Filled up the tank this afternoon after not driving the car for a couple of weeks and realised during the filling process that the price difference between bog standard unleaded and Nitro+ was 13p a litre. I am sure the gap was never that large, or am I mistaken? Is this price difference the same across the UK, or are we being ripped off in the south?

 

I remember when they first launched v power (called optimax back then) it was 4p a little more than 95ron. It's 10p more at our local shell.

 

Yeah, it's a big jump. I prefer to use it because I know some of the people who work refining it and I know how genuinely good it is for your engine long-term, but the price gap is mad. Think it's about 9-10p per litre more than Shell FuelSave unleaded at my local.

EDIT: I live in South East Wales.

 

The thing that gets me is they never advertise the price of premium fuel on the roadside fuel boards. I guess that's how they get away with charging 10-13p more for it as most people don't even realise!

 

BPs 97RON is 20p more expensive than regular unleaded. Tesco works out the best usually well under 10p

 

That's why I only use Shell if I have to and often only 5L, the manager once cockily said "that won't get you far in that" I replied "it will get me to Tesco"

 

I have Shell drivers club card
gets me few pennies back

 

I used to work with a commercial lawyer who was responsible for a number of petrol firm contracts in the UK. I was told that all fuel in the UK is centrally piped up the identical pipe network, all fuel. Ie BP, shell, texaco, etc. (that includes petrol and diesel. A flushing agent is sent through between the diesel distribution and the petrol distribution). The only difference is the additives that the fuel companies respectively add, ie shell adds their special mixes, BP theirs and so on. But the base fuel is identical.

I don't know how true this is as I never investigated the comments but I found it intriguing at face value and it made me think about the different brands in a new way.

 

Without posting up where I saw the information yes it's true and rather disturbing after recent events, I'm sure security has been stepped up though.

 

Take a visit to Seal Sands near Middlesbrough. IIRC there's an overt police patrol - presumably armed - every three minutes in the area. And I suspect covert assets in operation too.

It has been that way for some time.