Buying fuel - cheapest or local?

[Barclaybasher]

Whenever I am driving (van or car) I try and buy from the smaller fuel stations, hardly ever from supermarkets.

I might pay more but I think we have lost too many especially in remote areas.

 

[glenn2926]

I know what you mean re losing the small Independant stations but I tend to just use the next one I come to when I need some.

 

[Richard n Ann]

We always use supermarkets, Asda or Tesco (for the tunnel points )

 

[Puddleduck]

Not a lot of choice here - nothing is really local and definitely nothing cheap. The supermarket fuel is always a few pennies a litre more expensive that the next nearest supermarket fuel station.

Once upon a time we had three independent fuel stations, two have since closed and I don't know how the other keeps going, unless it has a lot of business customers.

 

[Podney]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

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[chatteris]

always use big brand usually BP, shell or esso if i am getting low

 

[Figaro]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

Can elaborate and identify your source ?

 

[TinaLes]

8 Pence a litre dearer round our way to buy fuel from our local Esso, Texaco, BP garages over and above Sainsburys, or Tesco (I dont buy Tesco though, you will all remember why)
So 90ltrs x 0.8P = £7.20 on a refill, thats worth considering, especially as our local Sainsburys is next to the M3, gives reward points, and in the past we have had a further 8p a litre off with discount vouchers, so double discount to £14.40, now that would surely sway most of us, wouldnt it?
Have never heard of any negative reviews on Sainsburys Fuel quality, but I guess others will say all supermarkets get their fuel from the same depots, who knows.
LES

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

Please explain why you have made this unsubstantiated statement & enlighten us all.

 

[JJ]

I drive along until my fuel gauge says I'm running low and then I pull into the next fuel station and fill up... sometimes it's a supermarket and sometimes it isn't.


JJ

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[Two on Tour]

We are lucky in our village, as we have a garage on the edge of our village that sits on the A14 and has prices usually a penny or so cheaper than supermarkets in the next town.

 

[Ivory55]

Car is usually a supermarket when shopping or traveling to work. Van as when we need it on our travels . Work they like you to use key fuels or route so you pass one as it’s usually cheaper.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

There was a programme on TV, re supermarket fuel. Its all made by the same refinery and comes out of the same tank. The issues with some supermarket fuels is that the tanks ate not looked after properly, that's where some contamination gets in.

 

[Lenny HB]

I don't use small independents as the tanks aren't replaced on a life cycle like the big boys. Much higher risk of getting a tank of dirty fuel if their tanks are low.

 

[LesW]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

Did you read that on facebook?

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[Brains]

Please explain why you have made this unsubstantiated statement & enlighten us all.

There is some truth in this.

Supermarket fuel tends to be 'City' Diesel, which is marginally less polluting and has a marginally lower calorific value, which means you get marginally less MPG.

I used to have a Land Rover Defender, and I regularly drive the 300 miles between London (loaded with City Diesel) and Cornwall where I'd load with Rural diesel for the return.

I'd typically get about 40 more miles to the 75L tank with Rural diesel than I would with City diesel, also the Landy ran noticeably better on the rural diesel.

Nowadays, I drive the 300 miles back and forth in my Mercedes Sprinter based Hymer, and you cant really tell the difference.

 

[Crazylegs]

Please explain why you have made this unsubstantiated statement & enlighten us all.

I recall reading a long post on this subject, finally answered by a tanker driver.
All the fuel pretty much comes from the same storage facility the difference being that the big brands get some additives from a separate source that improve the quality of the fuel.

 

[Crazylegs]

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Never buy supermarket fuel. It’s rubbish.

and your scientific evidence for that? Please consider both your answer and your scientific reasons for thus saying.

I keenly await your reply........

P.S. About 40 years experience in the fuel transport, blending, quality and monitoring with the largest fuel verification company in the world........I won’t hold my breath.

 

[Brains]

Whenever I am driving (van or car) I try and buy from the smaller fuel stations, hardly ever from supermarkets.

I might pay more but I think we have lost too many especially in remote areas.

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!

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[DuxDeluxe]

I recall reading a long post on this subject, finally answered by a tanker driver.
All the fuel pretty much comes from the same storage facility the difference being that the big brands get some additives from a separate source that improve the quality of the fuel.

Yep, it is all from the same storage. The additives that branded fuel have are usually those determined by the marketing people in a few parts per million to try and boost sales. The superfuels such as VPower are really good, though

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Supermarket fuel tends to be 'City' Diesel, which is marginally less polluting and has a marginally lower calorific value, which means you get marginally less MPG.

No, sorry.... same stuff as everyone else

 

[Brains]

No, sorry.... same stuff as everyone else

Just saying that the Landy gave an extra 40 miles to the tank when loaded with Rural diesel (Just checked, it's a BP garage) versus diesel loaded at Sainsburys London

See the message #18 'each retailer can add their own additives ...' which I suspect may have something to do with it.

 

[The general]

Can elaborate and identify your source ?

My injection pump off transit and , a guy I know and trust who runs a diesel pumps refurbishment company , they call it ‘ city’ diesel

 

[Ivory55]

Just saying that the Landy gave an extra 40 miles to the tank when loaded with Rural diesel (Just checked, it's a BP garage) versus diesel loaded at Sainsburys London

See the message #18 'each retailer can add their own additives ...' which I suspect may have something to do with it.

Is rural diesel the new slang/code for red ? Haha

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[addoaddo]

Difference in driving to and from London could easily be down to wind. A SW wind is the most common so if there the a 10 miles an hour wind it would make the effective speed to air resistance 80 miles and hour to Cornwall and 60 miles and hour on the return which makes a massive difference. I used to commute 40 miles each way along the M4 and always got better fuel consumption on the eastern journey

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Just saying that the Landy gave an extra 40 miles to the tank when loaded with Rural diesel (Just checked, it's a BP garage) versus diesel loaded at Sainsburys London

See the message #18 'each retailer can add their own additives ...' which I suspect may have something to do with it.

Yes, I know - suggest you read my post as well. If you were getting an extra 40 miles to a tank then the fuel sellers would be shouting about it. Those additives are in low parts per million. Have sat in a lab whilst someone is analysing the stuff enough times......

 

[Barclaybasher]

Difference in driving to and from London could easily be down to wind. A SW wind is the most common so if there the a 10 miles an hour wind it would make the effective speed to air resistance 80 miles and hour to Cornwall and 60 miles and hour on the return which makes a massive difference. I used to commute 40 miles each way along the M4 and always got better fuel consumption on the eastern journey

Makes even more sense with a Landrover...

 

[buttons]

Yes, I know - suggest you read my post as well. If you were getting an extra 40 miles to a tank then the fuel sellers would be shouting about it. Those additives are in low parts per million. Have sat in a lab whilst someone is analysing the stuff enough times......

Any extra miles most likely cause being the Hawthorne effect.

 

[MichaelT]

I nearly always buy supermarket fuel both here and abroad, wife always uses ASDA in the car. However when in France I did notice that Total fuels always gave more MPG and felt like better performance so if the price is within a few cents i buy Total but if not just supermarkets and for truck engines we have I dont see any issue.

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