As the volatility of petrol prices continues and the introduction of an additional two pence per litre tax looms, motorists should consider converting to LPG to enjoy savings of up to 37 per cent.
Having started the year positively with petrol prices as low as 85 pence per litre, motorists once again face rapidly rising prices at the pumps as unleaded fuel prices continue to rise.
Prices have slowly been creeping up over the last few months, once again breaking the £1 barrier with a peak of 103.9 pence per litre in early July and threatening to reach last year’s peak of 118 pence per litre. National average prices currently stand at 102.5 pence per litre and the Government will be imposing its additional two pence a litre tax on pump prices on 1 September.
Autogas Ltd's National Marketing Coordinator, Emma Bartle, says the case for LPG has always been strong but more and more people are realising its financial benefits as well as recognising its environmental credentials.
Emma explains: “LPG currently retails at around half the price of petrol and diesel and we have seen more and more people switching to LPG mainly due to reduced payback periods, the desire to be more environmentally aware and, of course, the cost savings LPG can offer.
“Converting a vehicle to run on LPG can be done quickly and easily by an approved converter and costs around £1,800. Based on current fuel prices and an annual mileage of 20,000 miles it would take around 22 months to recoup this initial cost.”
LPG is by far the most widely available alternative fuel available in the UK. Vehicles running on LPG produce far fewer harmful emissions that contribute to environmental and health problems than traditional road fuels. LPG vehicles produce 17 per cent less carbon dioxide than petrol and 2 per cent less than diesel; 120% less NOx than petrol and a staggering 2,000 per cent less than diesel; and up to 120 times less small particle (PM10) emissions than diesel vehicles.
Although LPG achieves slightly fewer miles per gallon than petrol or diesel, the cost of refilling far outweighs any shortfall and there is no noticeable loss of power or performance. LPG vehicles can also benefit from up to 100 per cent exemption from the London Congestion Charge.
Source: Connections |
