Go save, says happy LPG user

© Jones and CocksJones and Cocks' cars deliver LPG and run on LPG

That somebody is Guy Lachlan, owner of the online hardware store called Jones and Cocks. His business has been using autogas as fuel for company vehicles for over five years now, generating savings of 15000 pounds over that period. Now Mr. Lachlan wants to share his positive experience and urge other business owners to tread in his footsteps.

Jones and Cocks' corporate fleet was converted to run on LPG autogas in 2009, when Guy Lachlan purchased the company. For one thing, the cars cover approx. 70000 miles annually, primarily on rural roads. For another, a part of the business' activity is delivering LPG bottles to households (for heating or barbeque use), so it was only reasonable to switch to the fuel.

For us it provides not just a cheaper fuel solution, although the savings are a fantastic benefit, but a cleaner and quieter fuel than if we were running on diesel. We now run a varied fleet comprising of three Transit pick-ups, a Dodge pick-up and our own personal car which is a Range Rover we have had converted to LPG. The payback for the conversions was made well within a year so for us it has proved extremely economical.

I’m mystified as to why more businesses are not running vehicles on LPG. There is a huge disparity between the UK and the rest of Europe, and in comparable economies, with many more vehicles running on LPG. Why is this? Lack of manufacturer support has probably been an issue. It seems crazy that LPG vehicles are made here for export to Europe but not offered for sale.

Guy Lachlan, owner of Jones and Cocks

Even though autogas enjoys a 10-year warranty to remain significantly more affordable than petrol and diesel, there has been no outburst of the fuel's popularity in the UK. With 1400 refueling stations offering autogas and 150 thousand cars already running on it there's already some awareness among drivers (and many more declare will to convert their cars or buy new ones with factory conversions), but with the only new car available with LPG system straight from the dealership being Proton, things can't really develop. Hopefully Mr. Lachlan's example will encourage at least a few more motorists and/or business owners to consider autogas instead of conventional fuels.