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The following information is primarily intended to help non-UK
motorcaravaners touring in the UK.
- Gas is available in two forms:
- in pressurised containers (generally known as "gas
bottles")
- in bulk, from a pump at fuel stations (where the price
includes high fuel tax). It is also available at a small number of other places
which supply LPG for domestic use only and where the tax is much lower.
- Gas in bottles is widely available throughout the UK. There
are many different suppliers but only one of them - Calor - has a nationwide
network. Bottles are hired (the same hire system as in France). Empty bottles
are exchanged for full ones (the same exchange system as
France).
- It is not possible to have a foreign bottle filled in the
UK.
- If you are touring and decide to use UK gas bottles, Calor is
the only sensible choice. You could use Camping Gaz but this is a very
expensive option as the gas costs a lot and the largest bottle (2.72kg) is
really too small for our purposes. However the bottles are exchangeable
throughout Europe and reputedly 101 countries worldwide.
- Calor supplies butane (blue) and propane (red) bottles. There
are three sizes in each - the butane bottles are 15, 7 and 4.5kgs, and the
propane bottles are 13, 6 and 3.9 kgs. Propane is the best choice if touring in
the UK in winter: Butane will not function in very cold weather.
- Calor bottles require a regulator which may be fitted to the
top of the container or nearby and connected through special hoses. A different
regulator is required for propane and butane bottles.
- Calor bottles are supplied through a very extensive network,
including many fuel stations. See
www.calor.co.uk Regulators
are available from main Calor dealers and from caravan shops.
- LPG (Autogas) is now widely available in the UK at fuel
stations (though there are far fewer LPG stations than in France or Italy for
example). The gas supplied is often a mixture of butane and propane and the
mixture varies with the time of year. If you have a gas tank, this is the
system to use. For a list of suppliers of LPG (Autogas) see
www.lpga.co.uk
- A Dutch Bayonet adapter is needed when filling up at Autogas
stations.
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