Pyrofax Energy

On 12/29, I had a service call since my propane heater was not working. We had never used one before; it came with the house we bought. The tech came out, looked inside, and said the pilot was lit and hit a switch on the back. We had no idea there was a switch. Then he left, never took out one tool; nothing. I did not receive a bill until 1/27.

Now the bill was an invoice dated 12/29 stating $89 service fee and $65 for cleaning my pilot. I called on 1/28, the day after the bill came, and I said the tech did nothing but flip a switch. I should not have to pay for a cleaning that did not happen. They said they would look into it and call me back. Tuesday came; now it is 1/31, and there's no call but a new bill in the mail box. So I figured they fixed it, and this is the new bill. No! Now I have a new bill stating I am 30 days past due and have a late fee!

So on 2/1, I called, telling them the first bill I ever received was on 1/27. The woman proceeded to blame me for not calling to get a bill sooner! I had no idea what day the tech came until I received the first bill on 1/27. Then she said, "Well, we have no idea if the bill made it to you once it left here." I said, "It did make it two days before it was 30 days past due. Are you kidding me?"

I then explained to her that we called five days ago about the bill, and they said they would get back to us and had not. I was put on hold while they called the tech who stated he did nothing but flipped a switch! "Oh sorry. We must have misunderstood. We will remove the $65 charge and late fee," this time, like they were doing me a favor for messing up.

I am in the service business, and when we perform a service, we bill it; we don't blame the customer for our billing mistakes and then blame them again for not calling for a bill they never sent. Unbelievable, and I should bill for my time wasted fixing their mess up and their overcharge to me for a service they never performed.

This business is so shady. They treat their customers like dirt. Last year we paid under $3.00 a gallon for propane. This year we received a bill for $4.89 a gallon! They informed me it is because we use less than 300 gallons a year and that last year we had an "introductory price," which I was never informed of. They jacked the price up on us $2.00 a gallon without even warning us. I realize they don't have to inform us, and that propane is not regulated. But that is not how you treat your returning customers. I called two other local propane dealers and was given price quotes of $3.90 and $3.25 a gallon for our yearly usage.

Their customer service stinks as well. I have received two curt one sentence e-mails from the company explaining the price hike. They're so unapologetic; it's disgusting. Why, in this economy we are in, do they think we would stay with them with their attitude and ridiculous over-the-top price gouging? Do they really think we will pay this all winter? Do they really think we won't comparison shop? Good way to lose customers Pyrofax. As one of my co-workers said, "Why would you buy fuel from a company that has pyro' in its name?"

Had two tanks. 120lb each. Cancelled in spring of 2010. They took 4 months to come get the first empty tank. We had switched to a much cheaper co. (like 1.40 /gal cheaper). Second tank went empty in October. They came sooner. Charged $75.00 to pick up tank!

My father passed away 2 days before Christmas this past year. He and I were residing in a mobile home that uses propane to heat our residence and also to cook with. My mother resides in a nursing home in Cleveland. I have been traveling back and forth consistently since the passing of my father. A month back, the propane tank ran out of fuel and I, never living in a trailer with propane heat wasn't aware of how much I had to keep checking that tank to make sure it had propane.

2 days after I buried my father, the propane tank went empty. I contacted Pyrofax and was told there was a balance on the account of 66 dollars. Having a disability and being on a low fixed income, the money was somewhat difficult to obtain considering we had to pay in excess of ten thousand dollars for my father's funeral. I managed to scrape up the money and drove it to the office in Columbiana, Ohio. I explained to Nancy that I will be receiving energy assistance for my heating and Pyrofax energy will be getting the money for the account. Nancy then told me, I cannot put anymore propane in that tank until I get the money from energy assistance. The next day, due to delivering the 66 dollars to them, a guy came out and only put 20% in the tank, which I was told by the driver that "20% is usually when they have their customers call to get more oil put in their tanks."

I had to go back out to Cleveland to be with my mother and when I came back to my residence to take care of some business here at my residence and to check on things. When I walked in, I noticed a smell and it was very cold. The tank had run out of oil. I received in the mail a letter stating that my energy assistance was approved and a payment in the amount of 309 dollars was sent to Pyrofax. I called Pyrofax and it being a Saturday, I was connected to an answering service. The woman on the phone told me that she would get a driver out here to put oil in my tank since this was an emergency call. I had to wait around for the driver to call me. I waited and waited and could no longer wait anymore.

I contacted the answering service and rescheduled for the oil to be put in the tank the following Monday. So I drove back out to Cleveland Sunday morning and had to drive back in that same night and stay here in my residence overnight with no heat so that I could make sure I was here Monday morning when the driver delivers my propane. Monday morning came and went. No driver delivering propane. I called Pyrofax again and was told by Nancy that there was a driver here but there was no one home.

I was here and so was my dog and the dog did not bark and I never heard anyone knocking at my door. I told that to Nancy and she told me there is no way she could have a truck here that day to put oil in my tank and tomorrow might not work either with the storm coming she said that I have to call in the morning to see if any trucks are running. Ok, so again another night in a trailer in 19 degree weather outside. I woke up the next morning once again calling Nancy at the Pyrofax office. She told me she would send out a driver. Again, I waited and waited.

I finally call Nancy back and once again she told me there was a driver here but no one answered. Once again I state, "I have a dog, the dog never barked and no one knocked on my door." Nancy told me she would have a driver call me back. So I wait some more and I did receive a call the driver would be coming back out. When the driver got here, he said he needed money in the amount of 68 dollars to put any oil in my tank. Once again I state fixed income, disability, financially broke until the first of the month when I receive my check. I got a little mad and he called Nancy at the office and he ended up handing me the phone for me to talk to Nancy. Nancy told my there would be no oil put into that tank unless I paid 68 dollars. I did not have it so therefore, no heat, still. This is now Friday.

After the driver left, I called energy assistance in my county and the woman told me I was eligible for "crisis" but for it all to be processed would take 48 hours. I thought well I stayed here past few nights I can do it again since I really have nowhere to go except Cleveland and I have no money left to put in my gas tank. So the woman at crisis told me she would call Pyrofax and let them know I'm approved for a 400 dollar funding for my heat. Nancy at Pyrofax had since changed her tune because it was no longer 68 dollars she wanted it is now 128 and the 128 has to be hand delivered to the office. Without the 128 dollars, she won't even consider the application from crisis. If I didn't have 68 dollars to give them to put propane in that tank, I certainly don't have 128!

Like I have stated, I am disabled and am on a low fixed income. I have nowhere to go to get warm. I had to borrow a couple of space heaters from a neighbor but I use gas to also prepare my food. Without heat or oil to cook with, I'm in a serious predicament. I was under the impression or so I thought that utility companies could not shut off your heating or electric during the months of November through March? I am at my wits end with this Pyrofax energy. If this is how they are going to treat a disabled customer, I would have hated to see how they would have treated my father who was 73 when he passed away. Luckily, he was in a nursing facility for rehabilitation and was not here without any heat because Nancy at Pyrofax energy would have let an elderly man die here in this trailer over a measly 68 dollars. Economically, I had to use my last ten dollars on burger king so I could eat for a day. The stress of all this has been almost unbearable, like I stated; I'm disabled due to bipolar. Losing my father and my mother dying of cancer, and then coming to my home that has no heat has been very tiring. As of right this minute, I have no options. I am stuck here in the dead of winter cold because Pyrofax energy cares nothing about their customers.

We received a propane delivery 1/04/2010 for 129.6 gallons at $3.01 /gallon. We joined the Ruth Clark program at the advice of Pyrofax Energy to receive a discount off the per gallon rate. Pyrofax was called and spoke with Brenda and she stated the discounted price would be $2.53 /gallon. We received the bill for this delivery and the price on the bill is an outrageous $3.24/gallon and we are not getting any cooperation from them, including now they are denying having the information regarding joining the Ruth Clark Program