PA puts rocket under energy giant

Jan 11 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A SHIVERING Abernethy family can turn their central heating on again thanks to the power of the Press.

After a scheduled delivery of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) failed to materialise on December 29 and supplier Shell was noncommittal about a revised date, the new year looked decidedly chilly for the Kennedy family.

“We had a miserable Christmas and it got to the stage where we couldn’t use the heating at all because if the tank runs out of gas then air gets in and you have to get an engineer,” said Carol Kennedy.

“I wasn’t allowed to speak to a supervisor or anyone else at Shell and I emailed them repeatedly until eventually they replied saying the tanker had to queue for six hours at the Fife depot and couldn’t deliver.

“Now the latest is care homes and residential homes are getting priority and, in the last email, they apologised and said they can’t give me a delivery date.”

That was the final straw for Mrs Kennedy, who had already sent her 90-year-old mum – discharged from hospital and visiting the family over the festive season – back home to Crieff as she was too cold.

So fed up donning four layers of clothing and huddling around a coal fire with husband Bert and children Jack and Kate in their draughty 250-year-old home, a frustrated Mrs Kennedy called the PA.

A subsequent call from the PA to Shell appeared to put a rocket under the energy and petrochemicals multinational, with the Abernethy family’s phone ringing red hot as a result.

“It was remarkable,” said the supply teacher.

“After we called you I got a phone call from a woman obviously higher up the Shell chain to arrange a delivery.

“So I put the phone down and immediately it rang again – a tanker driver who said he was in Kinross.

“And incredibly, within 30 minutes, a tanker appeared and the driver said, ‘how much do you want’?

“He was bemoaning how difficult it was for them with the weather and what have you.

“Anyway, I’d like to thank the PA. It’s just wonderful.”

As Abernethy is not on the natural gas grid, most residents rely on electricity or alternative fuel – mainly oil – to power central heating.

A minority use LPG, a product of petroleum gases, principally propane and butane.

During winter the Kennedys top up their 1400-litre capacity tank every two months at a cost of more than £600 a refill.

Mrs Kennedy said Shell’s pledge to compensate LPG customers with £50 if they ran out was not good enough.

“My biggest complaint is Shell treated us absolutely disgracefully giving us no information, and while they are very polite, there was no possibility of finding out what’s going on,” she said.

“It was the same last year, but not as bad.”

A Shell spokeswoman confirmed that the company prioritised deliveries on the basis of most at-risk customers, adding that “thankfully” the Kennedy family’s LPG tank was now full again.

“Recent severe weather conditions plus an increase in demand led to some difficulties delivering LPG in Scotland,” she said.

“Despite these challenges Shell did manage to keep the vast majority of our customers supplied and prioritised our most at risk customers.

“We apologise to those affected.”