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LPG
Driving an
LPG vehicle is cheaper than its petrol or
diesel equivalent and is better for the
environment. This makes it one of most
viable options as an alternative vehicle
fuel in the UK. It is similar to
conventional fuels in terms of handling
and ease of use, but it is the
differences that provide real
environmental, economic and social
benefits.
Environment Benefits
LPG
produces far less carbon dioxide than
petrol and fewer particulates and
nitrogen oxides than diesel. Use
of LPG resulted in a 20% saving on CO2
over petrol and a 1.8% saving compared
with diesel.
Financial Savings
You can
save up to 40% off your fuel bill.
This means that both the private
motorist and the business user can make
significant financial savings by
switching to LPG. Due to cuts in
fuel duty, LPG retails for approximately
half the price of petrol and diesel. LPG
vehicles also qualify for cheaper road
tax.
The
cleanest LPG vehicles registered on the
PowerShift Register in Band 4 can apply
to Transport for London to receive 100%
discount on the daily London Congestion Charge*
(see below).
Converting Your Car
Most cars
having a petrol engine with spark
ignition can be converted to LPG, but it
is essential that you use a fully
trained
LPG specialist for the work. It
costs around £1,500-£2,000 to convert a
car or a light van. This outlay can be
quickly recouped via lower running
costs. Converted vehicles can be
set up to run on both LPG and petrol.
The petrol tank remains in the car, and
you can change from one fuel to the
other at the flick of a switch.
Currently there are more than 1,200 LPG
refuelling stations in the UK, and this
number is constantly increasing.
LPG now
has by far the largest
re-fuelling infrastructure of any of the
alternative fuels and LPG vehicles
continue to offer a viable economic
alternative to petrol and diesel.
Choosing an LPG Vehicle
Whilst the
UK market for LPG vehicles is growing,
numbers are insufficient for the vehicle
manufacturers to develop LPG options on
their new models. Manufacturers
such as Citroen, Ford and Vauxhall have
therefore arranged for manufacturer
approved conversions. If the
particular vehicle you require is not
available on this basis then aftermarket
conversions are available fully
supported with warranties and national
dealer networks.
About
LPG
Liquefied
Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a natural
hydrocarbon fuel made up of propane and
butane. It has the special property of
becoming liquid when under pressure, and
reverting to gases at atmospheric
pressure. This means it can be easily
and conveniently stored as a liquid.
About 60%
of the world supply of LPG comes from
the separation of natural gas products,
and 40% is a by-product from the
refining of crude oil. In the past, LPG
has been considered as waste and flared
off; now it is recognised as a major
energy source.
Environmental issues are now a part of
everyday life. Two topics high on the
agenda are poor air quality,
particularly in urban areas, and global
warming. Vehicle emissions, ie
particulates, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
carbon dioxide (CO2), are
recognised as one of the main
contributors to these problems.
LPG emits similar CO2 to
diesel and considerably less than
petrol. It is also much cleaner than
diesel in terms of NOx and particulates
which impact on our local air quality.
London
congestion charge
The very
cleanest alternative fuel vehicles have
been granted 100% discount from the £8
per day London congestion charge.
To be
eligible, a vehicle and the specific
conversion (make of conversion
equipment) must have undergone
government approved tests to demonstrate
an improvement in Euro IV emission
results.
Such vehicles are then eligible to be
included in the Energy Saving Trust Powershift Register. The Register also
includes the installers who are approved
to fit that specific conversion.
If your
car makes the grade, you need to
register with Transport for London,
www.tfl.gov.uk
and pay an annual £10 fee to receive the
discount. If you enter the zone most
days, this move could save you up to
£1600 per annum.
Converted
cars with appropriate documentation
(e.g. LPGA conversion certificate are
accepted as an Alternative Fuel Car and
on submitting the documentation to the
DVLA will be eligible for a standard
reduction on VED.
Fleet cars
For many
companies, fuel is often the major
operating cost. Some LPG cars are
eligible for lower company car tax as
well as lower road tax, and the cleanest
vehicles are exempt from congestion
charges in London. These tax breaks can
make a big difference to both employees
and employers; taxi drivers, fleet
managers and company car users can make
savings of up to 65%. You can find more
information at
www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/cars.
www.boostlpg.co.uk
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Used
LPG Cars |
For a wide
range of used and nearly new LPG
converted cars which are congestion
charge exempt,
click here.
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