I recently relocated to Kingston and was approached by several propane companies eager to gain me…read moreas a new customer. I discovered that my current provider, Wrightington Gas, had three tanks and four regulators installed on my property. To address safety concerns regarding our new mini-split systems, which would be situated near an ignition source, I contacted Wrightington and three other companies for quotes on moving the tanks.
During an assessment, Kevin from Wrightington asserted that fitting a 250-gallon tank in my desired location was not feasible. He suggested minor modifications to current fittings and indicated that since the tanks were nearly empty, relocating them was timely. He mentioned that I would need to level the area and assist with the move, including digging the trench. Although he promised to return within a few days to complete the work, he did not provide any clarification on pricing. I interpreted this as an effort to retain my business, considering the task seemed manageable.
When I raised concerns about the messy connections at the back of the house, Kevin dismissed them as insignificant, despite the fact that he had caused the disarray. It was evident that he was unwilling to rectify the situation using appropriate black iron piping, and no further discussion took place on this issue.
In the meantime, I received two out of three quotes from other propane companies. The lowest was approximately $1,500, which covered the installation of a 250-gallon tank--despite Kevin's claim that it could not fit--as well as obtaining a permit and fixing the disorganized copper connections at the rear of the house. I informed one of these companies that I would hire them in the spring to address the copper issue, but since Wrightington was already tasked with moving the tank, I opted to proceed with their services.
After their work was completed, I continued to smell gas. Upon notifying them, they returned to fix a leak they had created. Following the tank refill, I received an invoice totaling over $1,900. I immediately contacted Wrightington to express that I had been quoted $1,500 for the entire job, which included installing and leveling the 250-gallon tank, installing a new regulator, removing three unnecessary regulators, and replacing the copper connections with black iron.
In summary, their charges were more than double the competitive rate, amounting to over $180 per hour for labor. This is an excessive amount given the straightforward nature of the work. While I reluctantly agreed to pay a reduced amount, I feel I was taken advantage of, especially since I felt trapped after the tanks were refilled.
I am committed to finding a new propane provider as soon as the weather permits and will be pursuing a complaint with small claims court as well as the Better Business Bureau, where numerous customers have voiced similar concerns. A review of their accreditation status and customer feedback on platforms like Yelp confirms a troubling pattern of dissatisfaction among their clients.
