Anyone who decides to buy a natural gas vehicle within the next twelve months can continue to benefit from the subsidy programme of Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG). Since March last year, environmentally conscious drivers have not only been able to fill up with natural gas at Markus Mederer's Aral filling station at Marburger Strasse 229 in Giessen, but also take advantage of the SWG subsidy programme. To mark the opening of the first natural gas filling station in Giessen, SWG presented a one-year subsidy programme - until 31 March 2005. Anyone who opts for this special offer will pay only half the price of natural gas as a fuel for one year. Shortly before the end of the subsidy programme, the municipal utilities are extending the subsidy for a further year until 31 March 2006. The municipal utilities are offering this benefit to all natural gas vehicles designed by the factory and registered in the district of Giessen or the Lahn-Dill district by 31 March 2006. At the current price of 0.69 cents per kilogramme (Ct/kg), subsidised vehicles only pay around 0.34 Ct/kg. To qualify for the discount as a natural gas driver, SWG simply requires a copy of the vehicle licence after registration. So far, 29 proud owners of natural gas-powered vehicles have already taken advantage of the subsidy from the Giessen-based energy and water supplier. The waste management department of the district of Giessen has also been focussing on environmentally friendly and cost-effective transport since the end of last year. In the meantime, a taxi company and a bakery have also started to switch to natural gas vehicles and have the first vehicles in use. Due to the positive response to the use of the subsidy programme, SWG feels vindicated in continuing to support the trend. Natural gas vehicles are also becoming increasingly important for car dealers and manufacturers, and interested parties can find out more about natural gas vehicles and the subsidy programme from the energy advisors at the infoZentrum on the market square. The infoCentre is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm.
18.02.2005