Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Hocon Gas, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  6 Armstrong Rd Ste 3 Shelton, CT 06484-4722

  
• 

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  86 Payne Rd Danbury, CT 06810-4108

  
• 

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  715 Boston Post Rd Guilford, CT 06437-2752

  
• 

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  1242 South St Suffield, CT 06078-2522

  
• 

  Bouchard Fuels

  1210 Meriden Waterbury Tpke Plantsville, CT 06479-2024

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ***** only if they remove the tanks. This is a scam

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/14/2025

  We received a request to close out the ***** account because they were selling their home.  On the closing day a final tank reading was processed and a credit was given for the 33.6 gallons of propane remaining in the tank.  Regardless of the process, Hocon issues a credit for gas remaining in the tank and also charges a closeout charge for processing the paperwork, administering and facilitating the close out.  The charges were very close to the credit for the gas, therefore, the company simply credited off the remaining balance owed to the company.  In any case, this was explained to him and that there would be no credit for the close out charge since it is a legitimate fee charged to all similarly situated customers and is not optional.  The customer complained that we could not be there to do the final reading until the closing day, which in fact ended up being the Wednesday following the first call into our Customer Service Center alerting us to close the account, May 30th.  It is reasonable to think that a call for a tank reading on a Friday would be scheduled on Wednesday, June 4th, the day of the closing and not before.  Schedules are created sometimes weeks before depending on the work load.  

  There is no refund, because there is nothing to refund based on the customer history and transactions.  Appropriate credits were given and charges made.  They offset so the customer did not have to actually cut us a check for an inconsequential amount.  We apologize that the customer could not understand the process or our Customer Service Department was not able to adequately explain things to him.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am sorry, but I have just been told by my contractor that the plumbing permit that Hocon claims has been closed, is, in fact, still active.  Please see attached confirmation of Active Plumbing Permit ********.  Please have Hocon close this permit out ASAP and provide confirmation that it has been closed.  Thank you!

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2025

  **** ********* *** **********

   

  It does appear that the branch was finally able to complete the project to the town inspector’s liking. Quite a few add-ons and requests kept changing the scope of the project, and Hocon had to make repairs and changes to other contractors’ work.  Those changes created a need for multiple amendments to our permits, which led to delays and modifications to the inspector’s requirements.  Hocon continues to be a premier propane supplier in *********** and must adhere to industry and code-statute safety standards.  The branch has kept the customer informed of the stages and is aware that Hocon has completed its work.     

   

  Thank you for staying on top of this.

   

  Richard D******

  Sr. Vice President, HR & Compliance

  

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  * ********* ****
  
  ******** **  *****
  
  *********************
  
  **  ************
  
  **  ************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/23/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I received the contract that Hocon is referring to after being hung up on by the office 3 times.  The contract which I will attach does outline specific charges but is also for a period of 36 month which was signed in 2019, so nullified.  I noted that in the contract multiple charges have been incorrectly charged.  As in the tank rental was charged for many years at (0$ and 110$ and in the cotnract says $55, the home comfort which in the contract was listed as $188 and I was charged $299 etc, so I requested a copy of my account activity so I can review what has been erroneously overcharged, I have not received it.   I did receive a call from Ritchie the "district manager"  I explained the above and again asked if there was any contact between him or HOCON and the new owners, since they were expected to take over the account, I was told no.  I also explained the tank was off and his office was given the tank reading by me and his staff also never mentioned any additional fees to the closing attorney.  Also, as far as administrative fees?  And other fees?  Them removing their equipment is a requirement if the account is closed and it does not cost 150$ to write a check for the credit. They have my credit card on file so they could refund that.  In the past I had a huge credit on my account which they never refunded me nor did I receive interest for them holding it?   Ritchie did say they would remove the $150 fee and send a check, but no one asked for my new address for the refund to be sent, nor did he say when he would be sending it.  I also inquired about all of the incorrect charges and the account activity and he rudely said " he already refunded the $150"?  So, I would like a copy of the activity so I can see how much I was over charged for all the services on the contract they were holding me to.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/23/2024

  *** ******** contacted our office on Friday, December 20 regarding the charge and was told the General Manager would call her on Monday, December 23 (today) to discuss.  While we do concede that the customer called in with her percentage reading of the tank, the procedure is far more in-depth than just the tank reading.  There are administrative costs associated with closing down an account, whether someone decides to switch suppliers, no longer uses propane or, as in this case, sells their home.  Those costs are outlined in the customer agreement, which the customer signed when initiating service with Hocon.  Upon research, it was discovered that the customer close out fee was supposed to be $125, not the $150 that was charged, so the manager needed to correct that.  In any case, when the manager called *** ******** today to discuss, they agreed to credit the charge, despite the agreement that is in place, in order to resolve the situation and in light of good customer service.  If there is anything further required, please reach out.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2025

  Good afternoon Mr. *********,

   

  Thank you for bringing this back to the surface. It came in around the holidays, and with vacations, etc., it got sidetracked. On the day of the response, the local manager contacted *** ******** and spoke to her. After some back-and-forth, the manager agreed to waive any fees and credited her account for the full closeout fee. She will receive a refund for any credit balance on her account, which includes the gas in her tank at the time that she closed the account and the closing charge.

   

  Rich

   

  Richard D******

  Sr. Vice President, HR & Compliance

  Hocon Gas, Inc.

  * ********* ****
  
  ******** **  *****

  *********************

  O:  203-925-0600

  C:  203-619-1513

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  I look forward to receiving an updated statement showing my account is in accord with the response.

  
  
  Sincerely,

  
  
  *********** *********

  Late afternoon the furnace was repaired.
  
  9/9/24, I sent letter to Hocon, paid for an oil delivery and requested the erroneous billing removed from my account.
  
  10/28/24, Received another billing showing the charges still there, now plus late fees. I mailed a second letter requesting the charges be removed.
  
  11/12/24, No communication from Hocon on my request, file complaint with BBB.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2024

  We researched the issue within our systems.  We apologize for the frustration the customer feels they had with our local branch office. It appears that the service manager had been attempting to contact the customer regarding his concerns, but the number we had in our system did not match with his current contact information.  In any case, the credit that the customer requested was placed on his account on 10/17/2024, so should not have shown up on his 10/28 statement still as an outstanding charge.  If there was an error in the display, please let us know.  We also credited the finance charge, as the customer should not have had a bill at that time.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hocon rejects paper checks (acceted for 17 years), electronic transfers from ******** to Hocon's specified payment credentials. Since July 10, 2024, a $50 check returned, and then when trying to submit an electronic payment, found their EFT credentials in ********'s merchant director. See how many times I have tried to pay them since July 2024. Now they have begun assessing a finance charge when payment has been offered in excess of balance due and in exact amounts pertaining to monthly balances due in September - October, 2024. This is an absurd situation began by the office manager, Lea W***** who appears to be rejecting any form of payment from me. Who refuses timely payments?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/19/2024

  Mr. ****** contacted the branch on several occasions
  regarding attempts to make payments on his account that already had credit
  balances.  Overpayment checks have been
  sent back to him with the explanation that we cannot accept the payment on the
  account as an overpayment already exists. 
  
  Customarily, customers receive
  an invoice for all charges, they then pay the invoice to satisfy the
  charges.  By attempting to continually
  make additional payments above and beyond the credit balance already on the account,
  we generally will reject the payment as there is no charge associated with the
  payment.  Credit balances create unnecessary
  liability for the company without proper protection for us or the customer.  Industry standards and norms limit the amount
  of overpayment on accounts to those customers who have signed up for a
  prescribed budget payment plan.  Budget
  plans are traditionally offered on a 10-month basis annually to creditworthy customers
  who select to be put on a budget based on a calculation of their annual gallon
  purchases, market pricing conditions and adjustment factors based on
  weather-related events.  The choice is generally
  made in July with agreements put in place outlining the level-payment plan terms
  and conditions, including payment commencement in August and ending in May.  That leaves June and July for any catch up or
  cleanup of balances not met by the budget payments.  In this case, the branch has reached out and
  offered the customer the opportunity to be put on a budget billing plan, which
  he rejects as he just wants to make payments whenever he decides to on his own
  schedule and on his own terms.  The recently
  rejected payments that he mentions were the result of his attempting to make
  ACH payments directly from his ******** account.  ******** is rejecting his payments based on
  the setup with his bank, not Hocon. 
  Hocon also has a web portal for customers to make payments, which he has
  declined to use since he does not want to use a credit card or debit card to
  pay for his gas.
  
  As previously stated, and
  communicated to the customer, without a budget customer setup, we cannot accept
  random additional payments on accounts that already have a credit balance, and
  those funds are routinely returned to the customer.  Should he wish to be put on a prescribed budget
  plan, we can offer him an abbreviated budget plan for the remaining months of
  the budget year, provided he executes an agreement outlining the terms and
  conditions of the plan and then he can sign up for the ten-month standard plan when
  the budget season commences in the summer of 2025 and annually thereafter.  This program would alleviate any concern for
  overpayments on the account and will allow credits to be rolled to the next
  budget season.    

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/06/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi,

  I have still not heard back from the business and it has been over 2 weeks. I also do not see my complaint listed on their BBB page.

  How long do they have to respond and when will my complaint be added to their page? Do you penalize them if they don't respond (in terms of their rating on your site)? Just looking for more insight into the process.

  Thanks,

  ******

  a 759 score, 0 late payments, and 1 (disputed) collection item.
  
  I send back a screenshot of my credit score and ask him to explain the "many charge-offs and collections items". He accuses me of lying and sending someone else's credit score. I then send him a VIDEO of me browsing my credit report and show him my full name, previous addresses, and a variety of line items on the report (student loans mostly).
  
  Even after the video he still accuses ME of lying. He also sends me the credit report he pulled which ALSO only shows the 1 collections item and no "charge-offs" (although there is a difference in the score, his report shows a 674 score).
  
  Is the gas industry in such dire straits that you need to abuse your local monopoly to strong arm people into "letting" you hold a full years worth of payments up front, even if it means lying about someone's credit and then accusing THEM of lying when they fact check you AND provide multiple forms of proof? This is a ridiculous way to run a business.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/14/2024

  Mr. *****,

  I apologize if you were not given clear information regarding out meter deposit process.  Meter deposits are a common practice in the propane industry and our credit manager should have communicated differently.  The deposit is established for residential customers per the contractual agreement with the facility to provide propane to their tenants.  It is fully refundable upon move out, minus any fees or charges that were not paid upon move out.  Unlike the natural gas industry, propane companies are independent and have little recourse should a tenant move without notice to us.  We cannot speak to Eversource's business practices as they are governed and regulated.  

  I hope this helps you understand the meter deposit and how you will be reimbursed in the future at the end of your tenancy.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/14/2024

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I received my first monthly bill for a grand total of $9.52 (Nine dollars and fifty two cents). The deposit you asked for was $400 (Four Hundred Dollars). Requiring >40x my monthly bill up front is ludicrous and a predatory business practice. I am still demanding a refund of my security deposit. I had suggested a $100 deposit (roughly a full years worth of payments) initially, and I will accept a $300 refund and keep a $100 deposit with you until the end of the service agreement.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2024

  As previously stated, the meter deposit is a practice in the propane industry adhered to by Hocon Gas, and is established for residential customers per the contractual agreement with the facility to provide propane to their tenants.  While I appreciate his comment stating that it is a forty times his monthly bill, in reality, the gas utilization is minimal this time of year since there is no heat load.  The colder months where there is heat load will better align and paint a clearer picture for Mr. *****.  I understand the concerns the customer has, but they are based on a misunderstanding that his bill will be the $9.52 amount that he mentions in his rebuttal consistently throughout the year. In reality, this will not be the case, as there is considerable heat load through the colder months and no heat load this time of year.  Hocon must apply our policies consistently and fairly for all customers and will not be modified at this time. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2024

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The company is attempting to claim that the policies they created themselves must be applied in a certain way. This is complete nonsense. I have no doubt that they unfairly charge oversized deposits to all of their customers. I see no reason why I should be taken advantage of just because they take advantage of their other customers. There is no logic in that. This unscrupulous business needs to return my deposit immediately.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  **********
  
  ***** **********the day a gas leak is reported is a violation of some kind also.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2024

  We apologize that our office did not handle the situation in a timely manner and correct any errors on their part.  Reviewing the gauge readings the customer sent, it appears there was 68.4 gallons left in the tanks when returned, not the 21.4 gallons credited.  We have instructed the branch to make the adjusted credit immediately and submit the paperwork to our corporate office for processing the customer refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/25/2023

  Typically when a home is being sold, the seller will call their current propane supplier to take a final reading and credit the gas to the seller that remains in the tank.  The industry standard is based upon the readings, the value is calculated by counting back the deliveries to equal to the number of gallons remaining in the tank and the price charged for each delivery is then multiplied by the corresponding delivered gallons.  In this case, the tank is customer-owned, so Hocon would not be giving a credit since the tank was not leased and owned by Hocon.  The seller or the seller's attorney called to find out what the value was based on the customer purchases.  Our CSR utilized this standard method and offered the value for the gas based upon the calculations.  The value given was the value of the gas the customer had purchased from Hocon over the past few deliveries.  

  Unfortunately, after the sale was executed, the buyer decided to shop around for his propane, which is his prerogative since he now owns the tank and can control who services and fills it.  He found a cheaper price, which is quite common for introductory pricing in the marketplace.  He now alleges that Hocon benefited from the deal based on his misconception that Hocon delivered gas on a handwritten note, rather than a delivery ticket.  This assumption is wrong and was explained to him.  The form was a handwritten service work order where the CSR calculated the gas left in the tank at the time of the closing and nothing more.  There were no additional deliveries to the home and Hocon was not party to the transaction and did not receive any additional payment, nor issue credits to anyone.  There is nothing for Hocon to refund or credit because Hocon did not own the gas in the tank at the time of the closing and did not charge for anything. 

  Mr. Furnari has since gone to the **** ****** and was told there was no wrong doing on the part of Hocon.  We simply provided a value to the seller.  We suggested that he contact his real estate agent or closing attorney to discuss options for renegotiating with the seller.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2023

  HOCON’s response simply falls short in explaining how they arrived at a price that was almost 2.5x the market price. There are also several other omissions in their response. 

  The “standard method” for calculating value is not historical value over years but market price on the day of the reading or of the closing. Gas, heating oil prices are usually adjusted each day based on the current market. Every other oil company does it that way, I’ve asked many. Somehow HOCON has an alternative method which they have yet to disclose.

  Another inaccuracy is that I did secure a new supplier (*****) however the price is not an introductory price. I’m paying the current market price just like every other customer whether existing or new. It just happens to be more than half the price HOCON is charging. Additionally, anyone can look up the market price for propane on any financial website. The price of propane has consistently been below $3 since 1996. Propane reached $3.50 in March of 2015. Even after accounting for delivery and margin you can’t justify $4.79. 

  I did call the ******** ********* office, however, they did not say there “was no wrongdoing” on the part of HOCON. They said there is no law on the books to prevent a company from making up any price they want. Legally no wrongdoing but morally there was. They went on to offer the opinion that this is just a bad business practice. I would agree.

  I am of the opinion that a mistake was made in arriving at $4.79 however instead of correcting it HOCON is doubling down and trying to rationalize their mistake. Their “error” cost me real dollars in over payment. Is this the kind of company you want to do business with? I would never do business with a company that operates this way.

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I began new propane service w/ Hocon. When tank was installed, I did not like the location, so I reached out to Hocon to have it relocated. When the Hocon team arrived at my home to relocate the tank, they stated that a mature shrub would need to be cut in order to place the tank where I wanted it placed. My husband cut the shrub. AFTER the shrub was cut, the Hocon team stated that it could not be relocated to the new desired location. The tank remains exactly where it was initially located. The Hocon team should have determined FIRST if the tank could be placed in the desired location BEFORE directing my husband to but a mature shrub from our landscaping. I am seeking to have Hocon plant another mature shrub of my choice in the place where the shrub was cut.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2023

  We have had several conversations with both the husband and wife regarding the installation at there home.  After all is said and done, we have come to an agreement with the customer and everything is now all set and the customer states they are now satisfied.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/05/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Around Feb 2023 hocon servicemen come to check the heating system,I was infoemed that the igniter nedd to be replaced,, on March 20 2023 heat stop working, they(hocon) send the thech and again I was toll the ignitor no good need to be replaced, the company send me a bill for $556.82, why?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2023

  On November 22, 2022 Hocon responded to a no-heat service call at the customer's home.  After diagnosing an issue with his heating system, it was determined that the ignitor had to be replaced.  The unit tested out and functioned properly until March 20, 2023.  A technician was dispatched and found the ignitor had to be replaced again.  After four months between the service calls, the parts replaced were working properly.  In light of good will, Hocon will credit the cost of the second ignitor ($122.00) and for the second service call charge ($150.00), plus tax to the customer's account.  The credit will be available to use for future service or fuel charges.  If we can provide further information, please feel free to reach out to the local branch for assistance.