AIBU to have not heard of E10 petrol?

[BycullahRoad]

OK so went to the local garage this evening, needed to fill up to get to work in the morning. "Something" looked different and I noticed that the 95 Octane petrol has the label E10 on it.

Did a quick google and it said as a country we were switching from E5 to E10 petrol from 1st September 2021 and some older cars can't run E10 petrol.

Did a longer google and realised that my vehicle is one of those older cars affected and will have to use Super Unleaded petrol from now on, which is considerably more expensive.

Am I the only one not to have heard of E10 petrol? If you have heard about it, how did you hear of it?

Googled it earlier in the week to check the neighbour’s car for her. The vast majority of cars will be fine, but you’re fucked if you have a Ford Mondeo from a certain year!

Hello Sister Agatha, yes I used to live in north London. It's very difficult to think of usernames. I just panicked at the petrol station, I did not know what to do, and the man in the shop was not much help. The government website tells you makes and models that are non compliant, but there is no number plate checker which would be very helpful.

I have a Zafira, but not the one that is incompatible

There were adverts encouraging people to ensure their car was suitable to use E10 months ago - can’t remember where, but they just kept popping up for me! I also saw more recent news articles about it. There’s been stuff on fuel forecourts too.

Yes I had heard about it but only because Dah told me absolutely it.

Same as PP, I've heard several ads on commercial radio over the last month or two. Nowhere else though, so it's been a very limited public awareness campaign!

I first heard about it a while ago. I think it was posted in a Facebook group I'm in. Since then I've seen loads about it - even an electric billboard at my nearest petrol station had it up.

But it's like everything else. There's been over the years plenty of people posting up about things that have been generally common knowledge, that they'd missed.

There have been signs in all our local petrol stations for months.

My dm mentioned it - I didn’t have a clue. We stream TV and music so don’t hear radio or TV adverts. I read the news a lot but somehow missed this totally. Luckily our car is okay despite being 10 years old.

Yes, I'd heard it on the radio recently. My car's another one with E5/E10 inside the fuel door, so it's OK. I double checked on the gov site to make extra sure.

I can’t remember where I saw this recently but I did and you can check your car here www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol

We just got a sign at our Tesco garage this week - hadn't heard a thing about it before that.

I heard about it in Martin Money Expert's weekly email.

I first heard about it yesterday, heard and seen nothing before then and I do try to keep up with current affairs (plus used to manage a petrol station)

I've not heard about it at all in the media. Only from the tiny stickers on the pumps in Tesco.

This is the first I've heard of it. I listen to commercial radio and read the press so I'm shocked I have missed something so major. DH hasn't heard about it either.

There's been notices at the pumps for months.

I spotted a small typed message high up on the fuel pump while I was filling up the Sunday just gone. I had no idea, didn't even know the unleaded was called E5. Finished filling up and then Googled at home and my car is fine, fortunately.

But if I hadn't noticed that very small message about 7' off the ground while I was idly looking around during filling up, I'd still be in the dark!

I head adverts on the radio about this a couple months ago.

I think it's cars before 2011 that can't have the e10.

Only saw announcements on petrol station forecourts for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

I don't listen to commercial radio, watch commercial television or read paper newspapers. I would have expected something like this to be the subject of conspicuous announcements on forecourts for a few months before the switch, rather than relying on adverts.

I sort of 'heard about it' on a thread the other day, but it was just 'in passing'.

However, I had an accident (not in the car) in early June & I still can't drive & since getting out of hospital have hardly left the house.

I record TV & ff through ads, I do read/watch the news though & haven't seen it on there. I only listen to the radio in the car and haven't driven since the accident....

Mines a Ford & not a mondeo, so I'm ok.

If E5 is still going to be available what's the big deal?

Is it cheaper/more expensive/just the same?

Will nearly all the pumps run E20, with just the odd one with E5?

Basically, what's the goss? 🤣

I filled up with fuel yesterday and Asda petrol forecourt didn’t have anything mentioning it. I was specifically looking.

looked up my Toyota and basring one model - all other models manufactured since 1998 are compatible.
Have not seen the before 2011 divide - I expect only certain makes are not able to run on E10
check your car - no need to panic.

Just googled and it contains 10% ethanol, which apparently isn’t going to do a great deal of damage to a modern car if filled up using this by mistake. Not so a classic car unless converted. It’s odd though, isn’t it? I remember the announcements going from leaded to unleaded being such a massive thing. Wondering if it’s because I never need to watch adverts anymore?

@AlmostSummer21 if you can’t use the new fuel you have to use premium which is more expensive and those driving older cars are unlikely to have excess cash.