Shell removing lpg

[Bad-Alias]

Hi all, has anyone else notice that once the shell stations get a make over, they are discounting selling lpg.

I have noticed 2 main stations (burch hanger) and another near Cambridge services have stopped selling it and had the lpg pumps removed

[Brian_H]

Had noticed the same, some are just disappearing without refits happening, the one at the end of the m5 being one of them, lucky there are 3 other stations nearby to it. Hop oast and barnsdale bar bar have also disappeared recently.

[Gilbertd]

I've noticed the Fenstanton one lost the LPG pump after the recent refit, so I went in there and demanded to see the manager and made my feelings known. The fact that the Cambridge services on the other side of the road are doing LPG means it doesn't really matter, it's their loss. I stopped at a Shell station up in Cumbria and the owner (as it was a Shell supplied franchise) was saying he wished more people used LPG, as there's a huge profit margin compared with petrol and diesel.

[Brian_H]

I'd suspect some of it is down to Calor pushing it to be removed where they might be selling cylinders (Given they supply autogas to most, but not all of the Shell stations) - The Swindon depot said when i'd gone in there to fill up they couldn't understand it, given there was a near constant stream of customers using the pump.

As you say, Shell Fenstanton is near to the Cambridge services which at least is accessible from both sides, and not too far away from cheaper outlets (Morrisons). But it is more useful when they are on main routes. Doesn't really help that they can't even be bothered to update their own website when they do remove it (Kennford, which is the one on the A38 was removed sometime early this year and still shows on their station locator, as does Fenstanton).

I've noticed a lot of them show up on filllpg as being unavailable at the moment though, so did begin to wonder if it was the case.

Its Burch Hanger the M11 services you mean?

it also looks like the fairly recently added services on the m42 might have gone - https://autogaslimited.co.uk/43d2-where-to-find-autogas seems to be more upto date than Shell's own website.

[Gilbertd]

Yet as the Autogas brand is a Shell/Calor initiative, with many stations displaying banners encouraging people to convert, it does seem odd that they are removing it from some stations. The Shell station on the A1 at Buckden has two pumps that are almost always in use and a banner along the fence advertisning Autogas. I suppose it could be something similar to the BP situation where it was removed at the BP operated sites but remained at the privately owned, BP supplied sites.

[Brian_H]

Could be, could also be they are removing sites that aren't selling well where another is close by. All the ones I've seen removed are ones that are close to others, though not always supplied by Calor.

I know on regular fuel (Diesel/Petrol) the station pays a tax to the council based on the tank capacity (the joys of having fitted tills into petrol stations previously), and I'd suspect it applies to Autogas as well, so if they aren't selling enough to make a profit on it and turning over the stock fairly rapidly it may be the only option they have. I've got to go and fill the car up in a bit, one of the stations here reopened yesterday after a refit so if I end up there hopefully they still have a pump!

[Bad-Alias]

I'd suspect some of it is down to Calor pushing it to be removed where they might be selling cylinders (Given they supply autogas to most, but not all of the Shell stations) - The Swindon depot said when i'd gone in there to fill up they couldn't understand it, given there was a near constant stream of customers using the pump.

As you say, Shell Fenstanton is near to the Cambridge services which at least is accessible from both sides, and not too far away from cheaper outlets (Morrisons). But it is more useful when they are on main routes. Doesn't really help that they can't even be bothered to update their own website when they do remove it (Kennford, which is the one on the A38 was removed sometime early this year and still shows on their station locator, as does Fenstanton).

I've noticed a lot of them show up on filllpg as being unavailable at the moment though, so did begin to wonder if it was the case.

Its Burch Hanger the M11 services you mean?

it also looks like the fairly recently added services on the m42 might have gone - https://autogaslimited.co.uk/43d2-where-to-find-autogas seems to be more upto date than Shell's own website.

yes the M11 Burch Hanger services. I have been there a few times a couple of months back, and each time it had no lpg. unless I was unlucky and it was run out each time?

[Brian_H]

It still had the pump 3 weeks ago with gas available, though has been flagged as unavailable on filllpg quite a bit, could just be unlucky. There isn't really any other stations I know of close to there though.

[Gilbertd]

Shell at Harlow, just off the M11, one junction down from Birch Hanger. There's a Shell on one side of the road and a BP on the other, both used to have LPG but the BP station removed it at the same time as it was taken out at all the other M&S ones.

[LPGC]

At a time when cities are planning to penalise diesel and dirtier/older/bigger petrol vehicles but not penalise LPG converted vehicles it doesn't seem to make sense for suppliers to remove any LPG pumps. I am inundated with calls from e.g. taxi drivers who don't want electric but do want to convert to LPG. Would expect a decent percentage of the general public, who won't fair much better than taxi drivers after coming changes, will reach the same conclusions as taxi drivers.

[Brian_H]

At a time when cities are planning to penalise diesel and dirtier/older/bigger petrol vehicles but not penalise LPG converted vehicles it doesn't seem to make sense for suppliers to remove any LPG pumps. I am inundated with calls from taxi drivers who don't want electric but do want to convert to LPG.

Yep, agree with you there, but given the amount of people that seem baffled by the whole concept of LPG (we've all seen them across the pump where they are looking at the LPG pump and trying to work out where to put it into their diesel car) sense is a commodity and its in short supply in this country!

[Brian_H]

Shell at Needham Market (just off a junction of the A14) also has disappeared off filllpg, so I'd suspect that ones gone as well. What used to be Countrywide and is now Flogas also appear to have issues repairing or getting their few pumps working - Banbury has been out of order since late last year, Cirencester is also still out of order (or they can't agree with Mole Valley Farmers to supply power to it or some other issue) and has been for a while.

[Gilbertd]

Shell at Needham Market (just off a junction of the A14) also has disappeared off filllpg, so I'd suspect that ones gone as well.

WHAAATTTTT!!! How am I supposed to get to Felixstow docks and back without a top up at Needham Market on the way back?

On the topic of reducing emissions, I drove through Paris on Monday. Virtually no wind and temperatures up in the high 30's (I even saw 41 on the dash at one point) so ideal for pollution. The matrix signs were showing Crit Air 3,4,5 and non-classified Prohibited. I've got a Crit Air vignette in my windscreen and a Euro 3 petrol car (as my 98 P38 Range Rover is) on petrol would have got a category 3 so prohibited. As I notified I was running on LPG, I was issued a category 1, the same as a hybrid, so I was fine. However, I checked the bands to be sure and Cat 2 is Euro 6 petrol while Cat 3 is older petrol and Euro 6 diesel. Cat 4 and 5 are Euro 4 and Euro 3 diesel respectively. So on Monday, if you were driving a diesel, even a brand spanking straight out of the showroom, diesel, you couldn't drive in Paris. Made my bloody day!

[Brian_H]

Just had an email back from Flogas - they are now down to 20 keysites (from 39 when it was still Countrywide) with two of those out of order presently, hardly surprising given the account price Ex VAT is higher than the closest filling station to me Inc VAT.

I'd wonder if some of this could be down to tanks needing retesting due to age, and the garage not willing to spend the required sum to get them certified.

[Brian_H]

Shell at Needham Market (just off a junction of the A14) also has disappeared off filllpg, so I'd suspect that ones gone as well.

WHAAATTTTT!!! How am I supposed to get to Felixstow docks and back without a top up at Needham Market on the way back?

You could fill up at Morrisons just of j54? (as long as they are open when your going that way) Of course you could also check its really been removed next time your passing, as all I know is it was removed from filllpg and haven't been past that way since to check.

Alternatively find somewhere on the Range Rover to put a second tank maybe?. Its not like you could even fill at the BP stations near Newmarket either, as they went some time ago now.

I've found it pointless asking at the stations as the staff don't have much of a clue usually and aren't really interested either.

[Gilbertd]

Didn't know about Morrisons. I only go to Felixstowe to pick up cars I've imported so it's daytime during the week so they would be open. The times I would ideally need a second tank are the times when I need as much space in the car as I can get. It's bad enough having the spare wheel in the boot taking up quite a bit of space.

This was one of my trips to France before I even hitched up the trailer.......

[Brian_H]

Any space for an underslung one? not sure how much you'd gain capacity wise with what you'd be able to fit there, but otherwise your a bit out of luck really. That Morrisons is on Filllpg along with another Shell in Ipswich though Morrisons is much closer to the A14.

Its a good example of where I find the app useful - you don't even have to know where you are, just fire up the app, hit the button to goto current location and you have a map of the stations on the screen. Not something you can do easily on the website on a phone, though you can move the map about if you know roughly where you are.

[Gilbertd]

Not really anywhere for an underslung, not without having to fabricate a replacement petrol tank to free up some space there. I've got a 680 x 270mm 78 litre tank in the wheel well at the moment but could squeeze in a 720 x 270mm but that wouldn't give me much extra. If I went for a full toroidal, I could get up to 91 litres so an improvement but not really enough to justify the cost. So far I've had very few problems, I'll check filllpg before I set off if it's anywhere I've not been before, or not been there for a while in case one of my preferred filling stations is no longer doing LPG. I've actually had less trouble in Europe but I tend to stop well in advance of needing to, a coffee every 150 miles or so breaks a long journey up nicely.

[Brian_H]

Hopwood park (m42) is no longer Shell, looks like it's now Applegreen operating that station, and gas pumps and tank has been removed.

[LPGC]

Not really anywhere for an underslung, not without having to fabricate a replacement petrol tank to free up some space there. I've got a 680 x 270mm 78 litre tank in the wheel well at the moment but could squeeze in a 720 x 270mm but that wouldn't give me much extra. If I went for a full toroidal, I could get up to 91 litres so an improvement but not really enough to justify the cost.

Never done or tried it but... You could fit a 720x330 0deg 114L. Normally that'd raise the boot floor level 60mm but maybe more like 40mm if you got rid of the square flap to use the top of the tank as boot floor with something to pad the area out around the tank. It may be possible to keep boot floor level at same height by cutting the bottom of the spare wheel well out so the tall tank sits lower (nothing under the spare wheel well on a P38 is there)? If this tank filled to over 90% it'd give a very decent increase in capacity over your current tank.