Red Diesel Reform Recap: Who can use red diesel?

Back in 2022, the regulations around the use of red diesel – also known as tractor diesel – changed.  

While the agricultural industry can still use red diesel in a specific and limited capacity, non-agricultural vehicles can’t.

Why is red diesel illegal when used in non-agricultural settings?

The government introduced these new red diesel regulations to encourage businesses to move forward on the road to net zero carbon 2050. 

The hope being that a number of businesses would decide to move away from fossil fuels entirely rather than settle for white diesel, switching to a cleaner-burning alternative fuel.

Can farmers continue to use red diesel as they always have? 

The government hasn’t singled out any one group of people as being exempt from the red diesel regulations. Rather, their restrictions are based on the activities that red diesel can or cannot be used for.  

Can farmers use red diesel in their tractors when carrying out recreational, non-farm related activities? No.  

This means that if they want to use their tractors to maintain say a tennis court or a park, they have to switch to something other than red diesel or risk paying a hefty fine.  

However, they can continue to use red diesel when transporting their livestock or working their land.  

The government have also stated that if you use rebated fuel in agricultural vehicles, machines and appliances for purposes relating to agriculture, you will also be able to use them for any other purpose on private land where they are ordinarily kept. 

Put simply, a farmer can use red diesel in their agricultural machinery providing their agricultural machinery lives on the farm, and any work in which the red diesel is used for is carried out on the land in which the vehicle is kept.  

The full list of accepted ways in which red diesel can continue to be used is published on the government website. 

Here, extensive details are provided on how red diesel can be used for movement of machinery, produce, livestock and waste, when this is done in relation to agriculture, horticulture or forestry. 

Can farmers continue to use red diesel in any and all of their vehicles? 

The government has specified that red diesel can only be used in certain types of vehicles, equipment and machinery, specifically agricultural vehicles used by the occupier of the land, owner of the crop, or contractor or other person engaged to perform an agricultural operation on the land.

The agreement applies to: 

– A tractor. 
– A single-seat vehicle of less than 1,000kg that is designed and constructed primarily for use off-road. 
– A vehicle only used for agricultural, horticultural or forestry purposes, that is licensed by the DVLA to use public roads only when passing between two areas of land occupied by the same person, and that distance is less than 1.5 kilometres by road. 
– A vehicle with permanently attached or built-in machinery used for handling or processing agricultural, horticultural, aquatic farming, forestry produce or materials, such as combined harvesters, crop sprayers, forage harvesters, pea viners, mobile seed cleaning machines, and feed milling machines. 

Is red diesel still available to buy? 

While red diesel is still available for farmers and others in the agricultural sector to buy, it is important to note that this likely won’t always be the case.  

Although the farming community is not feeling the red diesel changes as keenly as other industries at present, it is a key player in reaching the government’s ambitious carbon neutral targets and the transition to ‘cleaner’ alternatives as part of the industry’s journey to green is inevitable.  

It is therefore essential for farmers to do the research now and get to know the growing variety of cleaner fuels available as drop-in alternatives to diesel, such as OEM approved drop-in fuel,  GTL Fuel (Gas to Liquid) and FAME-free Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) (dependent on usage, duty may still apply), and alternative, cost-effective heating solutions Therma35 and kerosene. 

Visit our Fuelling Futures hub to get advice on the right fuel for you. 

Has the change from red diesel to alternative fuels led to an increase in fuel theft? 

A key feature of red diesel is that it has a giveaway red dye that makes it difficult to steal.  

As alternative fuels, like DERV (white diesel), do not feature this dye and are generally considered more expensive than red diesel, they have become a target for thieves.  

At Certas Energy, we can equip you with the tools you need to deter opportunist thieves.