Further to its published decision in January to discontinue its small capacity LPG cylinders from 1 February 2023, the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) is very encouraged by Calor changing its position having listened to the concerns of the BSS and the boating community.
Calor has made a statement to the BSS about the continued supply of LPG in its small cylinder sizes, 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane, for the immediate future which gives those affected boat owners a little breathing space and a golden opportunity to plan for alternative arrangements – either LPG cylinders from alternative suppliers or introducing safe and well-fitted adjustments to their gas system by competent installers.
The Calor statement to the BSS in full says: “In January we announced plans to streamline our small cylinder range to help put us in a better position to service our wider cylinder customers who rely on us to provide their home heating and hot water.
“In taking this decision we underestimated the impact this would have on specific user groups who use the 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders for caravanning and boating. We have listened to concerns and we are finalising plans to continue to exchange and refill serviceable* cylinders of these sizes, phasing them out of supply over a longer time frame. This should give users additional time to source an alternative way to power their onboard facilities. We are working out the full details of this process and will communicate this as soon as we can.”
The advice from the BSS to boaters is to take advantage of this new Calor position and use the opportunity it affords to, if changes are necessary, find competent expertise in local boats yards or through the Gas Safe Register www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer-or-check-the-register/ and ensure any changes are safe and compliant with boat LPG Codes of Practice and BSS Requirements.
In the coming weeks the BSS will add useful information to their website to help affected boat owners transition to alternative arrangements.
*Serviceable cylinders are those that do not require refurbishment, due to age or damage. Calor is able to keep this stock of cylinders in circulation for the foreseeable future. However, they will be phased out once they reach end of life and will not be replaced by new cylinders of these sizes. Cylinders that are deemed unserviceable will be taken out of circulation. This means that over time, and as the number of cylinders decrease, supplies will be limited for users of these specific sizes.
