Supermarket Fuel vs Premium Diesel

[Bailey 15]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

 

[Purrfecttune]

Some years ago when I bought a low mileage Ford Probe I alternated between standard petrol and premium and recorded the MPG on every fill up. I also filled up at different petrol stations.

After a year of doing this the pattern was:
Esso returned the lowest mpg
Shell returned the highest mpg
Sainsbury returned exactly the same as Shell
It made insignificant difference to mpg using premium or standard

Of course, everything could easily have changed now!

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

E10 or E5 is a petrol specification not Diesel the std diesel is B7 the number determining the % amount of bio fuel. ethanol in petrol FAME in diesel (fatty acid methyl ester ?)
For OP I use std Sainsburys diesel but add Millers eco additives. been concidering an alternative.

I use HYDRA DPB-100 Diesel Power Blast... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079GY9XQV?tag=mhf04-21 in my T6 and will continue to use it as an alternative to Millers. It seems to improve fuel consumption. Usually use BP, Esso, Gulf or Tesco fuel

 

[Brianmor]

Apply for a WEX fuel card, currently 12p a litre off now to the end of March and always around 4p a litre cheaper than posted price the only downside is that is tied into ESSO so you are limited in where you buy.

My wex card is only showing the normal 4p, where do you find the 12p discount

 

[Outdoors Dad]

'Premium' is a strange word when describing quality. When I drink 'premium' larger I perform to a lesser degree than normal larger

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[The Coops]

My wex card is only showing the normal 4p, where do you find the 12p discount

Got a text yesterday about the discount runs till 31st March

 

[U.Toadifact]

The Wex card is available only to businesses or fleet operators isn't it?

 

[Brianmor]

The Wex card is available only to businesses or fleet operators isn't it?

I got mine through CAMC, have a look on the wex site and try.

 

[The Coops]

The Wex card is available only to businesses or fleet operators isn't it?

No loads of people, Unions, Blue light , teachers. Civil Servants, blood bikers etc it just takes a bit of wading through to see if you qualify

 

[zen1th]

Just whack a bottle of Redex in the fuel tank every now and then?

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[Howard B]

Apply for a WEX fuel card, currently 12p a litre off now to the end of March and always around 4p a litre cheaper than posted price the only downside is that is tied into ESSO so you are limited in where you buy.

Using the WEX card brings the cost per litre lower than our local Costco.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

Hmmmm......

I spent most of my career dealing with fuels and fuel quality one way or another and your recovery guy is talking rubbish. Most people seem to have covered everything one way or another but suffice to say that I buy supermarket fuel but every now and again treat the car and the van to a tank of super fuel such as BP ultimate or Shell VPower as the extra detergents help keep the engine clean.

 

[Clive Mott]

Cheapest at Tesco around the corner athome

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I use the Petrolprices app, but will never go out of my way for cheaper fuel

 

[Scubagas]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

I've worked in main dealerships all my life and have seen the expensive damage supermarket diesel does to fuel systems. My customers don't like £4000 bils for new high pressure pump and a set of injectors.

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[yorkiebar]

The last 3 or 4 refills have been at Costco, so the premium stuff. If we're heading in the general direction of a Costco fuel station then we tend to make a small diversion to refill.

 

[Wheelnut]

Just whack a bottle of Redex in the fuel tank every now and then?

I do the same, used supermarket fuel for over 30 years car, motorcycle, and Motorhome never had a problem, never found premium made any difference, the only thing I would say don’t leave summer diesel over the winter. I gradually fill with winter diesel with cans over the winter

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I've worked in main dealerships all my life and have seen the expensive damage supermarket diesel does to fuel systems. My customers don't like £4000 bils for new high pressure pump and a set of injectors.

Got any real science to back that up? You do know that it all has to meet a strict standard and high-end chemical analysis shows no difference between the fuels except for a few additives dreamed up by the big oil marketing people...........

If supermarket fuel is crap as you allege then answer these questions:

1) Given that most fuel sold is via non franchised/brand outlets, then why are the roads of the UK and beyond not littered with broken down vehicles
2) Why aren't trading standards crawling all over the blenders and sellers of the fuel?
3) Why are there no reports in the press of class actions or even individual cases taken against the distributors for substandard fuel (apart from a couple of very isolated cases)
4) If the fuel is so crap then why is most of it from the same blendstock as branded fuel and often even from the same tankage
5) ALL fuels sold in UK and Europe is required by law to meet either EN 228 (gasoline) or EN 590 (diesel oil) and this standard is heavily tested by both the fuel and engine manufacturers using independent testing agencies such as SGS (my old employer) using real world fuel sampled at random from fuel stations in major programmes.

 

[Mark1965]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

Ultimate fuel only in our Swift Select 164 PVC. Been like that since new in 2022. It would have to be an emergency to use Supermarket stuff.

 

[Stoosal]

Got any real science to back that up? You do know that it all has to meet a strict standard and high-end chemical analysis shows no difference between the fuels except for a few additives dreamed up by the big oil marketing people...........

If supermarket fuel is crap as you allege then answer these questions:

1) Given that most fuel sold is via non franchised/brand outlets, then why are the roads of the UK and beyond not littered with broken down vehicles
2) Why aren't trading standards crawling all over the blenders and sellers of the fuel?
3) Why are there no reports in the press of class actions or even individual cases taken against the distributors for substandard fuel (apart from a couple of very isolated cases)
4) If the fuel is so crap then why is most of it from the same blendstock as branded fuel and often even from the same tankage
5) ALL fuels sold in UK and Europe is required by law to meet either EN 228 (gasoline) or EN 590 (diesel oil) and this standard is heavily tested by both the fuel and engine manufacturers using independent testing agencies such as SGS (my old employer) using real world fuel sampled at random from fuel stations in major programmes.

That’s saved me typing that lot out!

I think the lack of regular servicing at sensible mileage intervals with quality parts is probably more of an issue than fuel.

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[Landy Andy]

Hmmmm......

I spent most of my career dealing with fuels and fuel quality one way or another and your recovery guy is talking rubbish. Most people seem to have covered everything one way or another but suffice to say that I buy supermarket fuel but every now and again treat the car and the van to a tank of super fuel such as BP ultimate or Shell VPower as the extra detergents help keep the engine clean.

So you are saying that the premium fuels are better, but you choose to only “treat” your car now and again to the better fuel.

 

[Jerrywh]

I love motorhome fun to death but these supermarket fuel threads are such a waste of time. It turns out everyone has their secret formula: avoid like the plague .. driven a million miles with no problems .. recovery guy said avoid (!!) .. detergents... but NO DATA at all. Just opinion, and speculation, and this is what happened to my auntie.
Bottom line is that nobody is selling you diesel that doesn't work. I have run maybe 15 vehicles over the years on supermarket diesel with no problems at all.
If it worries you, try one of the magic redex lookalikes or similar. But only when Capricorn is in Virgo, or it won't work ;-)
"Real science" not often seen hereabouts!

 

[Jerrywh]

Ultimate fuel only in our Swift Select 164 PVC. Been like that since new in 2022. It would have to be an emergency to use Supermarket stuff.

Would love to know what you base that on. Not actual information, presumably.

 

[msb03]

Supermarket is fine for me, chuck half bottle of Redex or similar in the tank when filling up. Make sure I give it a good blast up the motorway every now and then and so far so good. Far too many urban myths about Supermarket fuel v " normal" fuel

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Supermarkets cheap - ha ha really.

If costco could sell premium for 20p a litre cheaper than supermarket ‘cheap’ stuff, then it says only one thing, supermarkets are ripping you off.

It's nearer 7p a litre now (at least in the Southampton branch). Costco aren't actually that cheap for food stuffs - they attract people by pretending to be a cash and carry, selling stuff in bulk and offering the opportunity to buy your monthly shop, a mature olive tree and a hang-glider under the same roof - but whenever I've wandered around checking prices against Tesco or Asda on their Apps, they win on price on a lot of products - and don't charge a membership fee. We buy fuel and the occasional rotisserie chicken from Costco. The chickens are definitely a loss-leader, I suspect their fuel is close to being another one.

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[roxburd]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

Ah, the old 'supermarket fuel is terrible' question...

My mate over the road only ever puts premium petrol in his motorcycle. Being tight, I only ever put Tesco petrol in mine. But I do treat it with Redex three or four times a year. I didn't know if it was helping at all or if I was wasting my time and money.

At the last MoT the tester commented on how clean my carbs were and how well the bike was running, for a 24-year-old bike, running on E10. He said every other bike he sees of that age is needing a carb refurb.

That's good enough for me. The bike is still running perfectly and I'll carry on using the Redex. I put it in both my bikes, my petrol car and my diesel MH too. Don't know if the benefits for a diesel motor are as good but I reckon it's worth the punt.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

So you are saying that the premium fuels are better, but you choose to only “treat” your car now and again to the better fuel.

Spot on......... That is correct but not the entire story of course. Not sure what you are implying or alluding to, but it makes sense to use a fuel with the extra detergents etc (e.g. VPower) every now and again to keep the engine in good order similar to the occasional fuel additive that some on here use. I freely admit that I am probably wasting my money as I know the science but like a lot of things it makes me feel better about it.

 

[Landy Andy]

Not sure what you are implying or alluding to

I’m not. I don’t think so anyway.

I’m just saying that, someone who has worked in the industry is saying that the premium stuff is better. Unlike some who don’t know, but claim there is no difference.

I understand that the premium stuff is not required, but if it is better, and available that is what I fill my tank with.

 

[iandsm]

Who only uses premium diesel rather than ordinary diesel?
Any difference do you think ?

Who don’t buy their fuel from supermarkets ?

Just a thought as recovery guy said he wouldn’t touch supermarkets fuel

When you spend lot of money on a vehicle why take a chance. I do find my vehicle run better on Shell or BP super fuels. My camper did ok on cheap French diesel for years bit there was a marked difference in performance and noise levels with the better fuels. You will find many who will say they have done fine on cheap fuels. I’d rather not take that chance for the sake of a few pounds. Why not try both. Cheap I supermarket stuff then three or four of superfuels. You may or may not notice a difference but I think you probably will.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I’m not. I don’t think so anyway.

I’m just saying that, someone who has worked in the industry is saying that the premium stuff is better. Unlike some who don’t know, but claim there is no difference.

I understand that the premium stuff is not required, but if it is better, and available that is what I fill my tank with.

It is usually a completely different blend. Shell Vpower for instance is a blend of traditional fuel and synthetic GTL (Gas to liquid) fuel. Not used it for a while but it is usually paler in colour and with a different odour. These fuels have higher octane/cetane numbers and are well suited for high performance vehicles which is their main market

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[Plynchy]

I’ve also spent a lot of time working at fuel distribution centres all over the country. The diesel comes from the same huge storage tanks, with different additives added at the point of loading into the road tankers. The same tanks service every brand in my experience.
Same for petrol.