The end of fillable LPG tanks.

[stevec176]

copied from www.autogaslimited.co.uk:

Current Situation

 

Autogas Limited, a joint venture between Shell and Calor is currently the leading supplier of automotive LPG to UK forecourts, supplying over 150 Shell branded and other independent service stations throughout the country. Following a business review by the Autogas board, the decision has been taken to begin the decommissioning process of its LPG refuelling network scheduled to take place within the next  6 months. This will also mark the end of this joint venture between Shell and Calor.

 

 

[StuartO]

I suspect that sooner or later the availability of autogas at petrol stations will die out. I'm hoping that motorhome dealer sites will decide to start selling LPG to fill the gap. If they only sell LPG for use as heating/cooking fuel in caravans and motorhomes (rather than as propulsion fuel) a lower rate of VAT would apply.

[Charles]

Yes my local motorway shell services are not selling it after October. The business's that remain selling it will have a higher demand so it will be available for a while yet.

[Derek Uzzell]

This came up last year

 

https://wildcamping.co.uk/threads/withdrawal-of-lpg-pumps-from-all-shell-service-stations-2020.77053/

 

Fuller details here

 

https://autogaslimited.co.uk/the-current-situation

[david lloyd]

Another effective way of providing for all the refillable systems fitted to motorhomes would be for the main camping clubs to install lpg pumps. After all, most have large lpg installations for their facility block heating and it could prove a useful revenue stream for the club.

 

However, I did write to Caravan and Motorhome Club some time ago but the reply didn't seem to hold out much interest in the idea - even though it could be included in their rolling program of site improvements.

 

David

[paulmold]

Even after Shell have withdrawn (and that's only Shell-owned filling stations, not franchised ones) there will still be plenty of places, such as Morrisons and Asda and BP ( all serviced by Flogas) plus agricultural suppliers and other lpg outlets. The good thing is those with tanks don't have to wait to run out, they can top up anywhere they see stock it as they travel.

[spospe]

I have often seen a minimum figure of (usually) 5 litres on these pumps. Is that minimum figure a technical limit, or a commercial one?

[Derek Uzzell]

I don’t recall encountering a ‘minimum delivery’ figure on an autogas pump, but I have seen limits (quantity or cost) specified on petrol/diesel fuel pumps,

 

This 2018 USA enquiry related to the latter

 

https://tinyurl.com/yxnhn23c

 

Question:

 

Why do fuel pumps for cars say "minimum delivery 5 litres? What happens if you don't get to that minimum? (I managed 5.09 litres after the first £99-worth allowed on pay-at-pump didn't quite fill my tank.)

 

Answer 1: It simply means that the volume delivered won’t be accurately measured unless at least this amount is dispensed. The 2/5 refers to 2 litres for a standard flow nozzle and 5 litres for a high flow nozzle, such as those used on truck diesel pumps.

 

If you only deliver 1 litre for example, the pump will calculate the monetary amount at a higher rate than shown so that you cannot inadvertently get more than you pay for. The litres and money will not calculate correctly until you have dispensed the minimum delivery volume, after which the error in actual delivery and measured delivery will be within the legislated tolerance.

 

Answer 2: The only time I have ever seen a minimum was if you were paying by debit/credit card at the pump, where there was a $10 minimum (that also applies practically everywhere else as well, supermarkets, shops etc)

If paying by cash, or eftpos, there is no minimum at any servo I have ever been to.

eta I regularly buy less than 5L, as my mower tin only holds 2L and it gets refilled every couple of weeks in summer.

 

As an autogas pump (or a petrol/diesel pump) cannot ‘know’ in advance the amount of LPG (or petrol/diesel) a customer plans to obtain (or the amount that can be put in a customer’s LPG/petrol/diesel tank before it becomes full) there cannot be (say) a 5 litres minimum amount restriction at the start of the delivery.

 

Certainly, for autogas and using a limited-capacity user-refillable bottle, I’ve put in quantities well below 5 litres and never been challenged at the subsequent payment stage. However, I can easily believe that obtaining small quantities of LPG from an autogas pump might skew the calculated price.

[Barryd999]

Bugger. Is this likely to be just the UK or mainland Europe as well. Im not really fussed about the UK as we normally do most of our touring abroad but can easily swap to Calor here.

[StuartO]

Barryd999 - 2020-07-26 8:47 AM

 

Bugger. Is this likely to be just the UK or mainland Europe as well. Im not really fussed about the UK as we normally do most of our touring abroad but can easily swap to Calor here.

 

It's not impossible that the trend will apply to mainland Europe too, although probably in a longer timescale. Maybe the UK clubs and UK caravan/MH dealers will see a market opportunity as supply becomes more restricted in UK but I fear that there are too few caravanners using refillables to make it attractive enough yet..

 

We have toured almost exclusively abroad for years and I usually top up with LPG in Calais on the way home so I'm hopeful that will continue to be available for some years yet.

[arthur49]

Renault must have some confidence in the continuing supply of LPG? Which I'm assuming will be available in the UK ...

 

https://en.media.groupe.renault.com/news/cp-clio-and-captur-gpl-40e9-989c5.html

[mgnbuk]

" It's not impossible that the trend will apply to mainland Europe too, "

 

Not impossible, but not that likely either.

 

LPG usage as road fuel is much more prevelant in some European countries (Holland, Belgium, Germany & Italy have widespread availabilty), with LPG ready dual fuel vehicles being available directly from car manufacturers. It is mainly the (various) UK Government's unreliable attitude towards LPG fuelled cars here that has dictated a lower take-up of LPG as a road fuel & lead directly to the dropping of "official" LPG fuelled cars by manufacturers here. The fuel supply industry expanded the number of pumps at the Government's request, then didn't get the usage they were told to expect when Govenment attitudes (including taxation increases) changed and support to increase take-up was removed.

 

I have had 2 cars LPG converted here. The first used an Italian Landi Renzo system, but the last time I enquired (a couple of years ago) Landi Renzo had wiithdrawn from the retrofit market as they were worked-up supplying car manufactures directly. The second used a Prinz system (Dutch IIRC) which was a lot more problematic than the Landi Renzo & largely put me off going the LPG route again.

 

Locally (West Yorks) many private hire vehicles run on LPG and availability of gas at service stations is widespead. Of the stations I regularly used when I had the cars (the last was 5 years ago), only one seems to have lost the LPG capacity & that is now Shell station (was Total when I used it) that is currently being redeveloped. It wasn't open the last time I passed, but a new shop had been built over the site of the LPG storage tanks, so it appears that facility has gone. But the Texaco station a couple of miles down the same road still had the pump, as does Morrisons Elland (where I filled the van Gaslow tank last Saturday) and there are at least another 7 sites within a 10 mile radius of home.

 

I don't expect getting bulk LPG will a major problem here or abroad in the foreseeable future. At worst, the pumps may be further apart, but a van habitation supply can be topped up whenever a suitable station appears.

 

Nigel B.