When we did up the house we opted for a gas fired boiler and ended up with a 1000L tank buried in the garden for which we have paid a 1500€ deposit.
15 years on and the high cost of gas plus a less than efficient boiler means I have stopped using gas and haven't bought any for 15 months.
Reading the supplier's contract it seems that they can now demand to take back the tank and that it is down to me to make it available, ie dig it out. Does anyone have any experience of this happening or will they just make it safe and leave it there ? I can't imagine it can be reused and scrap value may not cover cost of sending lorry + crane.
Thanks in advance
Hi Steve,
Update for info.
After some negotiations with four different suppliers managed to get a better offer from Primagaz at 1300€ fixed price for one year, 1600€ from then on and minimal end of contract charges.
Oops, sums aren't my strong point. Should have been 720€. Still seems cheap though also I suppose some installations will be nearer/easier than others. Mine took 2 guys, a lorry, trailer and a small digger that was used as a crane to get tank into hole we had prepared.
Well €144 per year for 5 years and a tank fill up at the start of the contract...also the client pays the plumber to connect them up and provide the certificat de conformité...
I would never have imagined it, but once out of you period of engagement, you can switch suppliers - though of course you must also change tanks!!! It sounds like they are fairly adept at it too- one supplier arrives in the morning and takes it the old one out (you are only obliged to provide access to the tank - that doesn't mean digging it out) and another arrives shortly after!
If i'd known that ten years ago I would have switched before now!!!
So for 288€ they will supply, install and then remove a tank 5 years later ?
If they are that good, how come Primagaz still have any customers down there ?
I dug around a lot, and couldn't find any catches. Free removal of tank end of life. Delivery on demande. Payment in one go or spread over several months. 5 year contract. Price linked to gas index. No minimum order or minimum consumption per year.
Their 'strength' is that they are publicly owned and hence prices are controlled by government. The catch is they only operate in the aquitaine area.
I have also heard that some companies are charging up to 2500€ per tonne - using the very same gas bought at the same wholesale price - and that from neighbour to neighbour it can vary enormously......
Surprisngly low price, wonder what the catch is ?
Hi Steve
From a company serving the south West of France, with new tank installed, no caution, 144€ per year 'abonnement', no end of contract costs, 5 year contract €1265 a tonne. !!!
Did all those gas tank owners hear that, propane gas in a tank, €1265 per tonne - and still they are making a profit!
This supplies says tanks are definitely removed and thay can be removed with any remaining gas still in the tank. So if only a small quantity left over can forget the emptying costs.
Good luck
Heat pump uses a lot more electricity than we were told, especially with the cold winters we had. I think ours cost us about 8k€ once we'd had the tax refund.
Hi Steve
Its down to the gas supplier to dig it out and remove it....you just need to look after filling in the hole ...
I was managing to get mine at 1900€ incl tax having being with them for 14 years- based on less than 500kg per year - but this took a bit of doing with a number of phone calls .
Just for info I have a sales rep from an independent gas supplier, who also puts in his own tank. He's reputed to get even cheaper gas, so will soon get closer to what is the real wholesale price of propane...
Heat pump - was looking into this and was 'steared away'. Sales rep reckons you need to be at €2500 to 3500 on heating alone to get a reasonable pay back for a 17k€ to 27k€ investment....whats your experience of it all?
'lo Paul
Will Primagaz do the digging out or is that down to you ? My tank is empty so there is nothing to pump.
My last bill from Antargaz was in April 13 and the price was 1909 HT ( 2283 TTC) per tonne. 1456€ covered a years worth of hot water and cooking, virtually no heating as we put in a heat pump (also expensive to run).
Hi Steve
I have a gas 'citerne' buried in my front garden and are considering getting it removed to connect up to gas de ville. Like you I paid a 'caution' on the tank when it was installed and like you I am paying exorbitant amounts for my gas and like you i heat by alternative means now.
I have been in contact with my supplier Primagaz and they say they will remove it with a crane etc. They will give me back my 'caution' less the cost of 'repompage' of the gas residues left in the tank. They will buy back the remaining gas at the price you were last invoiced but will charge around €200 fee for the repompage - unless otherwise indicated in your contract.
They do not fill in the hole!
Its probably in your interest to get them to remove it, since if you decide you need the space later, i guess it could be quite costly to self finance it...
Finally, if its not indiscrete it would be interesting to know how much you are paying per tonne and for what annual usage? (Tarifs vary so much between suppliers and neighbours its difficult to believe!).