Can our park owner charge whatever he likes for the resale of piped LPG gas?

• Monday, 26 January 2009
• Amy Hodge
• 0 Comments

A leak has developed on the LPG supply pipes on our park. Steps have been taken to replace some of the gas pipes over a two-year period. This has caused a great deal of disruption and inconvenience to residents.
Our last quarterly bill showed another big increase; a total of almost 50 per cent over the past year. I challenged the site owner and tried to point out that residents should be notified in advance of such increases, providing official documentation from his suppliers. He said there is no legislation covering the resale of piped LPG and no notice is required. In addition, he said he could charge whatever he liked and could charge each resident different prices if he so wished. Is he right?

Answer

Your issue is a contractual one between you and your park owner. This is not because, unfortunately for you, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is not covered by the Ofgem decision document 2002 which states, for any other gas, there is a maximum resale price and there is a remedy of paying a reduced charge if the site owner does not provide you with information requested in connection with the billing.

However, LPG will be covered by the Mobile Homes Act 1983, Schedule 1, Paragraph 22 (b), which provides that the owner shall, if requested by the occupier, provide (free of charge) documentary evidence in support and explanation of any charges for gas, electricity, water, sewerage and other services payable by the occupier to the owner under the agreement. Although you have a right under the Act to request this information, there is not a remedy for you if your site owner fails to provide you with it.

What it all comes down to is the original contract between you and your site owner and what you agreed to in your initial written statement.