Filling stations to add biofuel labels to petrol and diesel

From today, filling stations across the UK will start rolling out new labels on fuel, telling motorists how much comes from renewable sources, which the Department for Transport (DfT) hopes will help educate drivers on the benefits of biofuels.

Petrol, which contains up to 5% renewable ethanol, will be labelled ‘E5’, while diesel, which contains up to 7% biodiesel, will be labelled as ‘B7’.

Biofuels are made from a range of materials, including oil, fats, and grease waste, which are often recovered from sewage systems and water treatment works.

The move is part of a DfT campaign, launching today (June 6), urging drivers to think more carefully about the environmental impacts of their journeys.

Michael Ellis, Transport Minister, said: ‘Drivers should be aware of the environmental impact of their travel choices, and seeing this when they are buying fuel can help remind them why decarbonising transport is so important.

‘Biofuels are a key way of achieving the emissions reductions the UK needs, and their use reduced CO₂ emissions by 2.7 million tonnes last year alone — the equivalent of taking around 1.2 million cars off the road.

‘Our new campaign will help drivers understand the role of biofuels, while also choosing the right fuel for their vehicle at home and abroad.’

The Department for Transport (DfT) says that as even greener fuels, such as E10 – a petrol grade with up to 10% renewable ethanol -  come onto the market, the labels are set to have an increasingly important role to play in raising consumer awareness of alternatives to traditional fuel.

Photo credit – Pixabay