All you need to know about E10 fuel!
The introduction of E10 petrol
New, greener petrol will be on fuel station forecourts up and down the country from the start of September as part of a government initiative to reduce greenhouse gases.
The aim is that the introduction of E10 petrol will cut transport carbon dioxide emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of removing 350,000 cars from our roads.
So from September 1st 2021 in the UK regular unleaded petrol (95 octane) has become E10 or 10% ethanol. E5 might still be available in super unleaded petrol for some time to come, but almost certainly will also become E10 at some point.
So what is E10 petrol?
E10 petrol is made up of 90% petroleum-based petrol and 10% ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel produced from the fermentation of a range of plants including sugarcane & grains along with their by-products.
Unlike regular unleaded petrol, ethanol fuel is said to be partially atmospherically carbon neutral. This is because as the plants that will become biofuel grow, they reportedly absorb more carbon dioxide than will be released during fuel production and combustion.
Can I use E10 petrol in my mower and other garden machinery?
All new petrol powered garden machinery that we sell can run on E10 petrol.
So what’s the problem with ethanol blended petrol?
The main issue is that it degrades much faster than E5 petrol as it has twice the ethanol in it. E5 petrol has already been causing issues for small engines with carburettors. So this will undoubtedly get worse. The expected shelf life is less than one month!
Ethanol fuel blends are hygroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere. Since most carburettors and petrol fuel tanks are vented to the atmosphere in some way, there is nothing to prevent ethanol blended petrol from absorbing moisture over time.
As the fuel degrades the octane rating will reduce and the fuel will end up being a watery mix of reduced octane petrol which will cause starting difficulties and corrode parts of the fuel system.
How can I prevent engine damage and carburettor damage?
To start with, only buy as much petrol as you can use in a month. Don’t store larger quantities for longer in a fuel can or in your machinery.
You can also add fuel stabiliser to pump unleaded fuel when you buy it. This will keep it stable for about 1 year. We sell several different brands of fuel stabiliser.
The best way to prevent the harmful effects of ethanol blended fuel is to use fuel without ethanol in it. We sell Aspen Alkylate fuel which as well as being ethanol free is also free of benzene and many other harmful products found in conventional unleaded petrol. This fuel is available as a neat fuel for 4-stroke engines or a fuel pre-mixed with 2-stroke oil for 2-stroke engines.
Why not consider battery electric power?
If you want to dodge all of the issues associated with petrol power products, then consider buying battery electric products instead of petrol powered products. Modern lithium-ion battery technology is advanced enough to give you all the power of petrol products but without all the fuss!
They are much cheaper to run and service, quieter, smoother and lighter and easier to use.
Many of the brands that we sell have a comprehensive line-up of battery electric products including EGO, Stihl, Hayter, Husqvarna, Stiga and Mountfield. Call us for more information.