gas-bottles/calor-centres

 

"Our sites are now permanently closed for customer collections. This enables us to focus on our core distribution activities, with safety and compliance prioritised.

If you need to return a gas bottle, have a query about deliveries or want to place an order, please give your local Calor Centre a call. You can find their number below. 

If you are looking to buy a new gas bottle or get a refill for your existing bottle, you can buy online from our shop, or head to one of our local retailers. We have over 10,000 stockists in the UK, so you will never be too far from one."

[DHutch]

I believe last summer (2022) was better if not quite to normal, and anecdotal evidence that this issue had been largely resolved?

 

Just reviewing threads which are 'pinned' to the top of the forum.

[Jonkx]

I.managed to get a refill the other month.

[wandering snail]

Waterway user groups are trying to get a better picture of where the problems may be and have put together a survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/N3S33H7

[Momac]

I believe the ongoing supply of small gas bottle refills via Calor remains in doubt.

My usually source, a large retailer of motor homes and caravans, had no bottle gas at all when I enquired in June. 

But I did find a refill at a marina.

[rusty69]

7 minutes ago, MartynG said:

I believe the ongoing supply of small gas bottle refills via Calor remains in doubt.

My usually source, a large retailer of motor homes and caravans, had no bottle gas at all when I enquired in June. 

But I did find a refill at a marina.

I'm not sure there is much doubt. They will become harder to come by as calor remove from circulation bottles that become unserviceable. 

 

 

https://www.calor.co.uk/news-and-views/update-to-cylinder-range

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, MartynG said:

But I did find a refill at a marina.

 

Refill or 'exchange' ?

 

The only place I ever got a refill was a gas distribution centre in Basford (Nottingham). and they allowed you watch as they refilled.

Cylinder stood on scales, hose connected, 'turned on' and once it got to the correct weight, tap turned off, hose disconnected and I was on my way.

[Higgs]

How do possessors of Calor-owned cans being decommissioned get their deposits back? 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Higgs

[rusty69]

6 minutes ago, Higgs said:

How do owners of Calor-owned cans being decommissioned get their deposits back? 

 

 

It's unlikely they do. We are offered a different sized bottle which clearly is not an adequate solution for many people. 

[Higgs]

5 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

It's unlikely they do. We are offered a different sized bottle which clearly is not an adequate solution for many people. 

 

Is there any way, theoretically, that anyone could redeem their deposit? Someone, for instance, that is converting to a non-gas arrangement.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Higgs

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Higgs said:

 

Is there any way, theoretically, that anyone could redeem their deposit?

 

 

I doubt a theoretical deposit is worth the paper it's written on. 

 

I suppose if you still have your original agreement, it could be taken up on a case by case appeal. 

 

For me, I don't have the agreement and a larger bottle is no use to me. So I have to find an alternative solution. 

[blackrose]

1 minute ago, Higgs said:

 

Is there any way, theoretically, that anyone could redeem their deposit?

 

 

 

Since most people never actually pay a deposit I doubt it. I've never paid for any empty 13kg bottles, just found or been given them. 

 

If you want to buy a gas bottle and you don't have an empty to exchange they'll certainly charge you up to 25 quid extra, but I doubt you could get your 25 quid back if you just turned up with an empty and said you wanted to return it.

[Higgs]

Just now, rusty69 said:

I doubt a theoretical deposit is worth the paper it's written on. 

 

I suppose if you still have your original agreement, it could be taken up on a case by case appeal. 

 

For me, I don't have the agreement and a larger bottle is no use to me. So I have to find an alternative solution. 

 

Don't want to make a big thing out of it, but Calor retain ownership and no one could have a can that hasn't had a deposit paid on it. I suppose the best thing might be to give the can to someone that converts them to stoves or something.

 

 

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Since most people never actually pay a deposit I doubt it. I've never paid for any empty 13kg bottles, just found or been given them. 

 

If you want to buy a gas bottle and you don't have an empty to exchange they'll certainly charge you up to 25 quid extra, but I doubt you could get your 25 quid back if you just turned up with an empty and said you wanted to return it.

 

I think the best thing would be to do with the can as you wish, probably the scrappers. I don't think you can buy a fresh can without paying extra for the can. as opposed to a refill.

 

 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Higgs said:

 

Don't want to make a big thing out of it, but Calor retain ownership and no one could have a can that hasn't had a deposit paid on it. I suppose the best thing might be to give the can to someone that converts them to stoves or something.

 

 

Exactly. Calor are holding all the cards. However, it's not great for their customers that have a boat gas locker sized around their bottle sizes, like many have. 

 

I suppose you could argue that is not the fault of calor, but the short sightedness of the boat designer. 

[Higgs]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Exactly. Calor are holding all the cards. However, it's not great for their customers that have a boat gas locker sized around their bottle sizes, like many have. 

 

I suppose you could argue that is not the fault of calor, but the short sightedness of the boat designer. 

 

Yes, it's a problem for those with lockers that aren't made to accommodate other sizes.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I doubt a theoretical deposit is worth the paper it's written on. 

 

I suppose if you still have your original agreement, it could be taken up on a case by case appeal. 

 

For me, I don't have the agreement and a larger bottle is no use to me. So I have to find an alternative solution. 

 

 

The Calor contract that you sign when you BUY a gas cylinder actually has a tapered 'refund' built into it - from memory after 5 years there is no refund but Calor still retain ownership of the cylinder.

 

Is the Cylinder Refill Agreement an agreement for the payment of a deposit on a gas bottle?

No, the Cylinder Refill Agreement is not a deposit agreement.   Calor does not charge a deposit on the gas bottle but it does require customers to make a payment for use of the cylinder, called the cylinder refill charge. 

 

Is the cylinder refill charge a gas bottle deposit?

No, the cylinder refill charge is not a deposit on a gas bottle (cylinder). 

Calor retains ownership of its gas cylinders at all times and the cylinder refill charge is paid by a customer in accordance with Calor’s Cylinder Refill Agreement (CRA).  The CRA entitles the customer to exchange the empty cylinder at an authorised Calor outlet for a full cylinder whenever they need a refill, paying only for the gas.  If the customer no longer needs further refills of gas, they can return the cylinder to an authorised Calor outlet and receive a partial refund (currently a minimum of £7.50) of the cylinder refill charge. 

In other words, the CRA is a contract between Calor and the customer who is using Calor’s cylinder which entitles the customer (a) to be in possession of Calor’s cylinder; and (b) to exchange the empty cylinder for a full cylinder upon payment for the gas inside the cylinder. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

The Calor contract that you sign when you BUY a gas cylinder actually has a tapered 'refund' built into it - from memory after 5 years there is no refund but Calor still retain ownership of the cylinder.

 

 

Is the cylinder refill charge a gas bottle deposit?

No, the cylinder refill charge is not a deposit on a gas bottle (cylinder). 

Calor retains ownership of its gas cylinders at all times and the cylinder refill charge is paid by a customer in accordance with Calor’s Cylinder Refill Agreement (CRA).  The CRA entitles the customer to exchange the empty cylinder at an authorised Calor outlet for a full cylinder whenever they need a refill, paying only for the gas.  If the customer no longer needs further refills of gas, they can return the cylinder to an authorised Calor outlet and receive a partial refund (currently a minimum of £7.50) of the cylinder refill charge. 

In other words, the CRA is a contract between Calor and the customer who is using Calor’s cylinder which entitles the customer (a) to be in possession of Calor’s cylinder; and (b) to exchange the empty cylinder for a full cylinder upon payment for the gas inside the cylinder. 

Then they are welcome to come and collect the three I have. They are no use to me. 

[Higgs]

On the other side of the coin, the cans are safety checked and are maintained to be safe. 

 

 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

  If the customer no longer needs further refills of gas, they can return the cylinder to an authorised Calor outlet and receive a partial refund (currently a minimum of £7.50) of the cylinder refill charge. 

And one time they gave you nothing back after the 5 year period had ended. But then there was no incentive to return a bottle you had no further use for. Hence the £7.50. A year or two back they ran an amnesty scheme that paid £10 iirc.

[MoominPapa]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

I doubt a theoretical deposit is worth the paper it's written on. 

 

I suppose if you still have your original agreement, it could be taken up on a case by case appeal. 

 

For me, I don't have the agreement and a larger bottle is no use to me. So I have to find an alternative solution. 

I'll take a small bet that Calor is saving a fortune in tax because all those deposits are a big negative contributor to the balance sheet. The fact that most will never be redeemed because the bottles get passed on or abandoned or lost is irrelevant.

 

MP.

Edited July 30, 2023 by MoominPapa

[Alan de Enfield]

3 hours ago, Higgs said:

On the other side of the coin, the cans are safety checked and are maintained to be safe. 

 

 

 

Good point, it costs me around £40 a time (every 30 months) to get my Diving Cyliders tested.

Without an in-date test certificate I cannot get them refilled.

 

I have 12 cylinders with (fortunately) test dates that spread across about 2 years.

[Bargebuilder]

5 hours ago, Higgs said:

How do possessors of Calor-owned cans being decommissioned get their deposits back? 

 

 

If you can't get your deposit back, sell it on eBay empty, where some enterprising person will re-fill it and sell it privately to someone who can't accommodate a larger bottle and are struggling to buy a legitimate one from a Calor retailer.

Then it's caveat emptor!

[MtB]

40 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

Then it's caveat emptor!

 

 

Or caveat EMPTY, if it was a rusty one! 

 

 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

Or caveat EMPTY, if it was a rusty one! 

 

 

Nah, it wasn't mine. I still got them. 

[magnetman]

5 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Then they are welcome to come and collect the three I have. They are no use to me. 

cut base out put loads of scrap iron in then pour concrete until its full. 

 

Allow to set. You now have a mudweight for the dink. 

 

(A theory I have not tried it). 

It would be even better to knock the valve off and the shroud and fit a stout eye bolt then do the scrap and concrete thing after that.