Premium Diesel — Is It Worth It?

Premium diesel is standard B7 diesel enhanced with proprietary additive packages. Every major fuel brand offers its own version — Shell V-Power Diesel, BP Ultimate Diesel, Esso Synergy Supreme+ Diesel, and Total Excellium Diesel are the most common.

The base fuel is the same B7 diesel you'd get from a standard pump. The difference is in the additives, which typically include:

• Cleaning detergents — designed to reduce and remove injector deposits
• Friction modifiers — to reduce wear on engine components
• Anti-foam agents — for faster, cleaner filling at the pump
• Higher cetane number — for smoother, more complete combustion
• Corrosion inhibitors — to protect the fuel system

Premium diesel is most beneficial for:

• High-mileage drivers — covering 15,000+ miles per year, where deposit build-up is a bigger concern
• Older diesel vehicles — where years of standard diesel may have left deposits on injectors
• Towing and heavy loads — where engines work harder and benefit from cleaner combustion
• Performance diesel cars — where maximum power output matters

For most everyday drivers doing average mileage, standard B7 diesel is perfectly adequate. An occasional tank of premium diesel (every 5th fill or so) can provide some cleaning benefit without the ongoing cost.

Premium diesel is not a gimmick — the additives do provide real, measurable benefits in lab testing. However, for the average driver doing typical UK mileage, the benefits rarely justify the 19.1p per litre (£10.51 per tank) premium.

Our recommendation: stick with standard B7 for everyday driving. If you want the cleaning benefits, use premium diesel every 5th or 6th tank as a maintenance treatment. This gives you most of the long-term benefits at a fraction of the cost.