Diesel? cooking oil?? what ones greener to run your car on?

Question

I know it illegal ! or is it?

someone told me resently you can buy 1200 litres tax free

Answer 1

Im not 100% positive but my friend swears by running his car on tescos own vegetable oil.

Answer 2

Forget about what is greener.

It is not illegal as long as you pay fuel duty on it.

So say you put 20 litres of veg oil in your fuel tank.  You have to pay 20 x 0.26P fuel duty on it.

0.26P/litre was the duty last time I check.

Answer 3

Running a car on veg oil produces a smaller carbon footprint as the process of growing the plants that produce oil (rapeseed, maize etc) takes CO2 out of the atmosphere.  Burning the oil puts it back in the atmosphere, but there is almost a zero net increase in atmospheric CO2.

It is NOT illegal to run your car on veg oil in the UK.  Veg oil is classed as a biofuel which is DUTY FREE as long as you don't use more than 2,500 litres per year.

I have run my car on used cooking which a local restaurant gives me, for over a year.  As the oil has already been used for cooking and would've been disposed of anyway, this must be the most eco-friendly method of transport.

And in response to the answer below... Your information is out of date, at the last budget, the UK government made biofuel duty free for less than 2,500 litres use per year.  If you use more than that, then you have to pay the 28p duty see:  http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPorta...

Answer 4

a dont know but a star in return for mine :-)

Answer 5

if the cooking oil has been USED then Cooking oil, if its unused then Diesel!

using new cooking oil to fuel a car is wasting food and takes more energy to product than is given out in burning, if however its used then its a zero carbon product!

don't buy into this biofuel is good myth (its only good if it used previously used or waste products) the same way that carbon ofsetting is NOT ecological its greenwash making money our of our guilt!

Answer 6

Some plants like rubber trees produces latex which is turned into rubber.The latex can be used as fuel for piston engine when converted under a special process.A certain plant found in South East Asia produces rubber like latex that can be converted into diesel oil.Rubber trees latex is not for human consumption and should be exploited .Why convert food plants to fuel its such a waste.

Answer 7

I think cooking oil is better. Its a lot more cheaper and environment friendly. But I don't think it's illegal specially here in the Philippines. We even use LPG! It's also cheaper but heavier.

Answer 8

Don't know, but I do know it's illegal (in the UK) to use cooking oil as a substitute for petrol.  Some hauliers tried it a few years ago, until they got done for it because they weren't paying fuel tax.