With the price of fuel being forced ever upward, drivers are paying more than ever to fill their tanks. While a lucky few may be able to absorb these increased costs, most cannot: rising prices are putting small businesses and private individuals under extreme financial pressure. One solution to this is to drive less, but that isn’t always possible. Businesses that use vehicles for delivery and consumers that have a long work commute by car may have no choice but to continue to drive, unless they make fundamental and disruptive changes to their operations or lives respectively. In this case, another solution is needed, and an increasingly popular one is the adoption of Liquid Petroleum Gas - often referred to as LPG or Autogas - as fuel.

LPG is connected to both oil and natural gas, as it can be drawn from the ground as a by-product of the extraction of these resources or it can be refined from them. Most LPG comes from the refining of natural gas, though a significant proportion comes from the refining of crude oil: propane and butane are separated from oil or gas and then mixed in the desired proportion to create LPG. Indeed, a key property of LPG is that it has a variable mix, with the balance of propane and butane depending on the climate in which it is to be used. The standard mix is roughly 50/50, but a colder climate will see more propane while a warmer climate will see more butane.

The main benefit of LPG as fuel is that it is cheaper than comparable alternatives; in the UK it is roughly half their price per litre at the time of writing. This gives obvious cost savings to the motorist. It is also cleaner and less polluting than petrol or diesel, having a lower particle count (meaning less air pollution) and releasing less carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur than either upon combustion. This makes it likely that it will continue to receive favourable consideration from governments with respect to taxation when compared to standard fuels. Other bodies are also recognising the benefits of LPG, an example being drivers of vehicles fuelled by Liquid Petroleum Gas being given a discount on London’s Congestion Charge.

With new vehicles adapted to use LPG still relatively thin on the ground, the main method most drivers will have of using LPG is the conversion of their present vehicle to its use. This is a relatively simple process: rather than replacing the previous fuel system of the vehicle being converted, an additional tank and fuel system are added, resulting in a dual-fuel vehicle. The driver is then able to operate the vehicle using either fuel, so if LPG runs out the vehicle reverts to the original fuel, in effect a whole additional emergency tank of fuel. It should be ensured, though, that any Autogas conversion is performed by experienced and accredited mechanics, as serious damage can be done to the vehicle in question by a botched conversion.