LPG ATV Case Study - Garvald Mains

Gavin Hamilton and his son Robert share a similar outlook when it comes to running their farm and tending to their 250 suckler cows and 500 Scots half bred ewes. Both also strive to cut down the daily running costs of their farm.

One company they have come to rely on to provide those cost savings is Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG. It was when Gavin took the decision to have his Honda 450cc ATV converted to run on both petrol and LPG, that the Hamilton’s business relationship with Calor began.

The bike is mainly used to haul large amounts of food up the two and a half mile-long farm to the ewes and lambs, as well as for checking herding stock and spraying thistles and nettles
in the summer. As the farm is busy throughout the year, having a reliable and fuel efficient vehicle that doesn’t damage the farm’s wet ground is essential.

For the past 20 years, Gavin relied purely on petrol for his fuel needs. However, with the high umber
of kilometres that the ATV was clocking up costing the farm around £1,800 per year, Gavin was keen
to find a cheaper alternative. In addition, with the nearest petrol station several miles away, a bulk
fuel supply on the farm would deliver added convenience and minimal refuelling time.

He says: "When the Calor representative came to see me we talked through the advantages of LPG. After looking at the cost savings compared to petrol, and with the added benefit of having a Calor bulk tank on site to store fuel, I knew LPG was the right choice for my needs".

The Hamiltons’ local Honda ATV dealer, Reekie Lothian Ltd, has supplied their ATVs for 10 years. With Gavin taking the decision to convert his bike to run on petrol and LPG as a bi-fuel vehicle, Reekie undertook the conversion on his behalf.

Now, if the tank were to run out of gas when out in the fields, Gavin and Robert have the option of flicking a switch and temporarily using petrol. Gavin says: "The decision to run a bi-fuel bike was easy because although I didn’t want to pay petrol prices any longer, I knew that it would be useful to have as a second option should I ever run out of LPG out on the farm."

The conversion of the bike took just one day and during this time a courtesy bike was provided, which meant that Gavin didn’t lose out on unnecessary down time on the farm. As a Reekie customer, Gavin also has the reassurance that, should the bike break down, a service engineer is
on hand around the clock for repairs.

In addition to using Calor LPG for the ATV, Gavin also uses the fuel for other purposes around the
farm, including grain drying and heating the farmhouse as well as rented cottages on the site.

"I only wish I had thought about using Calor LPG before," says Gavin. "Robert does most of the
ATV work and is very happy with its performance - it has as much power as a petrol bike."

Brian Summers, Calor’s Commercial Specialist, highlighted the cost and performance benefits of
LPG to the father and son team. He says: "Both Gavin and Robert are very astute when it comes to the farm’s financial dealings and were pleased to outline just how LPG could help them save money over the long term.

"I’m glad that they made the decision to switch fuels and am happy that they are pleased with the advice provided by Calor."