Premium fuel. Is it worth it?
The price of fuel has been a hot topic over the past year or so, reaching record highs in 2022. The average cost per litre of petrol across the UK was about 191.53 and diesel even higher at 199.05. As we creep steadily into 2023 the prices are starting to recover, but it’s fair to say we’re all still feeling the moral sting of inflation as well as the increasing pressure it puts on our pockets.
With that being said, there is still a proportion of people in the UK that opt for the more expensive premium fuel to gas the tank… The price gap can be considerable, and can be as much as a 20p difference per litre! So if your vehicle is particularly thirsty, your receipt isn’t going to be pretty.
Opting for premium fuel could be for a number of reasons. If you’re a high earner, why not? You might be someone who really prioritises the health of their vehicle, especially if you have a particularly high performance car. But ultimately, is it a personal preference, or is premium fuel genuinely worth it?
Let’s explore…
What makes it ‘premium’?
So what is premium fuel? Well, if we’re talking about petrol specifically, it’s fuel that has a higher RON, which stands for Research Octane Number. Diesel has a ‘super’ equivalent, the chemicals are just different in order to get the engine working. Regular petrol, or ‘unleaded’ or ‘E10’ as we might more commonly call it can be found at most petrol stations and is what most of us will use day to day. On the pump you will probably have noticed there is a ‘super unleaded’ hose, and this has more concentrated levels of octane. The octane rating for standard fuel is about 91. Premium on the other hand is about 98/99.
Why is a higher RON better?
Well, this is up for debate. The companies that produce premium fuels, unsurprisingly, insist on the benefits of using it. The main argument is that it’s essentially cleaner. Higher octane fuels are understood to remove dirt from your car’s engine and as a result run smoother. However this will entirely depend on what car you’re filling up. Some cars will run more efficiently on a higher quality fuel, whereas others are perfectly fine with regular. A high performance car is likely to drive to its optimum capabilities if you fill it with premium fuel. Some manufacturers will insist you only use super fuels to maintain the health of the engine and ensure you get an impeccable driving experience. However, none of that is proven. The only thing you can be sure about, is that the bill will be considerably higher than using regular unleaded.
What would happen if I put premium fuel in a standard car?
Nothing. To be truthful, you most likely won’t notice any difference. But saying that, you may choose to invest in premium petrol so that your engine is really clean. This could be good to flush out any sedimentary deposits that build up over time and high mileage. But really, unless you’ve got the money to spare, our recommendation is to use regular. It’s not necessarily worth the extra cost. But we’ll leave that one up to you.
At Trott rentals we will provide a full tank of fuel on every vehicle hire. We just ask that you return it full so it’s ready for the next customer. If you don’t have time to refuel, no problem. We can always bill you for the fuel you used on your return however this will result in a charge per litre in excess of the pump price to compensate our time for doing so. Looking to hire a van? Get a quote and live availability today.
