Pros and cons of converting heating to LPG and solar

[Caz]

I see no sign of LPG becoming unavailable anywhere,...............................
You can buy it for 49.5p per litre in the West Midlands, ...........................................

Not in this part of the West Midlands you can't. Around 76p per litre here, at the very few and far between places you can still get it. It has steadily become less available over the last few years. That's why I changed my LPG car to a diesel one last autumn.
Rural ares always suffer compared to urban areas.

 

[in h]

Not in this part of the West Midlands you can't. Around 76p per litre here, at the very few and far between places you can still get it. It has steadily become less available over the last few years. That's why I changed my LPG car to a diesel one last autumn.
Rural ares always suffer compared to urban areas.

Have you checked filllpg?
[later] Use the Android app, not the website. For some reason, the website has only a few of the places visible.

 

[mistericeman]

Not in this part of the West Midlands you can't. Around 76p per litre here, at the very few and far between places you can still get it. It has steadily become less available over the last few years. That's why I changed my LPG car to a diesel one last autumn.
Rural ares always suffer compared to urban areas.

Same round Manchester....
I'm fortunate that I have a bulk retailer around the corner BUT a lot of the other retailers have packed up over the last 18 months or so.
Shell are in the process of removing most of their lpg pumps....

I suspect the retailers will continue to dwindle as equipment requires maintainance and the consider it none viable from a cost point of view.

 

[in h]

Not in this part of the West Midlands you can't. Around 76p per litre here, at the very few and far between places you can still get it. It has steadily become less available over the last few years. That's why I changed my LPG car to a diesel one last autumn.
Rural ares always suffer compared to urban areas.

Up to 50p per litre:
B27, B21, WV1, B25, B7, B18, WV3, WS3, B90 - those postcodes are all in the West Midlands, aren't they?

 

[in h]

Same round Manchester....
I'm fortunate that I have a bulk retailer around the corner BUT a lot of the other retailers have packed up over the last 18 months or so.
Shell are in the process of removing most of their lpg pumps....

I suspect the retailers will continue to dwindle as equipment requires maintainance and the consider it none viable from a cost point of view.

Round Manchester, there are quite a few suppliers. More than a dozen within the ring road, though I generally go to Embasy, because they're generally cheapest. Failing that, Morrisons are only a penny or two more.

 

[mistericeman]

Round Manchester, there are quite a few suppliers. More than a dozen within the ring road, though I generally go to Embasy, because they're generally cheapest. Failing that, Morrisons are only a penny or two more.

I didn't say there weren't any....

Just the number are reducing.from what there were.

 

[nomis64]

How do people get gas to last so long? Admittedly off grid, in February and in 80mph winds we used a 6kg calor bottle in 2-3 days which i thought was ok if expensive (£27 on Benbecula). I've just ordered a van with 25 L underslung LPG now and realised its not always that easy to find so worrying will run out! Do people get months because the use EHU to heat? Or 4 wooly jumpers? the extra bottles - are they plumbed in to the van?

 

[in h]

How do people get gas to last so long? Admittedly off grid, in February and in 80mph winds we used a 6kg calor bottle in 2-3 days which i thought was ok if expensive (£27 on Benbecula). I've just ordered a van with 25 L underslung LPG now and realised its not always that easy to find so worrying will run out! Do people get months because the use EHU to heat? Or 4 wooly jumpers? the extra bottles - are they plumbed in to the van?

Our 70 litre tank lasts a few weeks in winter, a few months in Summer. That's about 29kg. A 25 litre tank only holds 10kg.

 

[nabsim]

How do people get gas to last so long? Admittedly off grid, in February and in 80mph winds we used a 6kg calor bottle in 2-3 days which i thought was ok if expensive (£27 on Benbecula). I've just ordered a van with 25 L underslung LPG now and realised its not always that easy to find so worrying will run out! Do people get months because the use EHU to heat? Or 4 wooly jumpers? the extra bottles - are they plumbed in to the van?

I only cook with gas so get aBout 30 days per 6kg

 

[channa]

How do people get gas to last so long? Admittedly off grid, in February and in 80mph winds we used a 6kg calor bottle in 2-3 days which i thought was ok if expensive (£27 on Benbecula). I've just ordered a van with 25 L underslung LPG now and realised its not always that easy to find so worrying will run out! Do people get months because the use EHU to heat? Or 4 wooly jumpers? the extra bottles - are they plumbed in to the van?

I was off grid also and managed the same...£23,50 for calor 6 kg propane ,,,using a safefill 63 pence a litre typically £8 I didn’t run out and chose to top up every couple of days,and kept a full calor as a spare. I would strongly suggest you consider going one of the refillable £169 for the bottle but you know your use so work the figures at what point your in front .fits straight to your existing pigtail, and can take with you if you ever change the van

Just reread and see you have invested in an underslung safefill is still good to carry as a back up, albeit the maths will take longer. If at home and havre use of another vehiicle bits easier to top up ...I run a caravan at the moment the thought of towing it on a forecourt is off putting .....happy travels

 

[nabsim]

How do people get gas to last so long? Admittedly off grid, in February and in 80mph winds we used a 6kg calor bottle in 2-3 days which i thought was ok if expensive (£27 on Benbecula). I've just ordered a van with 25 L underslung LPG now and realised its not always that easy to find so worrying will run out! Do people get months because the use EHU to heat? Or 4 wooly jumpers? the extra bottles - are they plumbed in to the van?

Only way to get it to last longer is to reduce use. Is it feasible to add another form of heating (small wood burner, diesel heater)? Have you space and payload to carry a bottle as well preferably refillable to extend as you are? I think failing any of these then extra duvets, fleece blankets and warmer/more clothing.

 

[Caz]

Have you checked filllpg?
[later] Use the Android app, not the website. For some reason, the website has only a few of the places visible.

Up to 50p per litre:
B27, B21, WV1, B25, B7, B18, WV3, WS3, B90 - those postcodes are all in the West Midlands, aren't they?

Yes, I used filllpg all the time when I had an LPG powered car, both the Android app and the website.

Those postcodes may be in the West Midlands but they are a long way from where I live in the West Midlands.

As I said, rural areas are not as well supplied as urban ones are.

Garage forecourts only have room for so much and they are taking out LPG so they can fit hydrogen and electric - according to Shell, who aim to have ceased having any LPG on their forecourts by the end of this year.

 

[Deleted member 602]

Hi Obanboy
Did you get your refillable fitted in Scotland, and if so, where?

Hi Obanboy
Did you get your refillable fitted in Scotland, and if so, where?

Hi I got mine originally fitted a few years ago outside Aberdeen they supplied and fitted I think it was £350 . But when I bought new Motorhome the deal was transferring the two Gasliow 11kg.
I’ve had this done a couple of times.

 

[in h]

Yes, I used filllpg all the time when I had an LPG powered car, both the Android app and the website.

Those postcodes may be in the West Midlands but they are a long way from where I live in the West Midlands.

As I said, rural areas are not as well supplied as urban ones are.

Garage forecourts only have room for so much and they are taking out LPG so they can fit hydrogen and electric - according to Shell, who aim to have ceased having any LPG on their forecourts by the end of this year.

Shell have always been eye-wateringly expensive for LPG. I don't think I have ever bought any there. I can't imagine that many other people will have done either.
I don't buy the argument that there is not much space. Few garages set a separate space aside for an LPG pump - they're almost all bang up against a petrol and/or diesel pump.
Any petrol station that offers EV charging will have to have it well away from the pumps. The points will need to be in the cafe car park.
I've yet to ever see a single Hydrogen pump, anywhere.
If you live further West, I guess it was Countrywide that dominated the LPG market. I don't think they closed down with the rest of the Counrtywide business, but I was never a member.

 

[Caz]

Shell have always been eye-wateringly expensive for LPG. I don't think I have ever bought any there. I can't imagine that many other people will have done either.
I don't buy the argument that there is not much space. Few garages set a separate space aside for an LPG pump - they're almost all bang up against a petrol and/or diesel pump.
Any petrol station that offers EV charging will have to have it well away from the pumps. The points will need to be in the cafe car park.
I've yet to ever see a single Hydrogen pump, anywhere.
If you live further West, I guess it was Countrywide that dominated the LPG market. I don't think they closed down with the rest of the Counrtywide business, but I was never a member.

I nearly always filled up at Shell, it was the only one less than 17 miles away so I had no choice. Countrywide closed a few years ago, there wasn't one here anyway.
It's not my argument - it's what Shell told me when I asked about it.

 

[in h]

I nearly always filled up at Shell, it was the only one less than 17 miles away so I had no choice. Countrywide closed a few years ago, there wasn't one here anyway.
It's not my argument - it's what Shell told me when I asked about it.

Well, they're hardly going to say "our prices were so high that hardly anybody bought LPG from us" are they?
Sadly, LPG seems to be being forgotten as a vehicle fuel in the UK. Real pity: it is clean and economical. But I suspect that we shall soon see LPG powered fuel cells, primarily used as EV range extenders. But handy for motorhomes too.

 

[channa]

Shell are no different to any other retailer, every metre of shelving every pump will have to generate as much income as possible and if it falls short is replaced with a product they do believe will give the income

Lpg is niche compared to petrol and diesel there are expectations on ev technology....perhaps it will turn around again with lpg ....it comes as little surprise in rural areas its being removed .