Paraffin - what's a good price?

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treadlightly

Full Member
Jan 29, 2007
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I'm on the look out for a source of paraffin at a competitive price. So far, the best deal I've come across is £4.99 for 4 litres of C1 paraffin.

Any suggestions as to where I could find it cheaper or is that the best deal out there?

As I don't think there is duty levied on paraffin it seems to me it really ought to be cheaper than what I've found so far!
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
I suspect that your C1 paraffin is what we might call "stove gas," a straight-run distillate for such things as Coleman stoves and lamps.
I suspect that the packaging is a large part of what you see as price. Flammable, the packaging may be somewhat special as well.
You aren't asking for the price/barrel (45 Imp Gal here), but you will never see that kind of a price, metered out 4l at a time.
I'll estimate about $10 in colonial dollars (sinking as I write). Even so, I'd want to take no more than 2X what I think I'd need.
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
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Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
I usually pay a bit over £6 for 4L locally... if you've found the same for a fiver that's not bad. If it's an Internet price then watch the delivery cost and how long the delivery will take.

IIRC heating oil is the same stuff... that's a lot cheaper per litre when it's bought in bulk, even so 6L at the best price this year would still cost about £2.50
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
I couldn't tell you what the C rating is for either, but heating oil in a Primus style paraffin stove works as intended. You'll not get 6L at that price though, unless you buy a minimum quantity of 500L or so... suppliers vary but heating oil isn't usually something you can buy in small quantities.
 
heating oil is not paraffin well Not the same grade anyway

But if you can find a Oil depot some stock and sell Paraffin on the pump Used to buy it but filling my own container was a fraction of the price of the Store still in little bottles make sure you get the stuff thats clean burning less fumes and clogging

I haven't used any for a long time as i use a gas heater now
 
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treadlightly

Full Member
Jan 29, 2007
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Yes, it seems finding a depot that sells it via a forecourt pump is the way to go. I've google-fu'd but can't find any in my area. Anyone know of any in either mid/north Wales or the London/Herts /Bucks areas?
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
I suspect that your C1 paraffin is what we might call "stove gas," a straight-run distillate for such things as Coleman stoves and lamps.
I suspect that the packaging is a large part of what you see as price. Flammable, the packaging may be somewhat special as well.
You aren't asking for the price/barrel (45 Imp Gal here), but you will never see that kind of a price, metered out 4l at a time.
I'll estimate about $10 in colonial dollars (sinking as I write). Even so, I'd want to take no more than 2X what I think I'd need.

Its not 'stove / white' gas and your Coleman stoves/lamps would not like it (unless its designed for kerosene).

A fiver is not a bad price these days, sadly we are still being overcharged for it.
 

ateallthepies

Native
Aug 11, 2011
1,558
0
hertfordshire
I'm Herts/Bucks area and never seen anywhere to get it cheap? I pay £1.60 for green Paraffin dispensed from a ancient pump in a shop in Bovingdon Herts, the pre-Pac Paraffin used to be around £6 locally a couple of years ago then shot up to the £9-10 pound mark for 4 Litre bottles recently! I'm suspecting the further North the cheaper it will be as I have heard tales of around £1 a litre or less?
 

treadlightly

Full Member
Jan 29, 2007
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65
Powys
I'm Herts/Bucks area and never seen anywhere to get it cheap? I pay £1.60 for green Paraffin dispensed from a ancient pump in a shop in Bovingdon Herts, the pre-Pac Paraffin used to be around £6 locally a couple of years ago then shot up to the £9-10 pound mark for 4 Litre bottles recently! I'm suspecting the further North the cheaper it will be as I have heard tales of around £1 a litre or less?

Is that £1.60 per litre?
 

treadlightly

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Jan 29, 2007
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Paraffin as most of us know it ,is C1,
heating oil is a lower grade paraffin called C2 ,
around here in Kent I pay £5.25 for 4.5 ltrs from a small forecourt


And this is the price for 'self service', ie filling up your own container from a pump?
 

treadlightly

Full Member
Jan 29, 2007
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Just phoned W Jarman. £6.85 per gallon (4.5 litres) from the pump, so much more expensive than the pre-packaged stuff. Makes no sense!
 

jonny.t

New Member
May 5, 2015
1
0
Stourbridge
I'm new here, so hi everyone.

I use a lot of C1 paraffin for heating so buy in 205L barrels from AID Fuels, the last one worked out about 95p litre (including delivery). Recently I noticed the Shell petrol station in Brierley Hill was selling Caldo 4l Prepack for £2.99 which was even cheaper, so I might buy a few of those too!
 

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