Matt Peacock, MD of Star Tech in Poole, discusses a new fuel due to hit petrol forecourts in September.

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“The UK government has set us all on a path to achieve a carbon net zero target by 2050. Part of this plan involves making changes to the everyday fuel that is used in your car. This could help to reduce the UK emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year, the same as removing 350,000 cars from the road.

“Therefore, petrol stations across the country will be introducing a new type of petrol from next month. However, a warning has been issued to anyone who uses a petrol car in the UK as not all cars are compatible. It is estimated that it will affect approximately 5% of vehicles on the road, approximately 600,000 cars.

“At present, standard petrol is classed as E5, meaning it contains 5% ethanol which is more environmentally friendly than 100% petrol. The new type of petrol containing 10% ethanol, called E10, will be rolled out as standard from 1^st Sept 2021.

“In a bid to slow down climate change, the government scheme aims to reduce CO2 emissions by changing the regular grade petrol.  All cars manufactured from 2011 are compatible with E10, however cars before 2002 are being advised not to use E10 fuel.”

How to check if your vehicle can take E10

“It’s important to find out if your car is compatible. Visit the government website here to check.

“You will need to know your vehicle model, engine size and the year it was manufactured.

“If your vehicle is meant to run on E5 and you fill up with E10, you risk damaging the engine which will lead to expensive repair costs.  Furthermore, if you do cause engine damage this way, 46% of car insurance policies won’t pay out for any repair costs, according to consumer organisation Which?”

“It’s always the owner’s responsibility to make sure they use the right fuel for their vehicle

“If your vehicle won’t run on E10, don’t worry. E5 will still be sold at most petrol stations but will be classed as super grade fuel rather than the current premium grade although it will cost more than before.

“You might also find E10 fuel is slightly less efficient than E5. The government said you may see a 1% fall in the number of miles you get per gallon of fuel.

“If you have any concerns around the new fuels or whether your car is compatible, please contact our service team and they will be able to advise you the best way forward.”

• Star Tech Ltd are Independent Specialists for Mercedes-Benz, BMW & Jaguar.