On or around Mon, 18 Apr 2005 16:29:04 +0100, "Lee_D"
<
[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>in the throws of a different rant i discovered this
>
>http://www.bp.com/autogasCalculatorForm.do?categoryId=3000109
>
>which I'm sure will interest more than a couple of people here who like me
>often wonder what difference it would really make.
putting in vaguely sensible figures for mine gives a 3-year saving of about
5 grand. figures: 18mpg/89.9ppl petrol, 13mpg/39.9ppl gas; conversion cost
990, servicing 250 petrol/300 gas, mileage 24000.
halving the mileage (to 12000) and maintenance gives 2 grand over 3 years.
halving it again gives about 500-odd; add about 500 to the conversion cost
to account for having someone else do it, and you're talking about 3 years
to break even.
Going back to 12000 and putting in more typical figures for conversion and
servicing based on getting someone else to do 'em still gives a 3-year
saving of about 1400.
Factor in that in some places gas can be got for 29.9ppl, and it looks
better yet: using the same mpgs as above, petrol 84.9/gas 29.9, 1500 for
conversion, 6000 miles and 150/175 for servicing, I get a 3-year saving of
about 400.
Those mpgs are what I actually get from the 3.5 disco, BTW, in my normal
running around. A better (closed loop) gas system might get 14 or even 14.5
mpg.
Now a different calculation... comparing it with a diesel one by putting the
diesel figures in the petrol side... I get, for credible-sounding figures,
a 136 quid extra cost for the gas one over 3 years at 12000 per year.
However, going back to 24000 per year I get a 3-year saving of 1200 notes
with gas at 29.9, or almost the same excess with gas at 39.9 - so it's very
price-dependent. Break-even over 3 years looks to be about 35ppl for gas,
which is doable in most areas - and that doesn't factor in the secondhand
price difference twixt a diesel and an equivalent V8, which would probably
pay for yer conversion.
--
Austin Shackles.
www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young / In a world
of magnets and miracles / Our thoughts strayed constantly and without
boundary / The ringing of the Division bell had begun. Pink Floyd (1994)
