Fuel retailers have until September 1 to implement the new fuel labels, which promote the benefits of biofuels.
Roll-out of the new fuel pump labels comes as the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Bioethanol calls for the UK-wide introduction by next year of E10, a new ‘cleaner and greener’ petrol containing up to 10% of renewable ethanol. The fuel is already widely available across Europe, the United States of America, Australia and many other parts of the world.
- Renewable fuels – such as ethanol and biodiesel – reduce overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, says the Department for Transport, and help the UK meet its climate change targets.
- The new petrol pump label always uses a circle and the diesel label a square.
- The petrol label contains the letter E – standing for ethanol – and a number indicating the maximum renewable ethanol content, which is currently 5%. Hence the new petrol label is E5.
- The new diesel label contains the letter B – standing for biodiesel – and a number indicating the maximum biodiesel content, which is currently 7%. Hence the new diesel label is B7.
There are also labels for other fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas – a diamond shape displaying the letters LPG – and hydrogen – a diamond shape displaying H2.
The Government held a public consultation on how and whether to introduce E10 to the UK last year and is due publish its response in the second half of 2019.