WHY CONVERT TO LPG

WHY CONVERT TO LPG

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General information giving answers for commonly asked questions regarding the conversion of vehicles to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), as well as petrol, as a fuel

Why should anyone want to convert their vehicle?

The main reason for this is that at the moment LPG vehicles are cheaper to run than equivalent petrol or diesel models. As a general guide £10 of LPG fuel will power an average vehicle for about 180 miles whereas £10 of diesel will give about 120 miles and £10 of petrol will give about 105 miles. LPG is cheapest because the government is trying to encourage people to become more environmentally aware about their motoring and one way of doing this is by making it worthwhile to switch to "greener" fuel alternatives such as LPG which, for example, can contain up to 99% less particulates than diesel fuel. Particulates have been identified as a major contributor to poor air quality and the associated illnesses and premature deaths. Future budgets will probably see the duty on less friendly fuels such as petrol and diesel being increased but there are no indications that LPG will be subject to more tax or duty and as such should continue to provide the most favourable price option. To reinforce their commitment in respect of reducing the atmospheric pollution generated by road traffic the government has further initiatives - for instance:

• smaller engined vehicles (which produce lower amounts of emissions) already enjoy a reduction of up to £60 per year on their Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) and tax benefits can be enjoyed by people who use larger engined vehicles that produce less carbon dioxide,

• for certain types of vehicles converting to the use of more friendly fuels there is the Energy Savings Trust Powershift scheme which can provide grants of up to 75% of any conversion costs,

• many Local Authorities are under pressure to meet cleaner air requirements and they are achieving this by means such as converting their existing fleets of vehicles to LPG and by banning non-friendly vehicles from City and Town centres and certain other areas.

How much does an LPG conversion cost?

This depends on the vehicle to be converted and which type of gas tank is most suitable - Vat inclusive prices start at £1,175 for carburettor vehicles and increase to around £1,900 for more elaborate systems. Fuel consumption when using LPG can drop by about 10% -15% so at current prices it would mean recovery of conversion costs should be achieved once 20,000 - 25,000 miles have been covered. This could take a while to realise for the private motorist but many business and fleet users doing higher mileages can recover their costs very quickly - even quicker when petrol becomes more expensive. Apart from this there is growing evidence that an LPG conversion on a vehicle can add to it's resale value - the attraction of being able to buy a vehicle and straight away start using cheaper fuel is becoming more appealing especially for the "gas guzzling" 4x4 vehicles.

How does it work?

The LPG conversion is installed on the vehicle alongside the existing petrol system and it is possible to switch between the two fuels. LPG is stored in liquid form under pressure in it's own lank and is fed into the engine as a gas through a computer controlled set-up of a converter, a mixer, solenoids, safety valves etc. Being a gas in it's natural state LPG contributes towards better combustion which gives less pollution and helps engines to run cleaner, smoother and quieter. The gas tanks, depending on individual criteria, can be located inside the vehicle behind the seats, under the vehical or in the recess for the spare wheel.

How safe is it?

LPG itself is harder to ignite than petrol and crash tests have shown conversions on vehicles to be extremely safe and each system has it's own number of safety features. Most insurance companies are accepting LPG converted vehicles without any increase in premium.

Filling with LPG is similar to petrol i.e. through a hose from a pump but the LPG filter uses a sealed connection that prevents spillage. There are currently over 1000 retail filling points nationwide and this number is growing daily with the major fuel companies (Shell, BP etc) committed to spending tens of millions of pounds developing their LPG re-fuelling networks. This coupled with the ever increasing number of non-forecourt outlets gives a widening availability of this fuel and supplies of LPG from companies like Calor, Countrywide and Flogas can be found at such places as domestic gas sellers, independent garages, caravan parks etc. Apart from ourselves LPG can be obtained locally at Wootton Bassett, Faringdon, Kemble, Cirencester, Melksham and on the M4 towards London at the Membury and Reading service areas.