Diesel versus Central Heating oil

Savememoney

If as I understand it there is little or nearly no difference between Diesel & Central Heating Oil why has the price of heating oil recently come down yet Diesel has gone up.

eg just before christmas I bought heating oil at 68p per litre and just over a week a go I paid 58p per litre. Diesel has done nothing but go up since christmas, now £1.419 per litre last night.

I know there is differences in tax etc but surely they should have both been going up?

Anyone explain this or are oil companys or someone else profiteering?

bigblackdog

does this mean you can run your car on central heating oil?

worried_jim

bigblackdog wrote: »

does this mean you can run your car on central heating oil?

If it is an older style diesel engine pre 2000 then yes stick it in and it will run fine. Some will also run on on old engine oil, transmission fluid, paraffin or jet fuel, I hear the suspension fluid from Citroen Hydra system is good but will smoke an awful lot. All of the above will require duty to be paid on them and some of them are illegal but they certainly work. I prefer good old plan used cooking oil as there is no duty to be paid for the first 2500 litres, in fact I topped my tank up this morning for the pricely sum of sod all- happy motoring!

Ebe_Scrooge

bigblackdog wrote: »

does this mean you can run your car on central heating oil?

Yes, you can ( if you use the Diesel rather than Kerosene heating oil, although they are very similar ). This is why it's dyed red - they can pull you over, dip your car's fuel tank, if they find red diesel you're for the high jump, as there's far less tax on heating oil than road diesel. Someone in our village ( where everyone's on oil heating ) got done a couple of weeks ago.

Similar idea to farmers who get subsidised diesel for their machinery, it's also dyed red, but they're not allowed to put it in their road cars.

Savememoney

Not sure about that (Do a search on google) I would think its illegal anyway, bit like the general public using Red Diesel (As used by Farmers)

Kilty_2

Savememoney wrote: »

Not sure about that (Do a search on google) I would think its illegal anyway, bit like the general public using Red Diesel (As used by Farmers)

You can run diesel cars on vegetable oil legally though....

Inactive

" Can I run my vehicle on rebated heavy oil (red diesel)?

Only 'excepted vehicles' (Public Notice 75 - Appendix C) can use rebated heavy oil (red diesel) as fuel when used on the public road.

Using rebated heavy oil as road fuel in anything other than an 'excepted vehicle' may render that vehicle liable to seizure. Also, financial penalties may be imposed on the owner/driver of the vehicle. "

Kilty_2

Inactive wrote: »

" Can I run my vehicle on rebated heavy oil (red diesel)?

Only 'excepted vehicles' (Public Notice 75 - Appendix C) can use rebated heavy oil (red diesel) as fuel when used on the public road.

Using rebated heavy oil as road fuel in anything other than an 'excepted vehicle' may render that vehicle liable to seizure. Also, financial penalties may be imposed on the owner/driver of the vehicle. "

Yeah but heating oil isn't red diesel

Inactive

Kilty wrote: »

Yeah but heating oil isn't red diesel

True, but the outcome will be the same.

Don't mess with Customs And Excise..

Kilty_2

inactive wrote: »

don't mess with customs and excise.. :d

Damn right.

:T:T:T:T

almillar

Legally - no.
Technically - not on newish cars. Newer diesel engines are far less tolerant. They've got more power and efficiency because they inject the diesel at a higher pressure and with far more control. This is possible because of better engine components, but also because road diesel has been standarised and has got a lot better. Either type of home heating oil will at least surely cause knocking in your car even if it does run, and will shorten the life of components, void your warranty, won't contain any of the nice cleaning agents etc etc. If you have an old diesel it's more technically possible, but just because you get through a tankful no problem doesn't mean you're not shortening the life of some bits...