DRIVERS could be forced to pay up to 20p more per litre of petrol if their cars aren’t compatible with the new E10 fuel, according to AA.
E10 fuel will become the standard petrol available at garages across the UK from September 1 – but some cars can’t use it.
Most cars will be able to run on E10 petrol, but around 600,000 older vehicles are not compatible with the new fuel.
That means that they will have to continue using E5 petrol – which will become the super unleaded option.
The Department for Transport said E5 will still be provided at “most” UK forecourts.
However, super unleaded petrol is more expensive than standard fuel – and how much you pay depends on where you fill up.
According to research by the AA, the average price of standard petrol was 135.4p per litre last week, while super unleaded was 145.5p.
But the price of super unleaded varies more across the country too, meaning you could pay as little as 140p per litre or as much as 160p.
This means filling up a typical 55 litre tank could jump from £74.47 to £90.15 – a £15.68 overnight rise, the AA said.
Super unleaded has an 8.7p per litre average difference in price depending on which part of the country you live in.
In comparison, there is a 4.4p variation and 5.1p difference for petrol and diesal respectively.
AA fuel price spokesperson Luke Bosdet said: “The big challenge for those hundreds of thousands of car owners with cars that can’t use E10 petrol is where to find super unleaded at its cheapest.
“Most roadside price boards show pump prices for regular unleaded and diesel prices only and that means affected car owners having to take pot luck each time they refuel.”
“With super unleaded on average already 10p a litre dearer than ordinary petrol, ending up on a motorway forecourt in just over 10 days’ time could raise the litre cost for those drivers from the current 135.4p UK average for regular unleaded to 163.9p for super unleaded.
“That pumps up the cost of filling a typical 55 litre tank from £74.47 to £90.15.”
How to check if your car is compatible
Vehicles manufactured from 2019 onwards should have a label close to the petrol filler cap clearly marked E10 and E5 showing the fuel that can be used.
You can check if your car is compatible with the fuel by visiting the government’s official website.
To check your vehicle’s compatibility you will need to provide information on its manufacturer.
For example, Ford has said that all models sold in Europe since 1992 can use E10, with one exception: the Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCI from 2003 to 2007.
If you’re not sure which model you have you can find it in your vehicle’s log book.
You will then be shown a list of which models can run on E10 and which can’t.
The change is limited to petrol – drivers who have diesel cars won’t be affected.
Source: The Sun
