Refueling in Spain: Fueling Etiquette and Best Practices

Although at gas stations you can still say “give me 20 euros of gasoline 95” or “fill it up with diesel”, the official nomenclature of fuel types changed.

In order to facilitate refueling by consumers, since October 12 of 2018 it has been mandatory to display a new labeling at the pumps of service stations in Spain and, by extension, throughout the European Union.

As required by the new directive 2014/94/EU, the type of fuel to be refueled is distinguished by its content: gasoline is labeled as E5, E10 or E85. Diesel fuel as B7, B10 or XTL. And gaseous fuels are H2, CNG or LPG. These designations are accompanied by a series of geometric shapes: circle (gasoline), square (diesel) and rhombus (gas).

This is how the situation stands with emergency fueling options:

• Gasoline: It would be identified with a circle with the letter ‘E’ inside. There will be three types: E5, E10 and E85. One of the novelties in this section is that the letter ‘E’ refers to the ethanol level, since gasoline will not be identified according to its octane number as it was until now -95 and 98-.
• Thus, the 3 types mentioned -E5, E10 and E85- indicate the percentage of ethanol -a chemical compound- accepted by each car: 5%, 10% or 85% respectively.
• Diesel: It will be identified with a square and there will be 3 options: B7, B10 and XTL. The letter ‘B’ refers to the specific biodiesel components -all of them have them- incorporated in the diesel. XTL’ refers to synthetic diesel, which is not derived from crude oil.

What important safety measures should I take into account when refueling?

When you arrive at the gas station, reduce your speed to avoid possible accidents on the runway.

Keep an adequate distance from the pump, turn off the engine and disconnect all lights and the radio to avoid a spark.

Don’t forget to set the parking brake and close the door to discharge static electricity.

Remember that smoking is strictly forbidden in service stations, as well as lighting matches or lighters.

For your safety and that of others, it is forbidden to use a cell phone while refueling.

Be careful not to drop fuel on your car or on the ground and, if you do, notify an employee and follow his or her instructions.

During refueling, no occupant should enter or leave the vehicle until the refueling is complete. Do not fill the tank completely to avoid spills.

When you have finished refueling, put the nozzle back in place and carefully close the fuel cap. After refueling, drive carefully until you get back on the road.

Fuel Prices in Alicante

• Gasoline 95 (G.Protection): 1.48€ per liter, received on July 03, 2023. 
• Diesel (Gasoleo A): 1,29 €per liter, received on July 3, 2023.

Prices with discount of 20 cents per liter (only applicable to certain professional sectors):

• Gasoline 95 (G.Protection): 1.28€ per liter which represents a discount of 13.43%.
• Diesel (Gasoleo A): 1.09€ per liter, which represents a reduction of 15.42%.

In practice, what will happen is that next to the current 95 gasoline, 98 gasoline and diesel hoses, the pumps will display stickers with geometric figures -circle, square and rhombus- with an acronym inside.

How Do I Identify The Fuels?

Gasoline will be identified with a circle, diesel with a square and gaseous fuels -CNG, LPG, LNC and hydrogen- with a rhombus. Within each geometric shape, there will be alphanumeric acronyms indicating the composition of each fuel.

In the case of gasoline, the “E” stands for ethanol and the accompanying number – 5, 10 or 85 – is the maximum volume that is recommended for use in the vehicle and that would be available at the pump. For example, the label “E5” means that the car can use gasoline containing up to 5% ethanol.

If I Already Have A Car, How Do I Know Which Fuel To Fill Up?

Cars registered before October 12 must be guided by the previous fuel names and ignore the new labels. If you have any doubts, ask the operator at the gas station.

Each oil company will establish equivalences depending on the types of gasoline and diesel they sell. For example, in the case of Repsol, Efitec 95 gasoline or Efitec 98 gasoline would be “E10” with the new labeling. For Cepsa, Star 95 and Optima 95 gasoline would correspond to the “E5” label and Optima 98 to “E10”. For Diesel fuels the two types in Repsol would be labeled “B7” and in Cepsa the same would occur.

Does it affect hybrid and electric cars?

If your car is hybrid-electric, yes, because to fill up with the right fuel you will have to take into account the new labeling. A set of labels similar to those described in this communication for electric vehicles is currently being designed for future implementation.

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