Your OnGas system uses two gas cylinders, and it is important that both are left turned on in order to meet the demands of appliances in your home.
One of these cylinders provides the main while the other is a backup that provides extra gas when required. This extra gas could be due to increased demand from your appliances (this often happens during colder weather).
Even though both cylinders are turned on, you will not run out of gas any quicker, as your appliance will not continuously draw gas from both cylinders.
When your main cylinder has emptied, the system will automatically change over to the back-up cylinder. You will know it has changed over as the regulator will turn red.
You don’t need to do anything, except give us a call on 0800 84 12 12 to reorder your next gas delivery. (Please don’t do anything with the regulator, this will be done by the delivery driver when exchanging your bottles)
| Application | Number in household | Average refills annually |
| Home heating only | N/A | 6-9 |
| 2 | 4-7 | |
| Water heating only | 4 | 9-12 |
| 6 | 12-16 |
Each gas bottle (cylinder) contains 45kg of gas when full, which equals 2250 megajoules or 625 kilowatts of energy.
The regulator on top of your bottles indicates when a bottle has become empty.
Autochange regulator
Autochange regulators use a visual indicator to advise you when a cylinder has become empty and has switched over to draw gas from the other cylinder.
While some indicators start off green and others clear, they all turn red when the first cylinder is empty. Do not touch or turn the dial. When you see it turn red, that’s your signal to call OnGas for a refill delivery. We will pick up the empty cylinder and replace it with a full one, and reset the regulator.
Manual regulator
If your cylinder station has a “manual” regulator, you will need to turn on the valve on your reserve cylinder once the first cylinder is empty. Gas is then drawn from the reserve cylinder.
No. However, if the area is locked or guarded by dogs, we will request access on a day suitable to you and our delivery team.
You'll smell it. A pungent smell is added to gas so that it can be detected.
Firstly, check the regulator on top of the bottles to see if all parts are red. You may need to order a new bottle. If both bottles are empty, and an emergency or urgent delivery is required there may be an extra charge for the unscheduled delivery.
If the regulator indicates there’s still gas in a least one of the bottles, check for basic errors such as a pilot light having gone out.
If there’s no obvious explanation, then call a gasfitter to check out your appliances.
Gas, like many other fuels, is safe when treated with respect. The system is extremely safe when common sense rules apply around the bottles, eg no naked flames, no striking of the bottles etc.
All bottles are tested at the filling station for faults, as well as leak tested at the point of re-connection at your house by OnGas.
There are strict New Zealand regulations governing any company who sells gas. All storage and handling operations of LPG or Propane must conform to NZ specification AS/NZS 1596.
Just follow common sense rules such as; do not ignite any garden refuse near the bottles, do not rock the bottles or try and move them as you may accidentally disconnect the regulator.
There are no connection charges from OnGas for an LPG cylinder station installation.
There will be a cost from your gasfitter to connect the internal piping to the system. The further away from the source, usually the higher the price of installation. The gasfitter will also supply and charge you for the regulator.
In most cases, all we need is 5 working days notification from you or your gasfitter as to when the appliances will be installed. The best working case scenario is that the system is delivered on the day that the gasfitter is installing the pipework and the appliance(s).
No, the gasfitter will identify where the best place for the system would be and then they will connect the system to the internal pipework.
The only disruption to your house will be the need to drill a hole in the exterior surface of your house to enable the pipework connection and for a chain to be fixed to the wall to ensure the bottles remain in place.
Possibly – you would need to confer with a gasfitter/OnGas to ensure that your design does not break the regulations and that ease of access to the bottles is maintained.
However, if you wish to make the bottles blend into your environment, there are cylinder surround covers available that can be ordered from PlumbingWorld, Mastertrade or Mico Wakefield. These are designed so that there is still ventilation for the cylinders.
No - you cannot alter the appearance of the bottles themselves. The bottles get swapped out when a refill is ordered. However, if you decide to blend the bottles in with the environment, we can provide advice so that your installation conforms to all the NZ regulations.
No - we ask that you keep the bottles on site and do not put yourself or anyone else at risk by trying to transport bottles without any training in handling of dangerous goods.
For gas use
We send you a statement once a month if you have reordered a cylinder during that period.
For bottle rental
You are charged annually on the anniversary of opening your account. The rental is non-refundable in the first 12 months.
When you first set up your account with OnGas your first invoice will include the yearly rental fee and the cost of 2 bottle fills.
We aim to ensure our customers get the best service you can, so we provide you with a free internal complaints process.
For LPG complaints
You can either phone us on 0800 84 12 12 or email us at enquiries@ongas.co.nz.
For Natural Gas complaints
Please phone 09 978 7671 or e-mail sales@ongas.co.nz.
We can then take steps to help or rectify any issues you may have. We take all complaints seriously and respond directly within 5 working days of receiving the complaint. This enables us to review it and properly assess the action to be taken.
Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme
If we have not resolved your complaint within twenty working days, or forty working days where we have advised you of the reasons for a longer timeframe, then you have the option of contacting the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme (EGCC).
Additionally, there are some circumstances where you may contact the EGCC earlier than these timeframes; where:
The Commissioner is an independent body that will facilitate resolution between the network company and the consumer for free if other means of resolution have failed. Vector is committed to ensuring that we resolve your problem well within the timeframes of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme (EGCC).
Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
PO Box 5875, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145
0800 22 33 40
info@egcomplaints.co.nz
You can also contact: