Is "there an App for that"! Finding gas bottle exchange?

[82125]

After 3 & 1/2mths full timing in my MH I just switched over to my last 13kg Calor bottle.

Ive tried a couple of places looking for an exchange previously (not particularly thoroughly, just if I was passing) but neither had propane in stock.

I have both Calor and Flogas bottles, so rather than having to use their respective sites to find exchange locations (both of which helpfully just say sold out) I was thinking surely there must be a website or app that just shows where you can exchange gas bottles?

Having never had to do it before finding them seems to involve an awful lot of Googling and ringing around. Theres an App or website for everything else on this planet to tell you where to buy something and more importantly IF its in stock, but not so for gas it seems?

Anyone knows a good resource for finding them please?


I need to get refills for the 11KG Flowgas and a 13KG Calor. (I also have another full Calor 13KG which i switched over to this morning).
Ideally I'd like to swap the empty 13KG for an 11KG Flowgas so I have 2 Flowgas and just one Calor because its cheaper I think for Flowgas but it still gives me redundancy to use either when there's a shortage getting them exchanged like now.

I'm also seriously considering a refillable bottle with external refilling point (the thought of an underslung tank on the Alto chassis terrifies me! Its always catching on stuff) and theres loads of room in my gas locker for something larger than the two 13KG bottles currently in there.

Thanks.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Have you tried your local Morrisons supermarket .those that sell LPG also have bottle available.

 

[Raul]

Google roofing supplies in your area. Roofing merchants sell gas for torch on felt. That’s where I got my last bottle of 13kg calor.

 

[PP Bear]

Have you tried this …..

Domestic & Bulk LPG Supplier For Off Grid Heating and Energy

Whether you need a hot shower, a perfectly cooked burger or heating for your home office, choose Calor.

www.calor.co.uk

 

[Emmit]

As a general comment, it always helps if the OP has in his/her profile the area where they live.
Then, a Funster in that area can give specific help.

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[cyberyacht]

If you are full-timing, a refillable surely has to be the way to go rather than pay Calor prices.

 

[82125]

Have you tried this …..

Domestic & Bulk LPG Supplier For Off Grid Heating and Energy

Whether you need a hot shower, a perfectly cooked burger or heating for your home office, choose Calor.

www.calor.co.uk

?? that was what i was referring to.

Im trying to find an easier way than having to go on the flowgas and calor site one at a time, only to be told nothing in terms of whether they actually have any in stock, and then have to ring around to find out (which where i am currently my phone has no service anyway).
If ringing around really is the only way then surely theres a one stop site somewhere that at least shows gas retailers around your location? Google maps isnt very helpful because as soon as you zoom in it starts listing any sort of shop regardless of relevance.
There are so many non obvious places that apparently sell it, surely theres a site or app listing them.

 

[chaser]

I think you will find there is not much difference in price between flowgas and calor now.

 

[82125]

As a general comment, it always helps if the OP has in his/her profile the area where they live.
Then, a Funster in that area can give specific help.

Thanks, but not relevant to my question since I'm constantly on the move and im not looking for an exchange in just this location, but a resource that lists them everywhere.

 

[chaser]

Just go to Google maps and put in the search thing, calor gas and they will all come up around you or whatever area you are looking at.

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[chaser]

As this

 

[82125]

As this
View attachment 554008

from previous post: "Google maps isnt very helpful because as soon as you zoom in it starts listing any sort of shop regardless of relevance."

I didnt even zoom in, this was the first display it gave for example. Staggered there isnt somewhere that lists most gas bottle outlets.

 

[chaser]

from previous post: "Google maps isnt very helpful because as soon as you zoom in it starts listing any sort of shop regardless of relevance."

I didnt even zoom in, this was the first display it gave for example. Staggered there isnt somewhere that lists most gas bottle outlets.

It can't list what isn't there

 

[chaser]

Plenty of you spread out a bit

 

[WillH]

You searched for 'gas bottles', search for 'calor gas' or 'flogas' and you'll get better results.

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[Spriddler]

There have been many posts on here about a severe and continuous shortage of exchange bottles since the Spring. This has been attributed to a shortage of steel to produce new bottles and to the rapid increase of new users. A shortage of the gas itself has also been mentioned.
I searched for a 6kg supplier back in July and the search apps indicated many garden centres and hardware shops (around a dozen fairly locally) which when I phoned them had only the smaller patio or BBQ bottles. By chance I eventually obtained one of only 3 remaining at the main Calor distribution centre which I had reserved and paid for over the phone. When I arrived there were 3 disappointed and disgruntled m/h owners in the yard.

 

[PP Bear]

Well that’ll learn me eh….

 

[Nanniemate]

?? that was what i was referring to.

Im trying to find an easier way than having to go on the flowgas and calor site one at a time, only to be told nothing in terms of whether they actually have any in stock, and then have to ring around to find out (which where i am currently my phone has no service anyway).
If ringing around really is the only way then surely theres a one stop site somewhere that at least shows gas retailers around your location? Google maps isnt very helpful because as soon as you zoom in it starts listing any sort of shop regardless of relevance.
There are so many non obvious places that apparently sell it, surely theres a site or app listing them.

The local agent to me I just call them they say yes I call in they even change the bottle easy not sure if they are all as helpful

 

[82125]

The local agent to me I just call them they say yes I call in they even change the bottle easy not sure if they are all as helpful

thanks but i dont have a local agent as I move (usually) every day. I really am looking for a resource that i can refer to each time as I dont have a local home address, and dont know the areas or businesses.
Sounds like what im referring to doesnt exist however, if only I still wrote software! Seems like an opportunity unmet!

 

[82125]

It can't list what isn't there

it can, it can say out of stock, which is exactly what i want to know before wasting my time ringing around to then find out the exact same thing.
Last place i rang, i got through to the poor girl tending the till in a busy petrol station, but the gas bottles were around the back, 5 or 6 mins later despite trying her best she tried to get hold of some one else to take a look but wasnt able to to. So i drove down there as it was only a few miles away, they had no propane of any type in stock.

maybe its just me because I worked in I.T for decades, but it seems bizarre I can check if the nearest supermarket has Twix, Pantyliners, or Toothpaste in stock but no one has thought of doing the same for critically important heating, cooking gas?

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[Spriddler]

it can, it can say out of stock, which is exactly what i want to know before wasting my time ringing around to then find out the exact same thing.
Last place i rang, i got through to the poor girl tending the till in a busy petrol station, but the gas bottles were around the back, 5 or 6 mins later despite trying her best she tried to get hold of some one else to take a look but wasnt able to to. So i drove down there as it was only a few miles away, they had no propane of any type in stock.

In normal times, i.e. pre-pandemic there were always loads of places with plenty of stock and since retailers could get a couple of deliveries a week (or daily) they might only be out of stock for a day or two or even just for a few hours, so it would hardly be worth them putting it on and constantly updating a website.

However, during the past 18 months supplies have been scarce and deliveries ad hoc and unpredictable so retailers that I've contacted simply don't know when they'll get any more.

Much the same applies to LPG garages for those of us with refillable systems.

 

[WillH]

Most agents are like my local store, the stock is in two stacks, full and empty. No record is kept, the lad just looks out the door and has a look if he doesn't already know.

 

[chaser]

it can, it can say out of stock, which is exactly what i want to know before wasting my time ringing around to then find out the exact same thing.
Last place i rang, i got through to the poor girl tending the till in a busy petrol station, but the gas bottles were around the back, 5 or 6 mins later despite trying her best she tried to get hold of some one else to take a look but wasnt able to to. So i drove down there as it was only a few miles away, they had no propane of any type in stock.

maybe its just me because I worked in I.T for decades, but it seems bizarre I can check if the nearest supermarket has Twix, Pantyliners, or Toothpaste in stock but no one has thought of doing the same for critically important heating, cooking gas?

It might say they have twix in Tesco, it doesn't mean they actually have.
Have you heard about shortages and no lorry drivers?
It says Oxo on buses but they don't sell it.

 

[Spriddler]

Most agents are like my local store, the stock is in two stacks, full and empty. No record is kept, the lad just looks out the door and has a look if he doesn't already know.

My local agricultural merchant has a locked cage outside that is provided by Calor (behind the tractors, ploughs and other exciting machinery) and in normal times the Calor man (who has a key to the lock) calls once or twice a week, puts the empties on his truck and replaces them with full ones.

 

[Folkranger]

Get refillables. Save money. Oh! and there's an app (FillLPG)

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[82125]

It might say they have twix in Tesco, it doesn't mean they actually have.
Have you heard about shortages and no lorry drivers?
It says Oxo on buses but they don't sell it.

missing the point entirely, and not constructive to the thread. Please take your eagerness for a argument elsewhere.
Your sarcy (and irrelevant) comment about shortages does not in any way address my point that stock could and should be listed online.

Youre highlighted the irrelevance of your "input" by stating buses dont sell Oxo, does it list online that they do then? (that's rhetorical by the way).

 

[82125]

In normal times, i.e. pre-pandemic there were always loads of places with plenty of stock and since retailers could get a couple of deliveries a week (or daily) they might only be out of stock for a day or two or even just for a few hours, so it would hardly be worth them putting it on and constantly updating a website.

However, during the past 18 months supplies have been scarce and deliveries ad hoc and unpredictable so retailers that I've contacted simply don't know when they'll get any more.

Much the same applies to LPG garages for those of us with refillable systems.

I would have thought the stock control, delivery and re-sale process is generally an automated process in any large business (Flogas, Calor)? Many gas outlets are big chains that certainly have the ability to do it this way (independent smaller businesses understandably not though).

I managed to pick up a 13KG calor the other day at a very reasonable £35, still not found a Flogas though.

 

[Itsmcb]

I would think the problem with an app for that would be keeping the stock position up to date at each location. If it wasn't accurate then it would just become a list of stockists and people would delete the app as unreliable.

 

[chaser]

missing the point entirely, and not constructive to the thread. Please take your eagerness for a argument elsewhere.
Your sarcy (and irrelevant) comment about shortages does not in any way address my point that stock could and should be listed online.

Youre highlighted the irrelevance of your "input" by stating buses dont sell Oxo, does it list online that they do then? (that's rhetorical by the way).

I was far from trying to start an argument, I was just trying to help, but why would you rely on the internet to buy a bottle of calor gas, why would anyone who is selling gas advertise the fact that they hadn't got any, it's not a lot of trouble to ring them to see.

 

[chaser]

I would have thought the stock control, delivery and re-sale process is generally an automated process in any large business (Flogas, Calor)? Many gas outlets are big chains that certainly have the ability to do it this way (independent smaller businesses understandably not though).

I managed to pick up a 13KG calor the other day at a very reasonable £35, still not found a Flogas though.

Here you go they will even deliver you one but as you will see I wasn't lieing when I said there is no difference in price now..
"Gas Bottles and Cylinders | Flogas | Flogas" https://www.flogas.co.uk/shop/category/all-cylinders

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