LPG/refillable bottles

[Guest Mike Culver]

Saw a Gasflow refillable system being fitted at the Newbury Show,what a good idea I thought, but what about just buying a bottle and popping down to the local garage and filling it up, now I'm sure its not as easy as that or is it? what about in France and Spain, is it readily available, does it need to be a permanant fixure before you can refill it? anybody out there with refillable bottles, is it a good idea and price effective and readily available over there.

[Guest Norma]

Yup! It is that is that simple - BUT ... Thanks to Calors fear of losing our business you need an external filler. (See many previous postings)Can't speak for Spain but we've had no problem's elsewhere. It will take a little while to become cost effective but the convenience helps that cost too. More and more stations are supplying LPG as time goes on. If you were to contact such companies as Autogas 2000 they would help you with how the law (nae, 'advice') works.

[Guest David Powell]

I am still trying to make up my mind about LPG, one gets so many different stories from sales persons. I have a petrol engine and usually go to non eletric sites [C.L.s] and shows etc. As far as I can see, if I have a tank fitted for the engine there will be no problems, nor forecourt objecters to filling that tank, so why not have a domestic gas tank fitting at the same time? no one could object to that being filled, plus none of the other little irritating things that go with carrying and stowing bottles. P.S...Have not used Calor for years, too expensive.

[Guest Tom]

Bulk gas tanks for cooking and heating are vapour take off at the top. Bulk gas tanks for running the engine are liquid take off from the bottom. Although its technically possible to use one tank with two outlets these are not formerly available (although I know of someone in the trade who has done it.) All the garages get jumpy about is seeing someone connect directly to a gas bottle. Calor still have a tie up with Shell for example and my guess is that its part of the trading agreement between them. But if all that can be seen is a fixed external filling point who is to know what lies behind? How do you think Calor fill their own bottles??? I understand that Morrisons Supermarkets LPG is 29.9 p/ litre. Shell/Calor is 39.9p/litre. If I had a petrol motor I think I would go to LPG as the spread of filling stations is now quite wide.

[Guest David Powell]

U.K. is way behind most of the world when it comes to fuel.We toured New Zealand in a motor home 14 years ago and every filling station sold L.P.G. & N.G. But then N.Z. really care about their environment, our governments don't seem to bother. I have heared that in Italy about 90% of their petrol vehicles run on L.P.G. Here in Swansea all the council petrol vehicles do.

[Guest Clive]

The other problem is that as soon as LPG or NG become a significant percentage of fuel sales the government will put more tax on it. Or on the road tax. Whatever, they will ensure that the vehicle driver continues to drive Gordons Piggy Bank.

[Guest nick dean.]

having fitted lpg some 5 years ago and very pleased with results etc . i was told that it was illegall to run coooking of fuel tank as one has only paid fuel exise and not vat as one would do buying abottle of calor etc even if the duty is more because you are fiddling the vat man not exise man ??? am i right or wrong . i was told this by a long established suplier of lpg converrsions who suplied me with alll the parts etc to whom i am very gratefull and has saved me a fortune also compared to petrol fuel. so is it legal to selll refillable cylinders but not to filll them . ??? calor i understand dont wont them fillled on forecourts for safety reasons < loss of botttle trade etc > has any one any other comments!!! on a very grey area.