Vindman Demands Answers from Superior Plus Propane About Delivery Delays
Customers of the company, both in the Fredericksburg area and in other states, have reported being without propane heat for almost a month.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
A prolonged lack of propane gas being experienced by some Fredericksburg-area customers of Superior Plus Propane has caused Rep. Eugene Vindman to send a letter to the company’s president and CEO demanding answers.
“We have heard from multiple constituents, including families with newborns, seniors, and other vulnerable residents, who have reported lacking propane for heat, hot water, cooking, and backup power during one of the coldest stretches of winter in recent history,” Vindman wrote in the February 20 letter, which his office shared with the Advance. “Many have shared that your companies have been unable to deliver propane as scheduled, leaving their tanks empty in below freezing temperatures.”
The letter continues: “Despite enrolling in ‘automatic’ or ‘scheduled’ delivery plans, these customers reported running out of propane entirely. In addition, many were unable to reach your offices, experienced long wait times, or received inconsistent or misleading information. For example, customers were told that a propane delivery was imminent, when, in fact, it never arrived. Meanwhile, their homes remain unheated in these freezing temperatures.
This is unacceptable. Your company has a contractual and moral obligation to make sure families are able to heat their homes. Failing to deliver fuel, particularly to customers on automatic plans who reasonably rely on your company to monitor and maintain supply, is a breach of trust and responsibility.”
The Advance heard from customers of Superior Plus Propane, who described being without home heat or gas for cooking since Winter Storm Fern in late January. Richmond-area residents also reported waiting almost a month for the company to refill their empty propane tanks.
Customers of Superior Plus Propane in other states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, also experienced prolonged delivery delays, according to WRIC news out of Richmond.
Superior Plus acquired Quarles in 2022 for $145 million, and according to its website has acquired a total of 27 companies in the past five years.
The company’s website currently displays a message stating that “Propane supplies are temporarily limited across the region.”
The message links to a page titled “Localized & Temporary Supply Chain Challenges,” which states that “Because of higher than normal seasonal demand and delays on major supply routes—including the Dixie Pipeline and rail deliveries affected by weather—propane supplies are temporarily limited across our region. To manage this, pipelines are using a process called ‘allocation,’ which simply means propane is shared as fairly as possible when supply is tight. This is affecting all propane companies in the area, including Superior, and everyone is receiving fewer rail deliveries than usual.”
However, a spokesperson for the National Propane Gas Association told the Advance last week that they were not aware of any propane supply shortages.
In his letter, Vindman cites a Virginia law, which permits alternative propane providers to perform an emergency fill when a customer is at risk of running out within 24 hours.
“To be clear,” Vindman wrote. “Customers should not be forced to navigate legal technicalities or seek emergency assistance on their own while your company fails to meet its obligations. If you are unable to meet demand, you should be actively coordinating with alternative companies to prevent residents from being left without heat.”
Vindman’s letter requests that Superior Plus answer the following questions by Friday, February 27:
Is there assistance that the Federal Government can provide to alleviate the issues you are experiencing?
How many households have gone without propane for more than a day because of delayed or missed deliveries?
What percentage of your customers is this?
What is the current average wait time for delivery for customers on automatic or scheduled plans?
In the meantime, are you providing space heaters or other temporary heating solutions to affected households?
What immediate and long-term steps are you taking to resolve this issue and prevent recurrence?
What refund, credit, or other remediation are you providing to affected customers?
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