CNG TOPPING UP IN JB

[Ccssgm]

CNG: Compressed Natural Gas or Cheap N Good?

 

HE SAVES $200 A MONTH IN FUEL, TOPPING UP IN JB

TO TRAVEL 300KM, IT'LL COST...

$60 (S'pore petrol)

$30 (S'pore CNG)

$6 (M'sia CNG)

 

CNG is not just an acronym for natural gas. It also means Cheap N Good, especially to motorist Lauren Heng.

 

Driving a compressed natural gas (CNG) car saves him money otherwise spent on petrol. But he takes it one step further - he pumps CNG across the Causeway.

 

It is about five times cheaper in Malaysia.

 

CNG over there costs about 68 sen (28 cents) a litre, compared to the highest $1.49 per kg here. The kiosks charge different rates in Singapore.

 

A litre of CNG weighs about a kg.

 

Mr Heng, 43, reckons he saves about $200 each month by topping up CNG for his Hyundai Sante Fe in Johor Baru twice weekly.

 

A full tank of CNG costs him about $6 in Malaysia, compared to about $30 here.

 

Mr Heng, the managing director of parallel import company Cars Motor Group, said his car can travel about 300km on a full tank of CNG.

 

It would cost him about $60 in petrol to cover the same distance.

 

He spent about $4,600 to install the CNG kit in his four-year-old car about seven months ago.

 

Mr Heng headed to JB for CNG because, at the time, there was only one CNG kiosk here at Jurong Island.

 

Two more kiosks opened at Jalan Buroh and Mandai in February.

 

'It was just too troublesome because there was only one kiosk then. So, I decided to go to Malaysia to try my luck. I had only a map and it took me close to an hour to find that kiosk (in JB),' he said.

 

Today, it takes him just 10 minutes to drive 12km from JB to the Petronas CNG kiosk there.

 

The price difference is big enough for Mr Heng to brave the unpredictable Causeway jams twice a week for his CNG top-ups.

 

CNG is cheaper in Malaysia because it is produced there and it is also heavily subsidised.

 

Mr Heng said: 'It's worth my while to top up gas in Malaysia. But it is better now that there are more CNG stations in Singapore. Sometimes when I am pressed for time, I will just top up here.'

 

The number of CNG cars here is still small compared to petrol cars, but it is growing.

 

MORE CNG CARS

 

As of last month, there are 757 CNG private cars, according to latest figures from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

 

This is more than double the number in January, with 265 registered CNG cars.

 

There are more than 528,000 private petrol cars here as of last month.

 

With the growing popularity of CNG cars, perhaps it is only natural that more motorists here will head north for cheaper gas.

 

Especially since the three-quarter fuel tank rule imposed on Singapore vehicles crossing into Malaysia does not apply to CNG vehicles at present.

 

Pump attendants at two separate CNG kiosks in Johor Baru told The New Paper that they had noticed more Singapore cars making weekly trips there to top up CNG.

 

The attendants said they see about three to five such cars every week, mostly over the weekend.

 

One attendant, who declined to be named, said in Malay: 'I see one or two Singapore cars every few days. It's not frequent but I do see more of them here on weekends.'

 

CMelchers, which has fitted over 500 CNG kits here, said about one in 10 of its customers go to Malaysia for cheaper gas.

 

Business development executive Shannon Sim said the quality of gas in both countries is almost similar, so safety is not an issue.

 

He said: 'The gas there is very cheap, that's why some motorists here will bear the inconvenience of driving there to top up.

 

'But few motorists know about the location of these CNG kiosks and they tend to be farther from the Causeway compared to the petrol stations.'

 

But not everyone is tempted by the cheaper CNG. They feel the cost savings are not worth the effort of going across.

 

Mr Chew Kok Hua, who drives a Mercedes E200, pumps about $30 worth of CNG at least once a week at Mandai.

 

After doing his calculations, he concluded it may not be worth his while to pump in JB.

 

He said in Mandarin: 'I will save at least $20 each time, but it may not make much sense because of the travelling time and traffic jams along the Causeway.'

[Boyboy]

prelude to 3/4 tank rule on CNG tank

[Ccssgm]

I think they will check tis

[Newsman]

Anyone know the JB CNG kiosk ADDRESS.

At S$6 is a real steal for 300km of driving.

[Derricklim87]

[Ccssgm]

Price of CNG gone up

 

IN RECENT months, there was constant news on rising petrol prices, the reason given being escalating oil prices all over the world.

However, I am surprised that the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) has also risen. Before May 1, the price of CNG at Mandai CNG station was $1.18 per kilo, after which it went up to $1.38. Less than two months later, Smart, which runs the Mandai station, has again raised its prices to $1.49. The CNG station ran by SPC at Jalan Buroh fared slightly better, with its prices rising to $1.38 only on June 15.

 

Rising petrol and diesel prices are blamed on rising oil prices around the world, but what is the reason for the recent increase in CNG prices? Are Smart and SPC out to earn more profit now that CNG cars are fast increasing in numbers?

 

Is the Government doing anything to control such price hikes? On the one hand, the government encourages Singaporeans to use CNG cars by offering rebates, but on the other, CNG stations increase their prices whenever petrol prices go up.

 

Perhaps Smart and SPC can clarify their reasons for the increases as I do not recall any news about escalating CNG prices around the world.

 

CNG also UP

[Sabian]

CNG cartel in the making[:p]

[Gary84]

hmmm....did he ever take into considerations the time spent while stuck along the causeway?...Well tat's really deterring me from entering MY...

[Comfy]

oil and gas most of the time from the same rig ma... so sama parent.. u say will they sell more higher prices to earn more? while stock($$) last

[Nkps]

actually if i m the selling CNG, i will also increase the price, why not? cos singaporean only know how to complain and ended up LL still have to pump... i will make it like $1.8/KG of CNG, still cheaper than diesel and petrol, praying hard Mas Selamat will never get caught so the custom always jam, then bo bian SGrean have to pay and pay and suck thumb

[Comfy]

now only 2 resellers in sinking pork.. must ga ga wrack the price high high ma.. cause u LL also have to pay..

 

u got stress lobangking to deliver faster later in the day??

[Nkps]

bo bian one lar.... he say august august lor.... what can i say? looks like i die die have to go jaybee for CNG liao since singapore is selling it at 1.49/kg

[Comfy]

then wait till august we go jaybee disturb and pump cng lor.. makan and drink kopi there...

 

1.49/kg very high wor...

[Ccssgm]

Correct

[Adrianli]

I tink I read in the papers that the price of CNG is pegged to the price of petrol. So if petrol price goes up, so will CNG. Therefore CNG in SG is still the same.

 

But its a different story in MY.

[Application9999]

The 3/4 tank full rule will kick in for CNG tank..sooner or later...trust me...you think our MIW stupid meh..you are taking $ out from their pocket you know...just wait and see...it will come..hahaha

[Ccssgm]

CNG can travel More

[Ccssgm]

Hope So