LPG Prices

[Nemesis]

How are things looking in the medium to long term for LPG prices?

Can/will the government raise the tax? Is there any cap or escalator?

[Davey j]

I haven't read or heard of anything to suggest prices will be capped. They guaranteed a cap for a few years way back when the government were offering grants to get cars retrofitted with LPG tanks and the like but that ended way back. It is treated pretty much like petrol and diesel now and the only reason it hasn't matched pricing for the latter is because it just isn't THAT popular generally.

[jamied]

my van is LPG, i use a local supplier which is quite cheap, but i have been told that next year the limits will come off the fuel tax will go up...but then another tells me it will not move for a few more years..bit of a grey area but im getting some good miles out of a tank.

[Paul]

LPG is ace really.

57p here.

[Nemesis]

Thanks guys. What sort of places sell it apart from petrol stations?

[Paul]

LPG Autogas - the greener, cleaner and cheaper fuel alternative

Have a look on there.

BP local to me do or a local Listers Gas place does.

What you buying?

[Nemesis]

LPG Autogas - the greener, cleaner and cheaper fuel alternative

Have a look on there.

BP local to me do or a local Listers Gas place does.

Ta

What you buying?

I'm keeping it quiet for now!

[DarrenH]

cant find the website now, but gordon brown capped the price for 2 years which came and went. then it was changed to track the price fluctuations (i.e up) of petrol, which is completely retarded as LPG production has nothing to do with the price of a barrel of oil (where the pretense that petrol prices are)

[Paul]

Ta
I'm keeping it quiet for now!

Jag?

[Lugy]

Is there any benefit on road tax using LPG?

[Nemesis]

Is there any benefit on road tax using LPG?

Yeah cheaper apparently

[Paul]

News to me.

[davecavcon]

89.9p here!!

[DarrenH]

yah. cars registered before march 2001 road tax is based on engine capacity, after that its based on tail pipe emmisions. however there are different bands for "alternatve fuels" which are a whole 10 quid cheaper a year than petrol/diesel equivelant (like for like band)

[Paul]

Oh, new to me

[Nemesis]

Oh, new to me

So you don't drive one then?

[Paul]

Yes but its a 2000 year recovery truck.

[jamied]

you don't save a lot as the service costs are more (well twice a year) and some have to have the valve clearances checked each time.

[uno_bad_boy]

got a astravan lpg 4 years ago when i bought it prices were 45p litre now its 64p, had the lpg system serviced once and done 70k miles in it saved me thousands

[nige-p]

you don't save a lot as the service costs are more (well twice a year) and some have to have the valve clearances checked each time.

agree here the servicing cost is a bit more as the lpg doesnt have the natural lubricants in that petrol does and it has a habbit of eating the electrodes of the spark plugs and valve seat recession is dead common.

Ive got a family member with a subaru non turbo and had major problems with the car cutting out i looked at it and the car had no valve clearances, dont even know how it was running adjusted them all back up and its been ok since, also fitted a valve saver kit which puts a lubricant in to the inlet to cover himself, they say you should run 40 % of the time on petrol to protect the valves on some sites ive looked at

[jonlem]

agree here the servicing cost is a bit more as the lpg doesnt have the natural lubricants in that petrol does and it has a habbit of eating the electrodes of the spark plugs and valve seat recession is dead common.

Ive got a family member with a subaru non turbo and had major problems with the car cutting out i looked at it and the car had no valve clearances, dont even know how it was running adjusted them all back up and its been ok since, also fitted a valve saver kit which puts a lubricant in to the inlet to cover himself, they say you should run 40 % of the time on petrol to protect the valves on some sites ive looked at

Japanese cars in general suffer from this problem and for that reason we turned most of them away. I've known of a Almera engine to fail within 5k on LPG, probably badly setup but it came to us to be diagnosed as strangely the installer wanted nothing to do with it.

Main problem with LPG is simply people not having a understanding of the effects of running a engine on it. I've trekked up to a main dealer in Liverpool who wanted a new engine for a van they supplied as it had dropped compression, 30 mins with some feeler gauges and oddly it was back up and running like new. Not one "mechanic" there knew this needed doing and thats a engine thats been used for probably around 2 decades !

As for costs, its getting more expensive, as ever its usually at worst half the price of petrol, personally its still well worth doing if you do the mileage.

[rc]

It depends on different manafacturers really, my old mans got a 2.0 8v passat and thats done over 190k on gas now (cars now on 245k and he got it when it only had 50k). He gave it a 'big service' at 200k where he gave it a set of rings and headgasket just as a matter of cause as he's a prevension is better than cure kind of guy and the head was still in perfect working order for a 200k origional engine. He drives on lpg 99% of the time too.

ive done 10k on lpg on my 145k x25xe and no problems so far.

72.9p in the garages here at the min.

[himselfunknown]

67.7ppl at the Asda in Spondon. I've had a number of LPG cars over the years and never had any problems. As long as they are initially set up correctly, and you service them occasionally, then you won't have any problems. There are far too many scare stories out there regarding LPG. I did 80k in my old Cav, and when I stripped the engine (that had done 250k), it looked cleaner than an engine that had done 40k.
I find the biggest pain with LPG is the loss of either the spare wheel or a bit of boot space. Which isn't really an issue when it's almost half price motoring.
Go-Autogas - LPG Station Map with Refuelling Garages on Map with LPG Prices and Sat Nav Download will sell you a map of all the LPG garages in the country, or a satnav app that does the same. You can also search online on their website.

[jamied]

looks like its what brand you drive and how you drive it to be honest.

i drive a citeron belingo 1.4 with a 90 ltr gas tank, last time i put petrol in was 1/4 of a tank in april, i do around 800 - 1200 miles a week so it gets some stick and most is motorway (M1 & M6) it is serviced every couple of months but i do run a day of pure fuel (as told by gas inst company) i purchase my gas via a private contractor at a low rate to keep costing down (joe public can do this also).
i have a huge problem with the shims and gaps needing doing each time.
Next year im getting a larger van and probaly looking at a 1.6 duel turbo unit as the mpg are getting on par to some gas, even then shall look at a gas convo for cost and business price.
Also have looked at the hydro kit which could be a good plan.

[Violet]

As much as I dislike diesels, I think where MPG is concerned, I'd rather go for one of them over LPG, unless you want to stick to the internal combustion engine. In which case, ignore my unhelpful banter.