Following a recent advertising campaign by Rubis CI (Rubis), questioning the quality of motor fuel supplied in Jersey, ATF Fuels (ATF) is calling for Trading Standards and the Consumer Council to take steps to ensure that consumers in Jersey are not being misled. This campaign on behalf of Rubis comes in advance of the news that ATF will soon be launching a second petrol forecourt in the new year following the huge popularity of their first one, which was launched in March this year.
Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Best commented on the situation:
‘We wish to set the record straight regarding the use of E5 biofuel, we believe that recent claims made by Rubis about fuel quality in Jersey are an attempt by the organisation to mislead the Jersey consumer. They have inaccurately implied that fuel provided by other suppliers, like ATF, is of lower quality than their own, and does not meet UK standards – this is entirely false. Independent organisations such as the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association and the RAC give you an informed view about Biofuels. The public guidance available from these organisations makes clear that E5 Biofuel has no compatibility issues with vehicles and is a more environmentally friendly fuel for car owners to use’
Rubis have also recently commented on an incident at a local garage we recently started supplying, where ATF supplied high-quality fuel, that unfortunately was then contaminated by water ingress into one of the fuel station’s storage tanks. This was an isolated incident that was very quickly resolved by the garage.
Rubis’s statement does not tell the whole story; they fail to mention that at the last minute and with no warning, they refused to supply the garage with fuel, and that ATF then stepped in to enable a local business to remain open. Rubis also fail to mention that the water contamination would have affected the performance of any fuel, be it Rubis’s, or ATF’s. This incident, triggered by unprofessional business tactics on behalf of Rubis, and the efforts of ATF to save a local business from having to close. The fact that Rubis appears to be now be using this unfortunate and isolated incident out of context, as a means to imply other suppliers provide lower quality fuel, is highly unethical. We continue to offer that business our continued support going forward.
We can only presume that Rubis are now attempting to emphasise the supposed better ‘quality’ of their product because they are unable to compete with us on price. Since we opened our first forecourt at Augres in March last year, we have filled up 75,000 vehicles and driven down the cost of road fuel in Jersey. All of the fuel we supply meets British and European standards, is safe for vehicles, and is, in fact, considered to be a ‘greener’ product than that supplied by some others. It is also worth remembering that the Royal Court made special mention of the fact that ATF had improved the quality of aviation fuel at the airport since taking over from Rubis, something they were noticeably quiet about at the time.
We have asked the Attorney General, and will also be asking Trading Standards and the Consumer Council, to do whatever they can to ensure that Rubis are required to only use accurate information in their advertising. This includes their false data regarding fuel quality. We are concerned that if nothing is done to curb Rubis’s use of false information, that consumers will be scaremongered into choosing unnecessarily expensive fuel and continuing to pay the unfair prices, that Rubis seem so proud to have been charging for over 60 years.
Meanwhile, we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our customers whose loyalty has resulted in our first forecourt has being so successful. We look forward to providing them with a new, alternative location in the new year, news of which will soon follow and the same excellent service and good value.’