Latest News: Automotive Air Conditioning R134A Price Rise

AUTOMOTIVE AIR CONDITIONING - R134A PRICE RISE SHOCK

Carbon Tax has hit the automotive industry real hard --- Read More

South Australian retail automotive businesses have started to see the impacts of the Federal Government’s Carbon Tax with vehicle refrigerant gas (R134a) prices to increase by more than 62 percent from 1st July 2012 according to the Federal Government’s fact sheet on calculating the Carbon Tax.

Members of the Motor Trade Association of South Australia use an average of 600 to 800 grams of refrigerant when re-gassing a vehicle’s air conditioning system. The Carbon Tax will result in an increase of about $18 - $24 per service for the refrigerant.

“It is even worse for the farming community, with increases likely to be much more due to the extra volume of gas needed in farm machinery air conditioning,” MTA Chief Executive Officer John Chapman said.

“And that sector certainly will be unlikely to get any cost offsets or Government rebates.”

Mr Chapman said that the refrigerant gas example is only the tip of the Carbon Tax iceberg for businesses and consumers.

“The $23 per tonne Carbon Tax will have a considerable impact on the automotive industry, and businesses will have no option but to pass on these price increases to consumers where they can,” Mr Chapman said.

Don’t waste precious R134a -- Read More

VASA is urging its members to conserve R134a, as rumours mount about price increases

Depending on which website you visit, there are warnings of price increases of 10% to 35% in coming months

The VASA board was told recently of one buyer of R134a for medical uses who was hit with a major price increase of more than 20%

VASA members can be better prepared for possible major price increases by being more careful about the handling and storage of R134a

VFF calls on ACCC to investigate refrigerant price hikes

VFF calls on ACCC to investigate refrigerant price hikes -- Read More

The Victorian Farmers Federation has called on Australia’s competition watchdog to investigate massive

price hikes in the cost of refrigerants, vital to agriculture and food processors.

One of Australia’s largest refrigerant servicing companies, Heatcraft, has told customers the price of the

most common refrigerant, R134a, will rise from $65.72 to $181.82 on July 9. The prices of other

refrigerants are also set to rise two to three fold. (See price list below)

“We want the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate these price hikes,” VFF

President Peter Tuohey said. “How are they justified?”

“Our dairy farmers, horticulture producers, abattoirs and Australia’s struggling food processors can’t

afford further price hikes in the cost of running their businesses.”

One of Australia’s largest refrigerant importers, A-Gas, has blamed the Federal Government’s

introduction of a special import levy on refrigerants, due to their impact as greenhouse gases.

When contacted by the VFF A-Gas stated the “majority” of the increase was due to the government’s

carbon levy on imports.