With the fuel duty debate once again hitting the headlines, Autogas Limited is championing more affordable motoring by reminding struggling drivers and businesses how much money they could save simply by switching to autogas LPG.

Paul Oxford, business development manager, Autogas Limited, said: “The bid to delay the proposed fuel duty increase has just been defeated but it’s not all bad news because hard-hit motorists could actually save a small fortune on their car fuel bills for the long-term just by converting to LPG.”

He said current UK average forecourt prices show that LPG is the cheapest of the three main fuel types at just 76.4 pence per litre, nearly half that of unleaded at 135.08ppl.

"Put into context, the savings achieved when switching to LPG are even more remarkable. Indeed, a driver covering just 12,000 miles a year with an average fuel consumption of 40 mpg can enjoy annual fuel savings of around £600 against petrol when using LPG.

"In fact, such are the cost saving implications of switching to LPG, as well as its considerable environmental benefits, that its merits have just been reported by MoneySupermarket.com, a leading price comparison website.

"And according to consumer organisation Which? rising fuel prices are the number one consumer worry with a survey conducted on its behalf suggesting that 39 per cent of people would cut back on their motoring costs. The report also goes on to state that one in 10 had dipped into their savings to cover motoring costs.

“The economic squeeze and high fuel prices are changing how people behave towards their cars. However, the simple truth is that cheap motoring really still is possible.

“Typically LPG users enjoy annual savings of up to 40 per cent in their fuel costs, which puts the 3p fuel duty debate into perspective,” stressed Oxford.

He said it is estimated that by 2020 there will be almost 23 million vehicles worldwide running on LPG and there are currently over seven million vehicles running on LPG in Europe. Meanwhile, the cheaper fuel is readily available with more than 1,400 LPG refuelling stations across the UK, including at the UK’s largest forecourt facility at the recently opened Shell Cobham services on the M25.