Buying fuel - cheapest or local?

[bigwood]

The filling station at the end of our street are charging £1.19 for Diesel. Sainsburys are charging £1.09. We can get Nectar points from Sainsbury’s so it makes sense to use Sainsbury’s fuel whilst at home.
If we are away we use what ever is nearest unless we need to do some shopping then it makes sense to use Sainsbury’s.

 

[The Dotties]

@DuckDeluxe
Do you use premium or supermarket fuel, given your vocation.
(Serious question)

 

[ramsthom]

At the moment Esso diesel is cheaper around here if using the C&MC fuel pecker card.

 

[PeteH]

OK. I have posted this (or something like it) before:-

At Immingham refinery you can see the tankers loading, they use the same Hose for BP as they use for Asda (other suppliers are available!) With the best will in the world, I suggest that it would be unlikely that they would Pull back and flush the pipework between one Tanker and another?. Now I know, that there is a lot of pipework between tanks and filling point, having put a lot of time in on refineries, and as far as I am aware it is supplied direct, not a recirculation system, which would need twice as much pipework!.

It is more likely that base fuel is supplied and (any) "additives" injected into the system late in the supply, That is my theory BTW, not an acknowledged fact.

Diesel BTW, is currently 117.9p/litre at Morrisons Beverly at 11am this morning when I topped the Motorhome off on the way back from our first 3day Outing (5 van C-L with just two of us on. Social distance? about 150 feet!) since November Last Year!.

 

[stevewagner]

I support my local fuel station, as they tend to be cheaper than most.
But you cant beat the supermarkets for price, (even if the quality is not as good).

The one rule I have is to NEVER buy fuel on the motorways unless I'm desperate, the prices are borderline rip off.

Fleet Services on the M3 was £1.60/Litre back in March when some supermarkets were getting down close to £1/Litre
About a 50p additional markup X a typical 70 litre tank full is an additional mark up (over and above the normal profit) around £35 per vehicle filling up!

Not borderline - they are a rip off

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[DuxDeluxe]

@DuckDeluxe
Do you use premium or supermarket fuel, given your vocation.
(Serious question)

Serious answer......

I fill up wherever I fill up really.
most recently:

• van at Gulf garage on the way back from Dorset
• previous fill x2 was at the Esso garage Upton Warren as only a mile from storage but often find a supermarket with easy access
• Car Sainsgogs x 2
• previous fill was Shell VPower** because the car is diesel and I only do short journeys and VPower detergents help a bit. Still give it a motorway blast for half an hour every month or so to keep the DPF clean.

** Shell VPower looks whiter than normal diesel (All diesel matters ) and smells different as it is a semi synthetic fuel based on GTL reverse engineering from gas. As well as a higher cetane index it also has detergents as above. Chemically very different, unlike normal distillation process fuel which are all pretty well identical whoever refines it.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Usually supermarket fuel. The nearest one to me is a 200m detour from my normal car trip to work, and a 20m detour on my standard MH route from home to motorway. Even if a branded fuel were to give a better MPG it would have to do very well to also overcome added mileage to go to a branded station.

Even if I'm away and getting to the point I will need fuel I will be aware of pricing. I won't let the tank get so low I must fill up, so can bide my time looking for something with an average local price. I know out in the sticks there may be higher cost to get the fuel there, less turnover so higher staffing costs and such like, but realistically vehicle fuel is a low margin item - why else do garages stack their counters so high with all the snacks and other peripherals to tempt you. If it looks like I'm going to overpay I'll drive past till I have no choice and then I won't fill to the brim, only do a smaller top up.

Can't remember when I used motorway services. The mark up cannot be justified.

 

[The Dotties]

Serious answer......

I fill up wherever I fill up really.
most recently:

• van at Gulf garage on the way back from Dorset
• previous fill x2 was at the Esso garage Upton Warren as only a mile from storage but often find a supermarket with easy access
• Car Sainsgogs x 2
• previous fill was Shell VPower** because the car is diesel and I only do short journeys and VPower detergents help a bit. Still give it a motorway blast for half an hour every month or so to keep the DPF clean.

** Shell VPower looks whiter than normal diesel (All diesel matters ) and smells different as it is a semi synthetic fuel based on GTL reverse engineering from gas. As well as a higher cetane index it also has detergents as above. Chemically very different, unlike normal distillation process fuel which are all pretty well identical whoever refines it.

Thanks for that.
Good enough for you, going to be good enough for me.
Geofff

 

[Chris]

I hardly ever fill up at supermarkets because I can’t be arsed to queue.

i have a local BP place where I usually fill up but it’s more expensive than the supermarket pumps.

 

[pj650]

I drove a fuel tanker for the last 10 years until I retired in 2019 on the Morrisons Fuel contract. I only
delivered to Morrisons Supermarket forecourts, and I was based at a small BP terminal near Carlisle.
Fuel came in by rail every morning from BP ( now Ineos ) Grangemouth, so there was no old or stale fuel.
There was certainly no swapping of pipes from storage tanks. We all loaded out of the same storage tanks.
As pointed out previously the additive is put in automatically at the point of loading. Just before I retired, Morrisons were starting to sell a premium unleaded. ( not at all sites ). Tesco have sold it for years.
All fuel has to confirm to a certain standard. To say that all supermarket fuel is rubbish......well that’s rubbish.
I wasn’t employed by Morrisons, so I don’t have an agenda but I use supermarket fuel by choice for the motorhome and the car. I am not disputing anyone’s claims or findings but in all honesty, I can’t tell any difference in performance and fuel consumption between the big names and supermarket fuel. It isn’t just a “cost thing” although as an ex pat Yorkshireman I do like value for money. It’s all about choice.

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[rangi]

I use the local yokel, my thinking is use it or lose it.

Yes! , he is a few p over the likes of ASDA & Tesco per litre, and Yes! he is a moaning git, he never has any change, flash a note and his mantra is "no change no change!!" and say a cheery "Hello Good Morning" and all you seem to get from him is a grunt.

But HE! is our grunter!!

 

[gus-lopez]

, but realistically vehicle fuel is a low margin item - why else do garages stack their counters so high with all the snacks and other peripherals to tempt you. If it looks like I'm

& it can only be the fuel duty & vat that causes that. Here my local garage is selling diesel at 93c about 12 c less than on the autovias here & making a good living without havingto sell stuff with better margins..

 

[Ivory55]

Petrol seems to be gaining a penny a week around here. Now £1.08 to £1.09 a litre around here.

 

[PeteH]

As of this morning. Petrol was £0.49p/Litre.









In Texas!!.

 

[PeteH]

Grangemouth, so there was no old or stale fuel.

This is an issue with E5 and E10 rated fuels that they degrade in storage. I recently had real problems starting the Generator, it normally will fire up from cold with fewer that 5 pulls. But had been unused since last August. E-Mailed the supplier, who suggested that the fuel might be "stale". So I bled the old Fuel off, cleaned the filters and put fresh from the Petrol Station Petrol in. Fired up 2nd pull, from cold.

Checking the `tinternet, it would appear that this will only get worse as the percentage of Ethanol (E) is increased. It`s now a subject of "disscussion" amongst the Classic Car fraterinty, as many are "laid up" for the winter months. There are additives which can be added which will offset this but not cheap!.

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[pj650]

I have to admit that I left my Honda petrol generator from September to February and
I had to drain the carburettor, but after I had done that it started on 6th pull.

 

[PeteH]

I have to admit that I left my Honda petrol generator from September to February and
I had to drain the carburettor, but after I had done that it started on 6th pull.

I had the small Honda. Old style metal cased, but only 750W. It never failed to start first or second pull. I replaced it 2018 with a larger non Honda, which is a decent spec 2.2Kw etc at less than half the cost. The issue is FUEL not the Devices IMV. (Oh for some lead!) The "Powers that be", Never consider the "little guy" when pratting about with a system that is working. E10 is going to be OK for those who fill frequently. but for anyone who has infrequent use?, they are going to see issues IMV.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

& it can only be the fuel duty & vat that causes that. Here my local garage is selling diesel at 93c about 12 c less than on the autovias here & making a good living without havingto sell stuff with better margins..

Fuel duty, V.A.T. etc in the UK. is circa 70p a litre, so fuel is unlikely to ever be cheaper than that, unless H.M.G. lowers the tax take which is equally unlikely

 

[EuroTrotters]

I use local supermarkets, I run a lot of vehicles so saves a fortune.

the two local stations run by Asians I boycott. One because they took months to my bill for work we did, wouldn’t let me off with 2p I was short at the counter (cashier would not have know, but the boss was in the background). The other because they put hand sanitizer up from £1 to £4.50 during lockdown .

I also don’t like the fact the Asian owners and staff are racists.

many .people moan about the two local stations. But they still go in And shop.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I'm sure the self despising lot will be along soon to accuse you of racism, even though you clearly said you don't use them...

because they took months to my bill for work we did, wouldn’t let me off with 2p I was short at the counter (cashier would not have know, but the boss was in the background). The other because they put hand sanitizer up from £1 to £4.50 during lockdown .

And not because they are Asian. Just thought I'd make that even clearer

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[tacr2man]

I used to own an independent petrol station , and have at times changed brand , and also had fuel from different brands from same delivery tanker , and have seen additive put in the tank on delivery . A few years ago now , but i doubt if much has changed.

 

[Vipar]

Going to Scotland obviously use more fuel your going up hill come down South you can coast a lot of the way.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I'm sure the self despising lot will be along soon to accuse you of racism, even though you clearly said you don't use them...


And not because they are Asian. Just thought I'd make that even clearer

Asian community is very racist around these parts.

Some claim not to employ white people because they are “all lazy thieves”.

one garage was raided and found to be paying cash in hand to benefit fraudsters.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I used to own an independent petrol station , and have at times changed brand , and also had fuel from different brands from same delivery tanker , and have seen additive put in the tank on delivery . A few years ago now , but i doubt if much has changed.

They tend to fly blend it when finalising the blend at the batch stage nowadays. That is what caused the Tesco problem some years ago - someone mistakenly dosed about 6000 tonnes of gasoline with diesel anti foaming additive in Vopak Thurrock

 

[CamperJack]

I've only really put in TESCO petrol in my little i20. I collect the points and use the money off vouchers which is usually enough for a picnic lunch on a day out. It's not done it any harm in four years I have owned my car. Still chugging along, never misses a beat and still getting almost 50 mpg without trying. Perhaps I could get Hyundai's claimed 61 MPG if I went to Shell, but I very much doubt it.

I reckon most motion potion is more similar than not, and additives give very minor little real world differences. Just opinion, rather than fact, though.

Don't think I'll stop buying TESCO's go juice because I've never had a problem with it, it's cheap and I collect the points for a free lunch.

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[Northernraider]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

It comes out the same tanks as everywhere else. Grangemouth the only refinery in scotland ..mate has worked there since we left school ...theres 3 fuels diesel , unleaded and super unleaded , all goes in different tankers but all the same fuel ....and if any petrol stations claim theres is better they are full of it.

Certainly no additives left when it leaves the refinery and ive never seen petrol stations adding anything to their large forecourt tanks either.


Personally as I have a tesco and an asda within a mile of me I always use supermarkets for fuel ....and as ive done 18000 miles since December in my wee car it certainly does the job

 

[Podney]

It comes out the same tanks as everywhere else. Grangemouth the only refinery in scotland ..mate has worked there since we left school ...theres 3 fuels diesel , unleaded and super unleaded , all goes in different tankers but all the same fuel ....and if any petrol stations claim theres is better they are full of it.

Certainly no additives left when it leaves the refinery and ive never seen petrol stations adding anything to their large forecourt tanks either.


Personally as I have a tesco and an asda within a mile of me I always use supermarkets for fuel ....and as ive done 18000 miles since December in my wee car it certainly does the job

Well I always put that up on threads about fuel,it amuses me to see how much **** I stir up...........and how much popcorn gets used. Works every time! For me,it’s a bit like toilet threads and gassing threads (now there’s an idea,we haven’t had one of those for a while).

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I reckon most motion potion is more similar than not, and additives give very minor little real world differences. Just opinion, rather than fact, though.

It might be an opinion but you are in fact 100% correct

 

[SpeedyDux]

Having had a problem with lamda sensors fouling when running exclusively on supermarket 95 ron unleaded, nowadays I only put some Sainsbugs diesel in the MH once a year to use up the Nectar card balance.

Otherwise it's major brand premium diesel in the MH. The extra cost is not significant when you do low mileage.

I avoid refuelling if I see the delivery tanker. Think of all the cr&p being stirred up in the underground tanks. I bet some gets past the filters.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Asian community is very racist around these parts.

Some claim not to employ white people because they are “all lazy thieves”.

one garage was raided and found to be paying cash in hand to benefit fraudsters.

I went to my local Indian (Bangladeshi) restaurant last night. That’s run by nice Asians.

first time we have been out in 4 months

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