Some Connecticut consumers say they’ve been left out in the cold - literally.
It’s been days since they’ve had heat.
Their monthly propane delivery never arrived.
So, they reached out to NBC CT Responds.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
The Fazekases say they’ve been Uncas Gas customers for more than two decades and have had no problems with the company’s automatic delivery program.
Until now.
“We can’t cook. There’s no hot water,” Joseph Fazekas, of Cromwell, said.
NBC CT Responds
Fazekas’ wife Randi came home to a frigid house Saturday after dropping her husband off at the hospital for a medical issue.
There’s still no propane to heat their home on Tuesday despite being automatic delivery customers with Uncas Gas.
According to an Uncus Gas flyer, the auto route delivery program promises customers, “You get to relax, while we monitor your usage and schedule your deliveries.”
Currently, the Fazekases have seven space heaters racking up their electric bill to stay warm.
The couple said they started calling Uncas Gas Saturday for help and heard back days, later still with no update on when they’ll get a refill.
“Lack of response and empathy. We’ve called numerous times. Even give us a short load to get us by, and nothing,” Joseph Fazekas said.
They’re not the only customers we’ve heard from, like a daughter who said her medically compromised parents have gone without heat for days, too, with no response to their calls for help.
Plus, Facebook and Reddit are flooded with similar complaints.
NBC CT Responds went to Uncas Gas in North Franklin to get some answers.
The chief operating officer of the company that owns Uncas Gas, DCC Propane, is in town.
He and the local general manager said staffing and extended periods of cold have been challenging their ability to keep up with demand.
They say Uncas Gas is down half their drivers between sickness and other issues, and the company is bringing in drivers from other locations to help.
“I understand people have families, and their sick and vacations, but this is unacceptable. There should be a backup plan,” Fazekas said.
If you’re not a propane user, you might wonder: why don’t these customers shop elsewhere?
If you rent a tank from Uncas Gas, Uncas Gas must fill it.
Those we spoke to at Uncas Gas said a customer would have to speak with an employee to get out of this situation.
The Fazekas are now looking elsewhere for propane service.