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If you plan on using red diesel (gas oil), you need to ensure you’re aware of the rules around its usage. The regulations are strict, so before you go ahead and use the fuel, it’s always a good idea to double check your individual usage with HMRC or Speedy Fuels.
Below is our easy to understand guide to using red diesel to help make things a little clearer. If you’d still like to speak with one of our team about using gas oil, please call us now on 0330 123 3773.
Red diesel (also known as gas oil, tractor diesel, cherry red, generator diesel and agricultural diesel) is a low-tax and therefore low-cost fuel that is widely used to operate registered off-road vehicles and machinery. It can also be used to heat homes, however industrial heating oil is a much more efficient and cost-effective alternative.
Yes, red diesel is known by a number of other names such as gas oil, agricultural diesel, 35 seconds, cherry juice, tractor diesel, digger fuel, generator diesel and marine diesel.
Yes – as its name suggests, gas oil contains a red dye with chemical markers in accordance with Customs and Excise requirements to enable HMRC or police officers to identify and quickly prosecute illegal usage. Upon testing, they must locate a marker dye or use dip testing.
While you can technically remove the red dye from gas oil, it’s actually illegal to do so – and traces of the dye will remain in the engine. The process to remove the red dye from the fuel is called fuel laundering and if found illegally doing so, you can end up with a prison sentence. It’s not worth the risk!
No, you don’t need a licence to purchase red diesel, however, you must sign an RDCO form upon purchase. You must only buy gas oil from a company who is HMRC registered. Read more about this here.
No, red diesel isn’t completely exempt from tax. However, it is a heavily rebated fuel, so the tax charged is much less than on other fuels such as white diesel.
Red diesel fuel is no different than regular white diesel; it has the same properties so it can power all diesel-powered engines. However, if you use red diesel in a road vehicle on public roads, it’s considered tax evasion and you will be breaking the law.
An exception to this is for farmers. They can travel up to 1.5km using red diesel in a car to access land on the public highway.
No, red diesel is exactly the same fuel as road diesel, except for the red dye added to it. All diesel-powered engines can use red diesel, although you will be breaking the law if you use it in road-going vehicles.
Whether you can run your boiler on red diesel depends on the model of your furnace. If your boiler is vertically conventionally fluid then you should be able to use the fuel to heat your home. However, this is a more expensive option than heating oil.
Since 2012, agricultural vehicles (tractors, light agricultural vehicles and agricultural material handlers) can use red diesel on public roads to grit small roads in order to ensure safe travel for local communities.
You can use red diesel in a car on a farm, so long as it’s intended solely for off-road, farm-related use. You must not drive the car on the public roads if it’s powered on red diesel.
The rules on red diesel are quite broad and depend entirely on what you’re using it for. Here we give you a breakdown of the latest rules regarding red diesel usage.
Yes, Speedy Flame is a red diesel alternative that’s intended for heating applications only. That’s because the heating oil is a zero VAT fuel.
Red diesel is a rebated fuel, which means it’s cheaper than road diesel (white diesel) as it has a significantly lower fuel tax levy required.
As red diesel is legal for use in the agricultural, marine and construction industries, this makes it the perfect fuel to power vehicles in industries that need low-cost fuel for work purposes.
Yes, the red dye is added to enable red diesel to be easily traceable for illegal use by police officers or HMRC.
If you have put red diesel in a road vehicle by accident, then you should drain your tank off all the fuel as soon as you can. If you are unable to do this, then you should contact HMRC immediately and follow their instructions.
You can use red diesel as long as you are using it exclusively for farming, horticultural or forestry work. The automobile must also be listed for agriculture use.
There isn’t a fixed fine, but if you’re found using it illegally, the HMRC will charge you for the restoration of your vehicle’s system to clean your tank and filters to remove the marker dye. You will be charged a fee for its removal. Your car can be detained, or you can even be back charged for the difference in cost between red diesel and road diesel over the time you’ve been using it.
Yes, red diesel is commonly used for heating applications. However, our Speedy Flame Industrial Heating Oil will save you money when you switch from red diesel (gas oil) to our industrial heating oil (IHO).
Red diesel is a popular fuel for use in backup generators as it’s a cost-effective way to provide power to a critical system.
When the temperature drops, diesel fuel gelling can occur as it contains wax paraffins which usually improve fuel lubrication and viscosity. When it gets too cold, paraffin wax thickens and turns cloudy which can eventually clog filters and cause the fuel to no longer flow, rending your fuel inoperable. Learn more about red diesel and seasonality in our article.
No, it is unlawful to transport two diesel cisterns that are equally able to be joined to the diesel engine.
Leaving red diesel in a tank when it’s no longer in use can pose environmental hazards if left for a long period of time. However, removing it from your tank is highly dangerous if not done correctly. Speedy Fuels can come to your site and uplift any unwanted gas oil and potentially provide payment if it’s able to be recycled.
Speedy Fuels supplies businesses with red diesel across the country. Thanks to our widespread fuel depots and large number of tankers, 92% of our deliveries are made on the very next day.
Here at Speedy Fuels, we’re a family run business supplying red diesel to the building and farming industry. So if you’re looking for a consistent and expert company to cover your red diesel requirements, make certain we’re your main port of call. We provide competitive red diesel prices and nationwide deliveries to ensure you can keep your business running all year round.
If you would like to know a little more about using or buying red diesel then please give us a call now on 0330 123 3773.
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