E10 Petrol is now quickly making its way to our fuel pumps and soon all regular unleaded pumps will change to E10. However most premium petrols will stay as E5 for at least the next 5 years. E5 currently contains 5% of renewable Ethanol and E10 will contain 10%.

If your car was made before 2011 it is likely that your car will not be compatible with E10 petrol, But why? Ethanol is a solvent and causes degradation to rubber and plastic components which could lead to leaks in your cars fuel system and poor engine performance. If you are unsure whether your car is compatible with E10 petrol you can check here on the government website. If your vehicle is not compatible with E10 petrol it is strongly recommend that you continue to use E5 petrol, although you may have to cough up more at the pumps. If you accidentally put E10 petrol in your car don’t panic! This is likely not to cause any damage as long as you continue to fill up with E5 petrol thereafter.

If your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol, there’s no reason you can’t mix the 2 grades of petrol (E5 97+ and E10 95+). It’s perfectly safe to mix them in the same tank or fill up with E5 if E10 is not available.

Some other petrol-powered equipment may not be compatible with E10 petrol including; boats, petrol-powered garden equipment or machinery, such as lawnmowers and chainsaws. It is recommended that owners and operators check their owners manual or ask the manufacturer or dealer before using E10.

At the petrol station, a circular ‘E10’ or ‘E5’ label will be clearly visible on both the petrol dispenser and nozzle, making it easy for you to identify the correct petrol to use.

The ‘E10’ and ‘E5’ labels look like this:

Using E10 fuel will not affect whether you are able to drive in, or have to pay to enter, a clean air zone (CAZ), low emission zone (LEZ) or ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ). This is determined by your car’s Euro emissions standard and not by the fuel used.