Newsroom Live – 19 February, 2013

Tuesday 19th February 2013, 9:50AM GMT.

Vale Garage forecourt assistant Karl Gow fills up a car with super unleaded petrol. An announcement that the higher-grade fuel would be no longer be available from the end of March has surprised garages and motor clubs.  (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1304521)
Vale Garage forecourt assistant Karl Gow fills up a car with super unleaded petrol. An announcement that the higher-grade fuel would be no longer be available from the end of March has surprised garages and motor clubs. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1304521)

Local fuel suppliers met representatives of the Commerce and Employment Department yesterday to discuss the phasing out of the sale of super unleaded fuel in the island.

We’re aiming to talk to them later today to find out how discussions went and to get more information about the plans, which have surprised garages and motor clubs.

There’s news today that a UK company has been appointed to review the operation of Guernsey’s St John Ambulance and Rescue Service. We’ve a story in today’s Press, but will be trying to find out more details with a view to running a follow-up story tomorrow.

Fort Road is still closed while Guernsey Electricity carry out emergency repairs to a cable, and we’ll be looking at what effect this is having on rush hour traffic later on today.

We’re going to be speaking to the parish Douzaines later to get their comments on kerbside recycling and the possibility that glass will not be included in the collection.

We’ll be in attendance at Government House later on, when children who participated in a walk organised by Friends for Wildlife will be receiving certificates for their efforts.

And we’ll be asking islanders for their views on UK proposals to increase tax on sugary drinks, as well as seeing what they think about the presence of machines dispensing these drinks and sweet snacks in schools.

Tomorrow’s sports section includes a look ahead to Bradley Watson’s next professional boxing bout, in Fareham at the weekend.

And there’s a roundup of recent activity on the local volleyball scene as well as the weekly angling column.


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  1. 1
    Mark

    The idea we may lose super unleaded is bit of a surprise I have to say! My car is specified to run on super and whilst it will run on normal unleaded it definitely doesn’t run as well, does fewer miles to the gallon and generally is unpleasant to drive.

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  2. 2
    Backchat

    How can this backward step with super unleaded be allowed to happen?,
    cost saving for the fuel supplier by only bringing in one grade of petrol, with no cost saving for the customer.
    Routine now these large companies doing whatever they like to save money and the states sitting down quietly allowing them to do as they please.
    What a sad place Guernsey is becoming, soon to be a joke at our expense.

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  3. 3
    Guernzee

    7% of fuel sales locally are for super unleaded which isnt very high. My car too runs on the stuff and i am not best pleased.
    However upon hearing the whys it does kind of make sense. Regular (95 RON) unleaded gets imported from Milford Haven, Super has to come from either Liverpool or rotterdam which adds approx. 4 extra days to travel at around 5K per day. i can sort of see the reasons behind it all now.
    We are due to get a replacement called Ultratech or something like that which is 95 RON but is supposed to be a much more refined fuel than regular unleaded. i am going to use this and add octane booster to the fuel system giving me back my 98 ROn which my car craves!!!! this will however bump the cost of fueling my 15mpg car up considerably, cant have it all i suppose!!!

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    • starcsream

      Unfortunately another article reported that most of the 95RON is mixed with ethenol which is very bad for the cars. Adding an octane boost will tricky to get the mixture right and could end up worsening the performance if done wrong

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      • Guernzee

        you do have to get the mix spot on agreed. this ultratech is supposed to be cleaner and will only cost a few pence more than regular unleaded. i am dubious however!

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  4. 4
    Backchat

    Guernzee

    Thanks for the heads up on this new Ultratech fuel.

    I wonder if it will be the same price as the normal 95 RON?, I hope so, but as usual I feel there maybe a stitch up & we will all be paying extra for a posh named normal 95RON unleaded!, I bet the price will be just slightly lower than the super unleaded is now!.

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