AmeriGas Propane Tanks Settlement

A class action lawsuit against AmeriGas claims that in 2008, AmeriGas and Blue Rhino agreed with each other to reduce the amount of propane gas in the pre-filled propane tanks they sold to their customers from 17 pounds to 15 pounds, while maintaining the price of the tanks, and that this improperly inflated the cost of propane to retail purchasers. The Lawsuit concerns sales of Propane Tanks from December 1, 2009, to November 30, 2020 (the “Class Period”), and the plaintiffs allege that AmeriGas and Blue Rhino continued to charge inflated prices for their Propane Tanks during this time. Both AmeriGas and Blue Rhino are defendants in the Lawsuit. Although this settlement relates to and includes purchases you have made of both AmeriGas and Blue Rhino Propane Tanks, the settlement involves only the claims against AmeriGas; the claims against Blue Rhino are continuing in court.

You may have previously received a notice about this settlement in 2016, when the case was pending before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Case No. 15-cv-60716-WPD. That case was recently re-filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Case No. 2020 CH 7156. If you already submitted a valid claim in response to the prior notice, you can disregard the mailers you might have received in recent days. You do not need to file a new claim to receive a payment here.

Who’s Eligible?

There are two settlement classes, and you may be a member of one or both:

Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class: this class includes all persons who, between December 1, 2009, and November 30, 2020, in the States of Arizona, California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, or West Virginia, purchased an AmeriGas or Blue Rhino Propane Tank or paid to exchange their already-purchased Propane Tank for an AmeriGas or Blue Rhino Propane Tank, other than a wholesale purchase directly from AmeriGas or Blue Rhino for resale.
Direct Purchaser Settlement Class: this class includes all persons who, between December 1, 2009 and November 30, 2020, in the United States, purchased an AmeriGas or Blue Rhino Propane Tank directly from AmeriGas or Blue Rhino, through a vending machine installed at a retailer or other location, or paid AmeriGas or Blue Rhino directly through a vending machine installed at a retailer or other location to exchange an already-purchased Propane Tank for an AmeriGas or Blue Rhino Propane Tank, other than a wholesale purchase for resale.

Related: See All Settlement Rebates Here

Settlement Payout

AmeriGas has agreed to pay $6.5 million into a settlement fund, out of which will be paid attorneys’ fees and costs, incentive awards to the Class Representatives, and costs of administration of the settlement including required notices. The remainder of the settlement fund will be available to pay Class Members. The following chart shows how much a Class Member may be eligible to receive, assuming the Settlement Fund is sufficient to pay out the total number of claims.

For Each Purchase and/or Exchange		You Will be Eligible for a Payment of:		Maximum Number of Tanks You Can Claim:
WITH Proof of Purchase “Category A Claim”	=>	Up to $5.00 per tank	=>	No Limit
WITHOUT Proof of Purchase “Category B Claim”	=>	Up to $2.50 per tank	=>	Payment of up to fifty (50) tanks, or $125

If you only have proof of purchase for some of your qualifying AmeriGas or Blue Rhino Propane Tank purchases, you may submit BOTH types of claims (some WITH proof of purchase and some WITHOUT proof of purchase).

In order to receive any payment, you MUST submit a Claim Form on or before the Claim Deadline, March 8, 2021.