From April 1st the government’s rules on the use of rebated red diesel are changing. From this date red diesel can only be used in vehicles, vessels and machinery in certain industries and situations.
These are:
- For vehicles and machinery used in agriculture, horticulture, fish farming and forestry. This includes allowing vehicles used for agriculture to be used for cutting verges and hedges, snow clearance and gritting roads
- To propel passenger, freight or maintenance vehicles designed to run on rail tracks
- For heating and electricity generation in non-commercial premises – this includes the heating of homes and buildings such as places of worship, hospitals and townhalls; off-grid power generation; and non-propulsion uses on permanently-moored houseboats
- For maintaining community amateur sports clubs as well as golf courses (including activities such as ground maintenance, and the heating and lighting of clubhouses, changing rooms etc.)
- As fuel for all marine craft refuelling and operating in the UK (including fishing and water freight industries), except for propelling private pleasure craft in Northern Ireland
- For powering the machinery (including caravans) of travelling fairs and circuses*
From April 1st, to comply with the new legislation, we will supply diesel machinery with white diesel in the tank, unless it is being used for any of the situations described above. For situations where red diesel is allowed we will continue to supply it, but it will be the customer’s responsibility to make their usage clear and prove qualification if necessary.
Where machinery is supplied with white diesel, it must not be refilled using red diesel.
This change in the rules forcing the use of a much more expensive fuel type will obviously have quite an effect financially on most of the industries we serve. With this in mind we will be instigating a policy of charging white diesel at or just above cost price to help alleviate this increased financial burden.
If you need any further help or clarification of this change please do not hesitate to get in contact on info@didcotplant.co.uk
*copied from www.gov.uk, full link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-of-red-diesel-entitlements/reform-of-red-diesel-and-other-rebated-fuels-entitlement