I know this post touches on well worn questions already placed here on CCS, but in March 2018 here in "high profit margin" UK, I wonder if any of you have found a workable and consistantly cheap fuel that won't gas you to death in your pressure or even wick appliances Yesterday, I found 4ltrs of regular paraffin for £18.99 in a garden shop. Special offer !!! Its just getting to the plain and simple crazy level of price. I think I am going to be forced to use plain old heating oil (basic kerosene) pretty soon. One thing I have found out today is that there are very few companies involved in refining paraffin and bottling it in the UK so maybe thats the clue. I think they are missing something in their market analysis as paraffin burning devices seem to sell quite well both used and new. The last time ( a few years ago) I bought a few brand new Japanese paraffin heaters, the supplier told me he had more orders than availability and his back orders were over 300 units at the time. Mike
In the UK, prices generally follow an inverse square law the further you get away from central London, beer prices seem to follow this as well.
Local garages around here are selling kerosene for 75p a litre on pump but most of it is heating oil. Prices always rise at this time of year as heating oil tanks start to get low post-winter. Bulk delivery is currently 58p a litre but that will drop come May. It may be worth enquiring at your local gardening club or allotment society - you can bet they aren't paying £18.99 for four litres to run their greenhouse heaters. Our village allotment society has a 2000 litre tank from where you can buy paraffin on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I think they charge a 10p per litre surcharge to non-members but it's still cheap.
Heating oil is paraffin, 28 sec kerosene. https://butlerfuels.co.uk/gb_faq/2-what-is-the-difference-between-kerosene-and-gas-oil/ Some kerosene is de sulphured to make it 'odourless' which you may find. Garden centres are probably the most expensive places to buy it. Small hardware shops are worth a try, and at a push B&Q if they still sell it. Camping/outdoor shops are even worse. For use in stoves heating oil is fine, I still have concerns about it's use in lamps, but that is yet to be resolved. As a global bulk fuel why I would have issues that others don't, it's not as though I'm buying from a local refinery.
The fuel that is cheap to buy even in small quantities here in germany is mineral oil based bbq lighter. It's available for around 2€ per liter in most supermarkets.
