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Author Topic: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.  (Read 19068 times)

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Offline prodigyrf

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #25 on: July 01, 2012, 07:15:20 PM »
Quote from: BigJules on June 29, 2012, 01:24:30 PM
BCF for ~<$20.

I understand why places don't do refills. It takes ages and when one factors in the labour and the cost of the gas there cannot be much margin it. Let's support those places though, because Swap n Go is a ripoff.

Well I was with you on the first bit and then you went and spolied it by directly contradicting yourself. Let's see shall we? Take an 8.5kg bottle and LPG weighs 0.54kg/L so an 8.5 holds fifteen and three quarter litres and according to my 3 way, 90L capacity, Dometic fridge manual it consumes 350g/day so an 8.5 bottle will run it for a tick over 24days. That's without running the gas stove or a gas HWS if you've got one. Interestingly you won't be trotting up the power and gas bill at home while you're away for 3 weeks or so and you need to compare that with the $35 for a Swap and Go or $28 to fill your own at Mitre Ten at Glenelg SA. Well I took the BBQ bottle there today for a fill but alas it was an 01 bottle so Swap and Go it was for $35. Now the last time I swapped it was 2-3 yrs ago at Bunnings for $28 as I recall. What a financial burden eh?

Now I could have bought my own bottle (for around $45 I spotted the other day) and then had it filled for that $28 and saved myself $7. Seven fills and I'd be in front so you can see how Swap and Go makes sense for the vast majority, particularly when those 'new' bottles for sale are already 2 or 3 years out of date sitting on the shelf I noticed.

So your local filler like my Mitre 10 can clearly make an earn on that 15.74L for $28 ($1.78/L) depending on the vagaries of LPG prices and PROVIDED they put in a big tank installation for thousands plus interest holding costs, plus paying for weights and measures periodic inspections, plus pump maintenace, plus power for running the pump, plus wage overheads while the filler is away from the till or serving other customers, not to mention having to go to the appropriate course and be 'qualified' to fill them. Say 10 mins per fill or 6 fills an hour average and right there is around $50 an hour in total wage overhead. Or the alternative is Elgas tells the proprietor they will supply a nice galv cage (Regulator approved storage with all signage plus requisite fire extinguisher) and they'll stock it regularly and he'll make say $10 a cylinder for his troubles. Whaddya reckon, seeing as how the customer is not allowed to fill the bottle himself like he can with his LPG vehicle?
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Offline danielhobby

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #26 on: July 01, 2012, 08:05:24 PM »
factory beside me has a rented fatboy cylinder to refill his own 9kg bottles he uses for his floor polishing machines(as we see in supermarkets at night),He pays 55 cents a litre delivered and could negotiate a lower price if he used more than he does(as a servo would im sure) he pays $9.50 for a full bottle for contents only.rent on the fatboy cylinder is fairly minimal.
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Offline prodigyrf

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #27 on: July 02, 2012, 01:20:22 AM »
Why are we even talking about 400L fatboys in factories when you can't keep one at home?  If the fatboy rental alone was only around $100/yr that would be the cost of three 8.5kg Swap and Gos and your point is? The business still has to pay someone to decant each bottle and pay the rent on the premises (or the opportunity cost if its owned), among some other incidental costs of doing business. People on wages haven't a clue about such costings, which is why most small business startups fail within 2 years.
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Offline danielhobby

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #28 on: July 02, 2012, 11:55:59 AM »
the information i was putting out there was put out to allow people to know what specific gas costs were to a business so as to enable them to judge what a resonable deal was for a full bottle and what a blatant gouge is.i suppose you now know what i was on about and it had nothing to do with businesses failing due to nonworkable margins???
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Offline Hubble80

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #29 on: July 02, 2012, 03:19:42 PM »
I have paid almost $ for a swap before.  I am not bothered to much as I do the two bottle rotation trick so they are always getting a full bottle.  I know a bloke who owns a swap and go franchise and he says because of the constant testing and bottle maintenance there isn't a lot of margin.  I think it is piece of mind for not having to worry about cert dates etc.
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Offline fiddlestix

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #30 on: July 02, 2012, 03:46:54 PM »
All masters improvement centers $19.95 for a swap can't beat that..
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Offline GU_Thomo

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Re: Northern Beaches Sydney
« Reply #31 on: July 02, 2012, 03:58:54 PM »
Quote from: harrys767 on June 29, 2012, 10:42:34 AM


Joes BBQs Refill @ Collaroy - $45!?


Cheers.

Everything at Joe's is overpriced.

Cheers
Parry
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Offline D4D

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #32 on: October 18, 2012, 06:28:58 AM »
I used the Bunnings service the other day, which is Kwik-Gas, cost $37 delivered to my door with swap of old bottle. They dropped off a brand new Manchester bottle stamped 08-12, very happy with that.
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Offline sup8pdct

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #33 on: October 18, 2012, 07:38:57 PM »
Atrek camper hire at Kalangur (brisbane) weighs bottle before and after.

James
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Offline Jenko67

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #34 on: October 18, 2012, 07:41:42 PM »
Just over $19 to swap a 9kg at the local bunnings, easy as......
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Offline GeoffA

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Re: Cheap Gas Bottle Refills.
« Reply #35 on: October 18, 2012, 07:47:37 PM »
I've found BCF to be the cheapest, and they fill on the spot.

I use Swap & Go mobs if I'm short of time.......
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