LPG Vans - Benefits of Calor Autogas are clear to Bell Glass

Window manufacturer and installer Bell Glass Ltd specialises in glass and glazing contracts and, from its Rainham base in Kent, operates a 24-hour emergency glazing service for both business and domestic customers. The firm's drivers can be called out at any time of the day or night - so reliability and consistent performance of the company's vehicles are critical to its ongoing success.

To help meet the exacting demand from its customers, Bell Glass runs a fleet of 20 LCVs, including Renaults, Fords and Vauxhalls, of which over half are converted to run on LPG supplied by market leader Calor Autogas. Established in 1947, Bell Glass first recognised the financial benefits of powering its fleet on LPG in the 1970s and, since then, has had conversions carried out on every new petrol van, prior to its addition to the fleet.

Petrol engines are simple to convert to run on LPG: the procedure takes around a day and results in a dual fuel engine which can be changed from LPG to petrol, if necessary, with the flick of a dashboard mounted switch. Calor Autogas has established a UK-wide network of conversion specialists to ensure conversion facilities are easily available to business and private customers, wherever they are based: Bell Glass has its conversions carried out by Hendy Power in Bournemouth and a Kent based installer.

The majority of Bell Glass' customers are based in the South, including Kent, Sussex and East London, although the firm fulfils deliveries much further afield: as far north as Darlington and west towards Stoke-on-Trent. The vans cover an average of 30,000 miles every year some are retained in service for up to 10 years before being replaced.

Paul Martin, a director of Bell Glass, explained: "Our customers rely on us to provide an efficient, competitive and high quality service - whether it's delivering and fitting a complete set of windows to a house in Kent, or responding to a late-night call from a local shopkeeper who has been the victim of vandalism and needs a new shop front. From years of experience running our vehicles on Calor Autogas, we are fully aware of all the benefits: substantial cost savings, especially on the cost of the fuel, and reliability. Our vans have proven themselves to be more than capable of covering extensive mileage and with less than normal wear and tear."

The cleaner burning qualities of LPG are particularly important to Bell Glass, as they help to extend engine life and reduce ongoing maintenance costs. Paul added: "Experience has shown that we can extend service intervals on our LPG powered vans to 20,000 miles - compared to between 6,000 and 10,000 miles for diesel engines - with no detrimental effect on long term reliability or performance. We have also found that, as the emissions from LPG are so much cleaner, the exhaust systems last around three times longer.

"As an added bonus, converting vehicles to run on LPG has probably saved us thousands of pounds over the years by preventing costly engine damage from overheating, Vans occasionally run low on water - with a petrol or diesel engine this can easily result in a substantial repair bill, whereas an LPG powered engine will normally cut out before any expensive damage is done.

For over 20 yeas, Bell Glass has also enjoyed savings on the cost of the fuel: LPG is less than half the price of petrol and diesel and likely to remain so, as the government recognises the environmental benefits of LPG powered vehicles and continues to increase duty on petrol and diesel, and hold it stable on LPG. Whilst conversion costs can be recovered before a vehicle reaches 30,000 miles, Government grants for up to 75% of the conversion cost - or the price differential between manufacturers' petrol and LPG powered vehicles - are available through the Energy Savings Trust "Powershift" programme.

The UK network of filling stations offering LPG is growing rapidly as demand increases from both business and private vehicle users. Businesses like Bell Glass, however, can gain financially from installing a refuelling point connected to on-site Calor Autogas bulk tanks. Its tow 2000-litre tanks are supported by Calor's nationwide computerised delivery service so, in addition to convenient on-site refuelling facilities, Bell Glass benefits from bulk purchase of LPG and centralised invoicing which reduces administration.

Paul concluded: "Whilst economy is the primary reason for having our vehicles converted to run on Calor Autogas, we do benefit in a number of other ways. Vehicle maintenance is cheaper and easier to manage, the engines are quieter and our on-site refuelling point is convenient as well as providing greater control over fuel costs. We would run our entire fleet on LPG, but some of the models we require are only available with a diesel power unit. In the meantime, we will continue to have conversions carried out on every new petrol van, and ensure that we make the most of the considerable cost savings from using LPG."