Propane-butane costs compared to gasoline
Propane-butane has long been cheaper than gasoline by roughly half. Even after accounting for a 10–20% rise in consumption, the typical owner saved about a third of the fuel costs.
Personal experience supports these calculations: for a year and a half, a journalist drove a Nissan Almera equipped with LPG across Russia and parts of Europe.
Further details on real-world operation and fuel expenses are available here.
What changed
Last year brought a shift. The price per liter of gas climbed to 30 rubles in many areas and even exceeded that in some regions. AI-95 gasoline had not yet reached 50 rubles per liter, while the 92 octane could be found around 44–45 rubles.
In this environment, installing HBO seemed unprofitable. Even some motorists who already had the system stopped refueling with propane-butane as the savings disappeared.
There are more than seven years between the photos. Gas stations differ, but the region remained the same. Looking at the two moments in time alone, gas prices had not risen much. When viewed over the longer period, the price per liter had risen by about ten rubles. Gasoline continued to rise steadily, adding more than 50% over seven years.
Now it has become
Gas prices have fallen in many areas. Observations in Moscow and the surrounding region show a range from 17 to 21.5 rubles per liter. Across different regions, reports mention prices from 13–14 to 23–25 rubles per liter.
Remarkably, prices resemble what was seen seven years ago. In some places LPG is cheaper than gasoline, and sometimes by a larger margin. It is advantageous to refuel with gas where prices align this way.
One caveat remains. Price controls on gas are not as strict as those for petrol or diesel, and price tags can vary by season, with gas fuel typically cheaper in spring and summer. Last year showed that many factors can influence profitability, and the situation may flip again in the future.
Installation and registration
The cost of installing HBO has risen. In 2014, fitting the equipment to a Nissan Almera for editorial work cost between 21 and 25 thousand rubles. Registration was required at the time, but inspection officers did not pay much attention, and the process was straightforward.
Today, installers charge 30–40 thousand rubles for equipment and labor. An additional 6–7 thousand rubles may be needed to assist with changing registration.
The method for installing a cylinder in a passenger car has remained consistent over the years. The classic cylinder occupies trunk space and complicates cargo transport with the rear seats folded. The toroid core embedded in the spare wheel recess is another option, which is left in the garage or moved to the trunk.
Is it worth it
With current propane-butane prices, switching to gas still makes sense. The gap with gasoline remains substantial. For example, with AI-92 at 47.5 rubles per liter (AI-95 typically costs about five rubles more) and propane-butane at 17.5 rubles, a car consuming 10.5 liters per 100 kilometers would require a gas installation costing about 36,000 rubles, while the savings would start to show after roughly 12,500 kilometers.
If this price difference endures, demand for HBO installations should rise. Gas can offer meaningful fuel savings, especially for vehicles with high consumption and frequent use. It is worth calculating the potential savings for any given car to see the impact—the numbers can be surprising.