At Oilfast UK, we aim to provide our customers with high quality service, whether that’s delivering fuel on time or providing our customers with informative guides. DERV is one of the most popular commercial fuels. DERV, known as diesel fuel, is a popular choice across many industries, with 25,103 million litres of diesel sold in the UK in 2020 alone. That’s because it can carry out some of the world’s most demanding work, from lifting steel beams to paving roads and digging foundations.
DERV is a fuel used to power on-road vehicles – it stands for Diesel Engine Road Vehicle, but is also known as road diesel and white diesel, among other names.
Despite the widespread use of this fuel, some uncertainties surround the fuel’s service, including its tax and price.
DERV is a Diesel Engine Road Vehicle fuel to power equipment and anything with a diesel engine, such as cars, vans and lorries; boats, ships, trains and many other types of passenger vehicles. Other common names for the fuel include white diesel and road diesel. It uses the compression ignition engine, named after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel.
Before the discovery of crude oil distillation, Rudolf originally designed his engine to use coal dust as fuel and also trialled vegetable oil. This concept eventually influenced biodiesel and HVO fuel production today.
What are the other names for DERV?
Diesel
Road diesel
Road DERV
White diesel
Ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD)
Although there are a few different names used, the most common is DERV. However, they all refer to the same type of fuel.
What are the primary uses of Derv?
This product is used to power road vehicles and, in theory, can be used in any diesel-powered engine. However, it’s more frequent in lorries, HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles), LCVs (Light Commercial Vehicles), vans, trains, buses and coaches.
DERV sees prevalent use in businesses operating vehicle fleets that transport goods over long and short distances.
What is the tax rate on DERV?
DERV carries a VAT rate of 20%.* Vehicles with lower emissions, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles, are taxed at lower duty rates.
This fuel has similar properties to gas oil (red diesel), so it’s essential to know the rules and differences in tax rates. Red diesel is currently a rebated fuel, so it has a much lower tax rate of 5%
*Correct as of Spring 2022
How can I store DERV safely?
DERV should be kept in a dedicated storage tank located in a cool and dry place. This is to help prolong its shelf life and reduce the risk of contamination.
Permanent onsite storage steel tanks are used to store diesel or portable 45-gallon drums if fuel users need to transport this fuel easily or don’t have fixed storage facilities.
There is a legal limit on how much you can store as it presents a risk to both yourself and the environment. When mishandled, it’s a dangerous and highly flammable substance. Different regulations apply depending on where you’re storing DERV, how much you’re storing and what you’re using the fuel for.
How long can DERV be stored in a storage tank?
DERV can be stored for between 6 and 12 months, providing good tank maintenance and the storage conditions discussed above. If you’re storing diesel for any longer, it’s crucial to invest in regular fuel testing by a professional company to help reduce the risk of contamination.
Can DERV become contaminated?
Diesel fuel contains 7% FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) as it’s a practical necessity for suppliers to meet their RTFO obligations. However, this makes DERV highly vulnerable to microbial attack (contamination) when in storage.
FAME is hygroscopic and attracts water, creating perfect breeding conditions for diesel bugs, sludge, and biomass to grow. This significantly reduces the quality of DERV and leads to clogged filters and engine breakages.
Can contaminated DERV be treated?
We offer fuel polishing to customers when their stored diesel has only a small amount of contamination. Fuel polishing essentially cleans DERV using a fixed polishing unit and can be done with little to no disruption in your operations.
However, if DERV is highly contaminated with diesel bugs, then fuel polishing will not be suitable, and we can instead uplift your fuel and supply a fresh batch of DERV straight into your tank. We would usually conduct a tank clean to remove any sludge or biomass that occurred when storing contaminated fuel.
What should I do if DERV tank has leaked or spilt?
If your tank has spilt, you must act fast. If it’s only a tiny amount, you can use a spill kit to help contain the oil. We supply these at Oilfast UK and a wide range of additional ancillary products to help with the safe storage and handling of fuels.
Suppose this fuel cannot be contained using a spill kit. In that case, you must contact a specialist as soon as possible to help avoid further damage to the environment and potentially harming wildlife or anyone nearby. DERV spills can cost tens of thousands of pounds in remedial and legal implications.
What sustainable alternatives are there to DERV?
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO fuel) is a 100% renewable diesel fuel produced from fully renewable and sustainable materials such as vegetable oils. As a paraffinic diesel fuel, it is virtually chemically identical to DERV so that it can be used as a drop-in alternative without engine modification or additional infrastructure.
Using a sustainable alternative in place of DERV offers many benefits, including:
- 100% renewable, sustainable and biodegradable
- Reduces up to 90% of net CO2 emissions
- Reduces notifiable NOx, CO and PM emissions
- Up to 10-year storage life
- It can be used as a direct diesel replacement
- Year-round performance
- FAME and ester-free
- Odourless and free from aromatics, sulphur and metals
Your Reliable Fuel Supplier
Are you looking for an DERV or HVO Supplier? Oilfast UK can deliver a wide range of fuel across the UK. We provide competitive prices whilst ensuring quick delivery. Are you looking for more information? Contact your fuel expert to discuss your fuelling options.