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LPG Cylinders or Bulk Tank LPG for Domestic Heating?

By April 25, 2016May 5th, 2016LPG Save Blog

When switching across to LPG, from Oil to LPG, or any other heating source it is often a very good option to start off with 47kg LPG cylinders (propane) until you know your actual or projected usage, progressing to a Bulk Tank as and when required.

For many, a Home Bulk Tank LPG solution will only become viable v’s 47kg Propane cylinders when your usage is expected to be above 2>2500 litres pa, the average UK property on Bulk Tank LPG using around 2300 litres pa.

If you expect to use less than this then it’s unlikely to spark the interest of the LPG suppliers who provide the tanks in return for a tank rental.

The typical tank rental is between £60pa and £66pa for an Above Ground LPG Storage Tank and between £80pa and £120pa for a Below Ground LPG Storage Tank. The amount that you pay in Tank Rental, also referred to as a Standing Charge, will depend upon the supplier and tariff that you choose.

One of the factors that restricts many people from installing a Bulk LPG tank is the space required, all Home Bulk LPG storage tanks with a capacity of 1200 or 2000 litres needing to be located at least 3m from all buildings, boundaries and other fixed sources of ignition. A fire wall of solid construction may be present along one or even two sides of the tank with a minimum separation distance of 1.5m. You must also ensure that the area around your tank is free of all debris and overgrown vegetation and that a line of sight is maintained between the vessel and the tanker (maximum hose length 40m) to ensure the safe delivery of LPG to your home.

All Home Bulk Tank LPG deliveries are also made by way of a mini bulker with a width of 2.6m (8’6”) requiring a minimum gateway width of 2.75m and a minimum access road width of 3.0m.

Vessels must not be sited directly beneath electric power cables and where the voltage is below 1kV the tank must be sited 1.5metres from a plane drawn vertically downwards from the power cable.

Above Ground Tank installations are generally completed ‘Free of Charge’ however the customer will need to complete the civil works, the tank pad and the pipework trench, but the tank installation itself would normally be FOC.

Below Ground Tank installations are normally chargeable. Again the customer will be responsible for the civil works, the cost to the LPG supplier being in the region of £500>£1000.

All new Bulk Tank LPG installation will require a survey to agree on a suitable location for the tank and to confirm the schedule of works to be completed by each party, the customer and the Bulk Tank LPG supplier.

For customers expecting to use less than this 2>2500 litres of LPG pa then 47kg propane gas cylinders can be a very neat option, set up as a 2 x 47kg pack or a 4 x 47kg pack, each 47kg gas cylinder holding 92 litres of propane (LPG) gas and each. A cabinet can also be obtained to hide the cylinders from view and to provide added security.

Whichever option you decide, Bulk Tank Gas or 47kg Gas Cylinders, we can help you either way, so please do call or email us at any time.

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