As the volatility of petrol prices continues and the introduction of an additional two pence per litre tax looms, motorists should consider converting to LPG to enjoy savings of up to 37 per cent(1).
Having started the year positively with petrol prices as low as 85 pence per litre, motorists once again face rapidly rising prices at the pumps as unleaded fuel prices continue to rise.
Prices have slowly been creeping up over the last few months, once again breaking the £1 barrier with a peak of 103.9 pence per litre in early July and threatening to reach last year’s peak of 118 pence per litre. National average prices currently stand at 102.5 pence per litre(2) and the Government will be imposing its additional two pence a litre tax on pump prices on 1 September.
Autogas Limited’s National Marketing Coordinator, Emma Bartle, says the case for LPG has always been strong but more and more people are realising its financial benefits as well as recognising its environmental credentials.
Emma explains: “LPG currently retails at around half the price of petrol and diesel(3) and we have seen more and more people switching to LPG mainly due to reduced payback periods, the desire to be more environmentally aware and, of course, the cost savings LPG can offer.
“Converting a vehicle to run on LPG can be done quickly and easily by an approved converter and costs around £1,800. Based on current fuel prices and an annual mileage of 20,000 miles it would take around 22 months to recoup this initial cost(4).”
LPG is by far the most widely available alternative fuel available in the UK. Vehicles running on LPG produce far fewer harmful emissions that contribute to environmental and health problems than traditional road fuels. LPG vehicles produce 17 per cent less carbon dioxide than petrol and 2 per cent less than diesel; 120% less NOx than petrol and a staggering 2,000 per cent less than diesel; and up to 120 times less small particle (PM10) emissions than diesel vehicles5.
Although LPG achieves slightly fewer miles per gallon than petrol or diesel, the cost of refilling far outweighs any shortfall and there is no noticeable loss of power or performance. LPG vehicles can also benefit from up to 100 per cent exemption from the London Congestion Charge.
For further information on fuel supplies and bulk tank installation, contact Calor on 0800 216 659 or visit www.lpg-vehicles.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
There are now more than 1,400 public access sites with the majority of these on petrol forecourts.
Autogas Limited, a joint venture between Calor and Shell, currently supplies around 220 outlets in the UK. A full list can be found at www.autogas.ltd.uk. In addition, Calor supplies autogas from over 150 outlets through its Calor Centres, Morrisons supermarkets and other independent sites. Details of the Calor supplied sites can be found at www.lpg-vehicles.co.uk .
To make it even easier to find your nearest LPG refuelling site, Autogas offers a free to download point of interest file for leading satellite navigation systems. Users can log onto www.autogasfinder.co.uk or www.lpg-vehicles.co.uk/satnav to upload the Autogas locator file so that no matter where you are in the UK you can find your nearest Calor Autogas site.
Calor and Autogas advise that conversions should always be carried out by an LPGA Approved Installer and, as there are around 200 outlets currently registered in the UK, it is easy to find your nearest specialist – a full list of Approved Installers can be found at http://www.autogas.ltd.uk/lpg-conversion/lpg-vehicle-conversion.htm.
1 Savings are based on official combined consumption figures published on www.renault.co.uk for 2.0 16V Laguna Sport Tourer assuming a 20% reduction for LPG. National average fuel prices taken from www.fleetnews.co.uk. In order to calculate potential fuel savings, Autogas has made a savings calculator available on its web site: www.autogas.ltd.uk.
2 www.fleetnews.co.uk
3 www.fleetnews.co.uk: Prices correct at 10.08.09
Petrol 102.5 pence per litre
LPG 51.5 pence per litre
4 Calculation assumes conversion fee of £1,800 including VAT with an annual mileage of 20,000 miles. Payback period equates to 22.03 months based on calculation for Renault Laguna above.
5 Small particle emissions are related to health effects including increased risk of heart and lung disease and problems such as asthma. All figures taken form the European Emissions Testing Programme 2003
The following LPG powered vehicles are available for road testing:
Saab 93 saloon Linear SE 1.8 manual
Saab 93 estate Linear 1.8 manual
Renault Laguna Expression Sport Tourer 2.0 manual
Vauxhall Astra 1.4 sxi estate manual
Vauxhall Astra 1.4 sxi 5 door hatch
Renault Megane Sport 2.0 manual 225 5 door hatch
Vauxhall Insignia 1.8 Exclusive 5 door Hatch
Honda Civic Type R
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Business Car has covered this article http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/pages/reportsfull.asp?id=153
ReplyDeleteThe rise is frightening - I predict we will see a lot more interest in hybrid cars soon a due to petrol prices increasing. I read over in the car news at exchange and mart http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/ that 1/3 of people are planning to downsize their car because of petrol prices and also that hybrid cars (both the toyota prius and the honda insight) just received top marks in a recent safety test. Looks good for hybrid cars but bad for the rest of the car industry
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