Petrol - Supermarket vs. Branded

Crabman

:wave:

Does it make a difference if, say Esso is selling at 92.9 and Tesco & Sainsbury's are selling at 92.9 as well, if I fill up at Esso.

I mean does Esso/Shell give better mileage or is this a myth? Not forgetting of course the Clubcard/Nectar points available are almost 1p off per litre.

Do the premium brands have much extra to the supermarket fuels... is there a difference? Or are they all the same blend??

Hope you can help a confused crab :beer:

Crabster

Tallymanjohn

I've seen tankers coming out of Hemel with Esso, BP, Tesco etc. on the sides - it's all the same stuff barring the different grades so just go for the cheapest.

Astaroth

Whilst Tesco dont own any refineries that doesnt mean that all petrol coming out of a single supplier is identical.... Tesco Value baked beans are made in the same factory as heinz baked beans but I doubt many people think that they are identical. However, even though they carry different brands doesnt mean that they are necessarily different either.

Unless you do a stupid amount of mileage then I doubt and fuel efficiencies are going to outweigh price per ltr - and if you do do a stupid amount of mileage then you should be claiming it against the company making you do so

MissBehaving

I have a company car which does about 700 miles a week. My main decision on whether to use Supermarkets or Esso etc, is the price. If the supermarkets are 1p more expensive, i would still use them so that I can get my points.
I have never noticed a difference on my cars performance... but then i am a girl!!!!!!!!:p

GabbaGabbaHey

Tallymanjohn wrote:

I've seen tankers coming out of Hemel with Esso, BP, Tesco etc. on the sides - it's all the same stuff barring the different grades so just go for the cheapest.

Not true. The basic petrol coming from the refinery will be the same (apart from Shell Optimax), but what differentiates them is the additives package which the petrol company adds in the tanker. The major brands add better quality detergents and other additives than the supermarket brands.

(Sometime, if a major brand has an oversupply, they may sell it to a supermarket, so you could get Shell or Esso petrol/additives from a Tesco pump, but it would be a matter of pure luck).

Wig

I've run on Tesco fuel for the majority of my driving life, can't say I've noticed any difference in performance, or longevity of engine (additives). It may not be exactly the same stuff but it does exactly the same job and does it just as good.

If there is any difference in mileage this can be put down to the supermarkets adjusting thier pumps to deliver close to the legal tolerance allowed, i.e. 0.95 litres instead of 1 litre (figures for illustrative purposes only). But I never pick up on any change in mileage.

If they are both the same price then the clubcard points will make the supermarket brand cheaper.

Cumbrian_Male

GabbaGabbaHey wrote:

Not true. The basic petrol coming from the refinery will be the same (apart from Shell Optimax), but what differentiates them is the additives package which the petrol company adds in the tanker. The major brands add better quality detergents and other additives than the supermarket brands.

Yep what he says.

Optimax/BP Ultimate are 98 octane or Premium unleaded as opposed to 95 octane Super unleaded. Tesco Premium is a 99 octane unleaded. Unless you drive a supercar, or sports car that needs it, or have a knock sensor that can advance the timing to compensate for the better fuel then it would just be a waste of money getting the Premium stuff.

romario_2

I have an 11 year old 3 series bmw, it definatly runs better when i full it up with Shell, than with Adsa/Tesco (all 3 local and usaually about the same price. No difference in MPG though.

gazhawkins

For what its worth, the "Honest John" Saturday Telegraph motoring column suggests that Shell petrol and BP Diesel are the best bet (https://www.honestjohn.co.uk).

Judging by the whiff of chipfat that I often detect on the M1 these days, I reckon a number of diesel drivers are doing just fine on Supermarket vegetable oil.

Crabman

gazhawkins wrote:

For what its worth, the "Honest John" Saturday Telegraph motoring column suggests that Shell petrol and BP Diesel are the best bet (https://www.honestjohn.co.uk).

Judging by the whiff of chipfat that I often detect on the M1 these days, I reckon a number of diesel drivers are doing just fine on Supermarket vegetable oil.

So there is a difference :think:

Wig

Crabman wrote:

So there is a difference :think:

No, there's not, only in mind is there a difference for some people IMO