Calor - LPG Gas Bottles

It was in 1934 that Englishman Ritchie Gill, upon returning home from the USA, realised there was an opportunity to bring a product he had seen being used in the States to the UK; LPG, or Liquid Petroleum Gas. So, in 1935 Mr Gill set up the Modern Gas and Equipment Co. Ltd introducing the name 'Calor Gas', derived from the Latin for heat.

Mr Gill used the Calor gas brand for his innovative ideas of supplying gas to operate technologies that had previously be run differently such as castle lighting, hot spray painting at Liverpool Street Station in London, mobile coffe shops, and even Calor powered road signs. By 1939 it was reported that Calor Gas had 40,000 satisfied users and over 500 service and supply depots.

in the 1940's bottled Calor Gas helped hugely in the war effort by providing a safe and practical method of transporting gas to be used for cooking, lighting, mobile power, and sterilisation systems for field hospitals to treat the wounded. Back at home they used there manufacturing skills to help design and develop equipment along with speciailty fuels for the war effort. After the war, Calor Gas launched a road fleet for the distribution of bottles in 1947 replacing the restrictive rail network coverage this now gave them the ability to deliver anywhere in the UK.

Until 1955 Calor used Butane as its main source of LPG, this all changed when Calor decided to branch into commercial supply where Porpane was considered to be more appropriate. The 1960's would see Calor go through tremendous growth and in the 1970's Calor would launch a gas appliance that would become there best selling product of all time - the portable heater. Despite recession Calor continued to prosper and in 1976 opened its own gas storage facility at Felixstow, now the largest in Euopre.

The 1980's saw Calor open sales to high street shops so that consumers could simply purchase portable gas canisters from their local dealer. In 1988 SHV Energy, a Dutch company acquired 40% of Calor shares and the business began to innovate and working with the Woodland trust to be the go to fuel choice for rural settings. In 2022 Calor celebrated its 85 year with sights firmly set on continuing a robust supply of LPG, Butane and Propane, whilst also innovating into 'clean-fuels'.