Many have heard of a type of fuel known as gas oil, among other things, but if its usages don’t apply to you personally, you might not know what it could be. Red diesel is a type of rebate fuel that, by law, can only be used by farming vehicles and not on public roads, with a few exceptions. This is legal in the UK, and with the right information, you’ll be able to find red diesel in Merseyside.
This special kind of fuel goes by many different names. It has been given several titles derived from its red color, including cherry juice and cherry red. Other names it has been given reflect its usages, like digger fuel and AG, marine, or generator diesel. It also goes by the name gas oil, 25 seconds, and rebated kerosene since it is a rebate fuel.
It’s important to know the legal restrictions associated with gas oil and its use, as oversight of these rules can result in illegal activity without even realizing it. Some diesel engines are able to run on cherry red just as well as with the standard fuel used for these vehicles. However, in normal circumstances, it would be unlawful to use this fuel when driving on public roads.
In order to purchase this specialty oil, no license is required. However, as with any other kind of controlled oil, a filled out RDCO form is needed to carry out the transaction. This form can be found on the internet or by contacting local dealers.
Since it’s up to the dealers to make sure that this controlled oil is being used in a way that it lawful and legitimate, there is a chain of information that occurs regarding any transaction involving digger fuel. The company a person purchases it from has the right to communicate the specifics of his or her transaction to HMRC, and that information can then go on to the Road Fuel Testing Units. This is simply to ensure that there are no violations in the usage of this rebate fuel, thus violating the rights of those who are entitled to it.
One of the reasons why it’s so important that the rules regarding rebated kerosene are followed is because it is essential for certain people to have access to in order to turn a profit from their work. Gas oil helps them do so simply because there is a lower duty that is required in order to pay for it. That’s why dealers and regulators take these rules very seriously and are careful to ensure they are followed.
One of the main exceptions to the rule that vehicles running on gas oil cannot drive on public roads is in the case of gritting in bad weather. Specialty gritters were not able to do the job alone, and so a meeting was held by HMRC in 2012. There, it was decided to allow three types of agricultural vehicles to use rebated kerosene to grit public roads.
Another exception to this rule is in the case of farmers who have multiple pieces of land and must travel by public road to go between them. There are still limitations on this, however. As long as a farmer is traveling no more than 1.5 kilometers, the distance can be traveled using digger fuel.
