Ferrellgas issues are not new for company

As NewsChannel 13 continues coverage on Ferrellgas and late propane deliveries, this is not the first time they have been in hot water.

In June 2019, New York Attorney General, Letitia James announced a settlement with Ferrellgas.

The Attorney General’s Office said the national propane company failed to deliver fuel to customers through its Johnstown office during a cold snap from December 2017 to January 2018.

The settlement specifically states, "Ferrellgas struggled to keep up with the increase in customer demand for propane, resulting in many customers running out of fuel or coming perilously close to doing so."

That issue is nearly identical to the problems many of you have told 13 Investigates about during this winter season. Late deliveries have forced some of you to find other ways to stay warm as you wait for a Ferrellgas truck to show up for a fill-up.

After the 2017-2018 cold snap crisis calmed down, the settlement said Ferrellgas found several issues that contributed to the problem of underserving its customers.

The propane company made some changes to make their operations smoother in the future:

• Increasing its fuel storage capacity in the New York area from 90,000 to 210,000 gallons
• Expanding its customer service operation at their Johnstown location
• Adding additional trucks to ship fuel to its storage tanks
• Adding three additional trucks to deliver fuel to residential homes

If you are experiencing issues with Ferrellgas, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

Ferrellgas was also in some hot water in Michigan. In April 2021, the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a settlement with Ferrellgas over "alleged violations of consumer protection laws."

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office explained that complaints from customers detailed the difficulties of reaching a Ferrellgas representative longer than expected delivery periods, and the propane company not being able to secure expedited fills to resolve a situation where a home was without any heat during some of the coldest months of the year.

In a statement from Ferrellgas, it said:

"Ferrellgas is in compliance with the terms of the agreement with the New York Attorney General’s Office resulting from a cold snap in January of 2018. Ferrellgas is also in compliance with the terms of the agreement with the Michigan Attorney General’s office. We are happy that our customers in the Capital Region are benefiting from the efforts of our hard-working employee-owners. We continue to work every day to ensure our customers stay warm during the winter months."