The fuel station in Crossapol is owned and run by the Trust, via our trading subsidiary company Tiree Community Enterprise Limited.
You can pay at the pump with a bank card, using either Chip & PIN or Contactless.
The staff in Bùth a’ Bhaile manage cash payments, which requires pump authorisation by shop staff – lift the nozzle required and look up at the nearest CCTV camera to indicate you wish to pay in the shop, and wait for the pump to activate before attempting filling.
The station pumps are open when the shop is open, typically 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday. Why not 24/7? There is a petrol licence requirement for staff supervision to be close at hand (response within 5 minutes) at all times that the pumps are in operation. We do not have a practical option for on-call staff staying close enough for that to be offered on a 24-hour basis, and even if we did it would significantly increase costs.
Terms of Use: Customers must ensure they are in observance of any relevant legal requirements for their vehicles or for filling containers when using the station. Customers must observe and follow all signage and safety notices, and act in a responsible manner, treating shop and/or Trust staff with respect. No customer may be present within the station during any tank filling operations – authorised personnel only. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that they have means to pay before starting, and that they promptly make payment for, any filling. “Drive-offs” that result in staff having to pursue payment at length, especially if this requires an application to the DVLA for vehicle holder information (which requires postal application with a cheque for an admin fee), may result in reasonable additional admin charges being made against the customer. We reserve the right to withdraw future service for repeated breaches of these terms, and/or abuse of staff.
We have a Rapid DC and AC EV charger (up to 22kW AC, up to 60kW DC) which is available for use 24/7, via the “Project-EV Pro” app. A second EV charger of the same model is available opposite the road in the carpark of the Business Units. We advise that you set the app up and add a payment card to it in advance of attempting charging – unfortunately there isn’t currently a way of paying directly by card.
We offer air and water free of charge at the tower at the east end of the forecourt.
Our pricing policy adds a fixed markup per litre to the cost price of the fuel, before VAT, to cover the operating costs and staffing involved. We buy fuel as soon as we can fit a delivery in the tanks, with resilience of supply being the priority – we do not “play the market”, and the price at the pump always changes consistently based on delivery price – regardless of which way the price changes, NOT to maximise profit. Read the Pricing Policy below.
As with any fuel station, there are legal restrictions surrounding the filling of containers other than vehicle tanks. They are available here.
Filling Station Pricing Policy
As the filling station is community owned and operated, we are keen to be open and transparent about how our pricing policy for fuel and charging works. The station is not run on a for-profit basis, but it does have to cover all operating costs and build up a reserve against future costs such as eventual replacement of pumping equipment, large repairs, etc. Any surplus that remains at end of year is donated to the main Trust charity, to be used for our community asset resilience fund or for any other charitable projects we understake for the good of Tiree’s community – no personal profits are involved.
The policy is agreed by the board of Tiree Community Enterprise Ltd, our trading subsidiary that operates the station, usually reviewed at the start of each calendar year to account for cost changes, etc, and we will always seek to find ways of bringing costs down, and pass such savings on to the consumer.
Current Fuel price policy:
Diesel and Petrol prices are based on a simple pence-per-litre mark-up against the cost to purchase the fuel and have it delivered to the station. The price at the pump is reduced by 5p/ltr (pre VAT) due to the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme, and then 20% VAT is applied.
After deducting the Duty Relief, the mark-up we currently operate is 20p/ltr on the pre-VAT price at which we buy the fuel (including delivery)
Our prices are obviously higher than most mainland providers, but that is what the current operating model of the station requires to be financially viable given our island location, low volume of sales that occur in Tiree, the significant cost of bringing fuel over from the mainland on the ferry by small tanker, the station requiring its own dedicated power supply, water supply, internet connection and staffing cover, the much higher costs of getting work done to maintain the station equipment, eventual replacement ocsts of the pumps, etc. Some staffing costs are factored in to cover operating the station and the company it sits in, as well as our arrangement with Bùth a Bhaile for supervision and handling till payments, but these are minimal compared to the actual work involved.
When price changes are applied: Pricing updates resulting from changes in supply costs of fuel will be applied directly on the basis of fuel deliveries to the station. Three days after a delivery is received (or the next day the station is open thereafter) the price of fuels will be adjusted to match the latest delivery price, plus the mark-up. The 3 day delay is to allow for consistency, as it can sometimes take a day or two to get the invoice, and this also allows for staff absence, weekends, etc. The current fuel prices are updated and displayed in the banner of this website, at the top-right of all main web pages and posts.
Stocking policy: We will always be aiming to keep the tank levels as high as is practical. As soon as there is room for a full tanker delivery, we order one. Because more diesel is used, we will often take a smaller delivery of diesel only, so that price is likely to change more often. We will not be varying our purchasing timing on the basis of prevailing prices – resilience of island stocks is the priority.
EV Charger price policy:
The Rapid EV charger at the station operates at a price that is based on a fixed mark-up on the unit price we pay for electricity, plus the payment processing fee (10%), and is also currently subject to 20% VAT under UK tax rules. Note – the price is based on the electricity used to perform the charging, not what ends up in your battery as usable charge – there are varying losses involved depending on what charging method you use, your vehicle on-board charger, battery levels and temperature. The markup contributes to the significantly higher cost of the electricity meter needed at the station to support a Rapid Type 3 multi-port charger.
Water and air tower:
We took the decision in 2023 to operate the water and air tower on the forecourt without customer charge. Maintenance costs for the unit and the cost of the station water supply are met from fuel / EV charging sales.
Filling of containers for transporting fuel at the filling station (including trailer towed vehicles)
Many people in Tiree may require fuel for use at home or at work, such as for fuelling petrol powered gardening equipment, diesel generators, etc. It is important to be aware that there are regulations and safety guidance regarding filling containers for transport of fuel, and on how much you are allowed to dispense and transport at one time. Failure to follow these restrictions will mean that station staff are obliged to take action to stop illegal and/or unsafe filling activities and may put you at risk, and subject to Police action.
Generally diesel is not restricted to the same extent as petrol. Anyone may (responsibly, and subject to vehicle loading limits and general road safety requirements) purchase up to 1000 litres in one or more “suitable containers” without triggering a requirement to operate under additional regulatory requirements. This is called the “small load exemption”. Customers are welcome to carefully fill e.g. multiple plastic or metal “jerry can” containers that can be properly sealed closed with diesel at the station, however if you plan to dispense more than 100 litres, we advice you to contact us to discuss options and for safety advice.
Petrol is much more volatile than diesel, and is regulated as a “dangerous substance”. There are very tight restrictions on how much petrol can be transported outwith a vehicle tank, without certifications in place and additional regulatory compliance.
As a general legal restriction, customers may only fill a maximum of two containers, of a certified type suitable for petrol transportation, up to 10 litres maximum for a plastic container, 20 litres maximum for a suitable metal container – with a combined maximum of 30 litres in total at any one time transported in a vehicle. For example, you may fill two of the green plastic 5 litre petrol containers, but not three at once. You may fill a suitable metal petrol container of up to 20 litres, plus another with no more than 10 litres. You may alternatively fill a single “demountable fuel tank” designed and certified for that purpose, with up to 30 litres of petrol – e.g. a removable tank for a rigid-inflatable boat.
Any requirements beyond the above may only be done with specific permission of the filling station operator, with a risk assessment in place, and with any required certifications and training in place. There are further “small load exemptions” that can be used if you have a UN approved container (such as a suitable metal trailer mounted bowser), and if you put in place ADR-certified procedures, even larger fillings can be permitted – and we have made arrangements to accommodate these where needed, with suitable safety requirements in place. However you must contact us to discuss and agree those arrangements ahead of attempting filling, or you may be in breach of the relevant legal requirements. Repeated breaches of these rules may lead to being banned from the station to protect our petrol licence.
Fillings of towed-bowsers or other very large containers must not be carried out without prior contact with station staff, and with the required arrangements in place prior to commencing filling.
Filling of towed vehicle tanks (e.g. rigid inflatable boats, other vessels, etc) – It is permitted to fill a fixed, integrated vehicle tank up to it’s maximum capacity (diesel or petrol) without this being subject to the above restrictions for “transport in containers”. If however the vehicle tank is “demountable” (e.g. simply attached to the deck of a boat, or similar) this would be regarded as a “container” and the 30 litre restriction would apply for petrol. We would ask customers to contact us about filling of trailer-mounted vehicles so that we can advise you on how to do so safely when you visit. There are safety considerations around potential build-up of static electricity when filling trailer mounted vehicles with petrol – for your safety and that of others using the station please take advice on this and contact us.
In all cases: We would encourage you to check that you are in compliance with Road Traffic Act and related regulations and Health and Safety regulations if in doubt. Our responsibilities end once you drive off the forecourt and we cannot accept any responsibility for you on the public roads. If in doubt, seek advice from the Police.