Who are the LPGA (now UKLPG)?
The LPGA (Liquid Petroleum Gas Assocation) is basically a trade association for the UK LPG industry and their own blurb is as follows:
"The LP Gas Assocation seeks to provide the voice of the LP Gas industry in the UK and to support its members through the promotion of the benefits of LPG and of safe operations and standards throught the industry".
LPG system installers can either be part of the LPGA (for which they pay a fee) or they can choose not to be. There are some good LPGA Approved installers, some bad, just as there are some good non-LPGA Approved installers and some bad.
In principle, a body such as the LPGA is meant to uphold standards of conversion, represent the industry and act on behalf of it's members (not just the LPGA Approved Installers but also those with vehicles converted by them). This, however, was simply not the case in my experience.
Interaction with the LPGA (now UKLPG)
My first conversion by Mr Steven P Sparrow Go LPG shows how bad and dangerous an LPGA Approved installer can be. I have read many sites on the Internet (as well as being told by several LPG system installers) that I should have reported my problems to Mr Mike Chapman of the LPGA.. so I did!
Not only did I write a 20+ page report highlighting my problems with the 'Romano N' LPG system installed by Go LPG but also my problems with the installer himself and his supplier (Autogas Worldwide). In addition, I included:
- Detailed photographs.
- An independent report from an INDEPENDENT BMW SPECIALIST.
- An independent report from another LPGA Approved Installer showing that the system/installation failed COP11.
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Cannot arbitrate
The LPGA requested that a 'Vehicle Defect Report Form' is completed to briefly describe the problems. This was sent but nothing was ever investigated.
Mr Mike Chapman from the LPGA also states that they cannot provide an arbitration service but "endeavours to facilitate a satisfactory solution for the customer"? Really? Read on... |
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Three-way stitch-up
Mr Steven P Sparrow of Go LPG and his supplier of Romano equipment (Autogas Worldwide Ltd) decide to team-up to discredit their customer and the vehicle to cover up their shoddy installation and equipment. They then move on to 'dirty tricks', stating that their customer's driving style is 'extreme' when it appears that under their own Romano N 'tuning' procedure (the customer is instructed to drive whilst they sit in the passenger seat with a laptop and Romano software), the Romano N system keeps switching back to petrol and cannot keep up with petrol injection times - hence, they say it is: "entirely fit for the purpose intended of normal driving."
In other words, the Romano N installation does NOT run the vehicle on LPG as it does on petrol, allowing acceleration throughout the rev range. Whichever the gear, if revved to 5K RPM the vehicle would switch back to petrol - this was never explained prior to conversion, nor is it detailed on Go LPG's website as normal LPG operation on a high powered car! So much for 'Sports and High Performance Conversions'! SWITCHING BACK TO PETROL IS NOT RECOMMENDED WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO OVERTAKE A TRUCK ON THE MOTORWAY! In addition, what if I want to take the car to Germany to drive on the unlimited speed Autobahns? This majority of the driving would have to be done on petrol as the Romano N LPG system installed by Mr Steven P Sparrow would not consistently run on LPG.
So.. what's the advice received from Mr Mike Chapman of the LPGA? Report it to Trading Standards (it was reported, see here), however, Mr Chapman was fully aware that Trading Standards could not do anything as it was more than 3 months since the LPG installation took place! Hence, the original installer (Mr Steven P Sparrow of Go LPG), the supplier (Autogas Worldwide Ltd) and the LPGA worked a 3 way stitch-up. Please bear mind, the LPGA were not interested even though INDEPENDENT reports were provided proving that the installation failed their own standard test and that it contravened COP-11 Code of Practice guidelines.
This really show the state of the current UK LPG industry is nothing more than an old-boys network, propped up by a few good installers and a few good suppliers. |
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No support for the consumer
Once again Mr Mike Chapman of the LPGA absolves himself and the LPGA of any responsibility and refers the customer to Trading Standards, fully aware that Trading Standards could not do anything as it was more than 3 months since the LPG installation took place!
He also states that he cannot comment on pictures but that an independent inspection can be arranged - this was done (as mentioned previously), however, the LPGA appeared to simply lack any interest in reviewing the evidence, conducting their own investigations or removing Mr Steven P Sparrow of Go LPG from the LPGA Approved Installer scheme. |
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All of the above, however, fell upon deaf ears. Mr Sparrow of Go LPG simply stated that I was being a difficult customer and driving too fast. What did Mr Mike Chapman of the LPGA do? Absolutely bugger all! He simply wrote to me stating that the LPGA do not provide an arbitration service and that in-effect I was on my own. What use then is the LPGA to the average consumer?
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