…And how you can avoid them!
As days grow shorter, it’s easy to forget that we’ve reached that time of the year when you need to take greater care of your fuel.
The colder winter months can be hell for unprepared fuel users, which is why we’ve put together some common fuel horror stories that our customers experience – and the steps you can take to avoid a bad dream turning into a living nightmare!
A CHILLING experience
DERV and gas oil are at risk during fluctuating temperatures, particularly as we move from autumn into winter.
Cooling temperatures, snowfall and cold snaps can be the devil for your fuel, causing paraffin crystals to form in a process known as gelling. This makes your fuel thicker and more viscous, putting strain on fuel pumps and blocking pipes and filters.
The solution?
Ordering a fresh batch of fuel ahead of the spooky season will keep the fuel ghouls away. Most fuel providers automatically change the grade of fuel they supply towards the end of autumn, switching to winter-grade diesel which contains an additive that reduces gelling. This should keep your business running smoothly despite the cold weather, helping you avoid the horror of unplanned downtime.
If you have summer-grade fuel left in your tanks, you can have your fuel replaced or treated to improve its cold resistance to protect it. Find out more about diesel grades in our guide to diesel winter and summer grades.
Need to order summer or winter-grade red diesel or white diesel? Call our team today on 0330 678 0880 to book your delivery slot.
A BUG in the system
Picture the scene: you have a good stock of emergency diesel that you’ve had in storage for over a year. Disaster strikes when you go to use your reserve supply and find that it’s foul-smelling, blackened and full of debris and sludge.
Your fuel has been corrupted by diesel bug, leaving you with a horrible choice: risk using the contaminated fuel and which could destroy your fuel infrastructure, or pay for an emergency delivery whilst you organise the cleaning or removal of your degraded diesel.
To avoid this horrifying scenario, you should check your fuel regularly for degradation, contamination or any traces of sludge build-up. This will help ensure that your fuel is ready to go as and when you need it, and will save you time and money when it comes to repairs. Our tank maintenance checklist tells you what to look for and what to do if you find signs of contamination or tank damage. It’s completely free, and ready for you to download today!
If it’s already too late to prevent your fuel’s degradation, you should speak to a reputable fuel services provider such as Nationwide Fuels. We offer a range of fuel remedial and fuel maintenance services to help you avoid the bone-chilling disaster of business downtime.
Leaving your order to the LAST MINUTE
As a regular fuel user, you know the importance of ordering your fuel in good time to ensure it’s ready to go when you need it.
Our 24/7 emergency fuel deliveries can have your delivery with you in a few short hours, helping you to avoid running out of fuel which can lead to costly downtime.
Alternatively, you can prevent fuel shortages from ever happening by signing up to our free fuel management service. We’ll take away the stress and hassle of tracking your fuel use and ordering top-ups, leaving you do what you do best – running your business, safe in the knowledge that the experts are looking after your fuel.
A real-life nightmare
The last in our series of horror stories is a real and present danger.
The use of fossil fuels, plastics and non-recyclable goods are all contributing to climate change. We all need to do our part to reduce our environmental impact before there’s no environment left to protect.
The good news is that small changes add up to a big difference. Little actions such as changing office equipment to more energy-efficient versions, reducing paper waste and energy use, will all help. But there’s also a simple change that can help make a big difference.
By switching your diesel for HVO fuel, you’ll not only reduce your net CO2 emissions by up to 90%, but significantly reduce your CO, NOx and particulate emissions too. It has an operating temperature of up to -32oC which makes it usable all year round, and with no FAME content, it can be stored for up to 10 years without degrading from diesel bug attack.
Find out more about this advanced diesel alternative in our HVO FAQ, or call a member of our team on 0330 678 0880 to find out how you can do your part to help prevent the climate crisis.
