LPG supply crisis in the Southwest?
Discussion
I'm trying to plan my fuel stops for a trip next week, Cheshire to Dorset going down the M5 corridor. 220 miles each way, and I get about 200 miles from a tank on my Jeep.
Normally I can easily plan long trips using the FillLPG app to find a cheap station on the route. But looking tonight, it seems pretty much every vendor south of Gloucestershire is showing as "temporarily unavailable". What gives? The only ones still available are the cottage industry conversion places, which of course won't be open at 8pm on a Saturday.
Is there some sort of shortage in the Southwest right now? I'm currently a bit screwed if so
Normally I can easily plan long trips using the FillLPG app to find a cheap station on the route. But looking tonight, it seems pretty much every vendor south of Gloucestershire is showing as "temporarily unavailable". What gives? The only ones still available are the cottage industry conversion places, which of course won't be open at 8pm on a Saturday.
Is there some sort of shortage in the Southwest right now? I'm currently a bit screwed if so
I imagine domestic heating is putting heavy strain on the supply chain, after the recent cold snap a lot of people are going to be needing their tanks topping off and the use of cylinders will be up too. We’re off-grid for heating fuel and I know we used an enormous amount of oil recently, those with LPG heating would be in the same boat.
Add that to general supply chain disruption again due to the weather and I’m not surprised.
Add that to general supply chain disruption again due to the weather and I’m not surprised.
I have a bit of inside information on this.
There are 2 refineries in the UK making LPG - Stanlow and Fawley.
One of these was on a planned closedown for maintenance in February, and whilst this was happening, the other suffered a shutdown due to a fault.
Of course, just as they came back on line, we had the 'Beast from the east' and demand shot through the roof, whilst bunkered stocks were still low.
The combination of low stocks, panic buying and the need to prioritise vulnerable domestic heating customers meant that decisions were taken by FloGas and Calor not to deliver to forecourts. Some local, independents, may still have had supply, though. (My local 24/7 member-only LPG site is fine).
Things are improving - Calor should be back on track by next week (so that's 'Autogas' branded and Morrison's supermarkets) - but FloGas continue to have issues and it could be several weeks before they're back in full supply.
There are 2 refineries in the UK making LPG - Stanlow and Fawley.
One of these was on a planned closedown for maintenance in February, and whilst this was happening, the other suffered a shutdown due to a fault.
Of course, just as they came back on line, we had the 'Beast from the east' and demand shot through the roof, whilst bunkered stocks were still low.
The combination of low stocks, panic buying and the need to prioritise vulnerable domestic heating customers meant that decisions were taken by FloGas and Calor not to deliver to forecourts. Some local, independents, may still have had supply, though. (My local 24/7 member-only LPG site is fine).
Things are improving - Calor should be back on track by next week (so that's 'Autogas' branded and Morrison's supermarkets) - but FloGas continue to have issues and it could be several weeks before they're back in full supply.
ChemicalChaos said:
I'm trying to plan my fuel stops for a trip next week, Cheshire to Dorset going down the M5 corridor. 220 miles each way, and I get about 200 miles from a tank on my Jeep.
Normally I can easily plan long trips using the FillLPG app to find a cheap station on the route. But looking tonight, it seems pretty much every vendor south of Gloucestershire is showing as "temporarily unavailable". What gives? The only ones still available are the cottage industry conversion places, which of course won't be open at 8pm on a Saturday.
Is there some sort of shortage in the Southwest right now? I'm currently a bit screwed if so
Why not run it on petrol one eye on the phone?Normally I can easily plan long trips using the FillLPG app to find a cheap station on the route. But looking tonight, it seems pretty much every vendor south of Gloucestershire is showing as "temporarily unavailable". What gives? The only ones still available are the cottage industry conversion places, which of course won't be open at 8pm on a Saturday.
Is there some sort of shortage in the Southwest right now? I'm currently a bit screwed if so
Loads of LPG in Dorset, absolutely loads.
Just to stir the debate, I thought the whole point of LPG was that unlike an EV, you could drive 700 miles in one go without needing ever to stop, pee, eat, stretch yr legs.
200 miles range is realistically borderline what an EV does. +/- a bit of course.
although I suspect, Chemical, you can tow a massive pile of whatever oddity your playing with/working on, behind it in yr Jeep, whereas EV's don't really do that !
200 miles range is realistically borderline what an EV does. +/- a bit of course.
although I suspect, Chemical, you can tow a massive pile of whatever oddity your playing with/working on, behind it in yr Jeep, whereas EV's don't really do that !
Range depends on a couple of factors, size of lpg tank and size of engine. My Honda Accord does 400 miles on a full tank. Also has the ability to do around 400 miles on petrol. As soon as you get to the the big 4x4s I think you are right in saying 200 miles is normal, not sure what their petrol range is though.
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