Supermarket fuel is the same but they don't put the same additive package in as the "main" brands do. The are always right on the min in the weights and measures department.

What is written above are the real facts, with the exception of Tesco, which I think, is tankered in by sea from Europort. All the mayor refiners in UK sell directly to all the main players - except Tesco, so if your local refinery is ESSO, then Shell, BP, Morrison, Asda, Sainbury etc will all be getting supplies directly from ESSO - but as said above, only the big guys will be adding their own "special brew" to the road tankers just prior to filling their tankers. The basic fuel without "special brews" is not what your engine is designed for and no one knows what the supermarket tankers get added if any thing. All the BS specs and any other specs refer only to the "basic fuel" - so we the end users should really ignore most of what is quoted as "fuel compliance specs" written on the pumps - this means that we have absolutely no way of knowing if what is being added is good or is being added at all, most of us just end up buying from a reputable company and hoping for the best while being guided a bit locally by main brand pricing.

Maybe I'm just too old, but, I remember when Asda came on the scene, after a while they changed from selling ???? to selling ESSO then quietly changed to selling whatever they got hold off while leaving their filling stations painted in red+white+blue which most people thought was still ESSO. While certain main players have supermarket "quick shops" on their sites but these supermarkets only sell their "own" fuel beats me. I would rather these supermarkets aligned themselves to selling a known and respected brand of fuel and branded their filling stations accordingly - then offer "money off" deals to their only shoppers - instead of selling that unbranded stuff so that they can fix their own prices.

Edited 2 November, 201114 yr by rum4mo

+1 to the above posts as very well put!

Also I do know that Shell vPower is made specifically by Shell to their own mix........and not just a 98 or 99ron fuel with a fancy "addative package"..

Addative packages can "make or break" how good a fuel feels in an engine.......usually they contain cleaners and other agents to "clean" the fuel system/injectors, promote good combustion, help the fuel stay "fresh" in your tank, etc, etc. This is where cost cutting comes into play....so only the best for me! Shell vpower!

The basic fuel without "special brews" is not what your engine is designed for and no one knows what the supermarket tankers get added if any thing.

I would argue that point, tbh. If my car requires BSEN590 fuel, and I put BSEN590 fuel into it, it's almost certainly going to be fine even if it's supermarket fuel without "special brews" (rare bad batch aside, anyway). It's like oil; 505.01 can come in a 5w-30 form, but not all 5w-30 oils are 505.01. When you look for that particular standard, you know what you're getting is the right stuff. Buy diesel without BSEN590 compliance and even though it's still diesel, you're taking a risk just like you would be with a 5w-30 oil that wasn't 505.01 compliant.

I've run my cars on Tesco fuel for ages, and mix of other supermarkets and fuel forecourts. Only one I don't ever use is Morrisons because they started putting too much biodiesel into their diesel blends. This lost them the BSEN590 compliance though because that specifies a maximum bio component so again, this would be outside the spec and while it's still diesel, it's not right for my engine. Other diesels probably run fine on it though.

Edited 2 November, 201114 yr by gavinchappell

Compare Momentum 99 and Shell V Power detailed product specifications, and you will be surprised how similar they are.

The supermarkets simply buy whichever wholesale fuel is available at the best price at the time they need it because they aren't tied to any particular brand.

I have seen both Shell and BP tankers delivering fuel to my local Tesco.

Momentum 99 is the only exception because that is a fuel for which Tesco have their own specification and it is therefore formulated and mixed only for them although I would imagine they buy it from various different suppliers.