When it comes to LPG, we think New Zealanders deserve the facts

At Rockgas, we’ve been quietly and reliably delivering LPG to New Zealand homes and businesses since 1934.

We don’t plan on stopping that any time soon – but to read recent stories in the news you could be forgiven for thinking that LPG is on the way out. Not true! Headlines that talk about a “gas shortage” or that New Zealand needs to “get off gas” don’t quite give the whole picture.

So what’s really happening?

The important thing to know is that New Zealand homes and businesses use two kinds of gas.

The first is natural gas. It’s found in deposits under the ground or sea and brought to the surface to refine and distribute. In New Zealand, natural gas is mainly found in Taranaki. It is piped around the North Island then directly to homes and businesses - with the majority of use coming from large industrial users.

Natural gas is also used in large-scale electricity generation, which is why it can be in high demand if hydroelectric and other renewables run short in winter.

Natural gas is currently  facing supply pressures and the government is supporting some businesses to move away from it. (Natural gas supplies will also be helped by the recently announced Liquified Natural Gas or LNG terminal once it’s built.)

LPG – or Liquified Petroleum Gas – is what Rockgas delivers to homes and businesses around New Zealand. It’s usually delivered in big 45kg cylinders which are then connected to fittings outside your house. We also sell LPG in 9kg bottles for the classic Kiwi barbecue.

While natural gas supply in New Zealand is becoming more constrained, LPG is sourced from a well-supplied global market, and that is expected to continue.

Rethinking gas? Get the facts.

Changing your home or business’s energy supply can be expensive and disruptive, so it’s important that you have the facts before deciding. That’s why we created this website, and why we’re advertising to let Kiwi home and business owners know that it exists.

Want to know more about LPG? Have a look at the rest of the information on this website.