An Aberdeen horse riding school has seen their fuel bills double in just a few weeks after being stripped of their right to use red diesel.
Aberdeen Riding Club in Peterculter previously relied on deliveries of the cheaper fuel to run a tractor across their 130 acre site.
However in April new government legislation was brought in to clamp down on the number of people able to use red diesel in a bid to cut down on emissions – including the Aberdeen club.
Sally McCarthy, director at the riding club, says she has seen her bills jump from £430 every two months to a staggering £980.
She now wants to see the UK Government change its restrictions on who can and cannot use red diesel, saying the extra costs mean she can offer fewer free lessons to disabled children in the area.
What is red diesel?
Red diesel is exactly the same as regular diesel but has a red dye added to it.
It can only be used in off-road vehicles and machinery, and is taxed less than diesel at the filling station.
But from April 2022 new legislation was brought in to restrict who can use red diesel – vehicles and machinery used in agriculture, horticulture, fish farming and forestry are some of those who are still eligible.
Red diesel accounts for around 15% of all diesel used in the UK, and is responsible for the production of 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
‘Stuck between a rock and a hard place’
Ms McCarthy said: “We use about 1,000 litres of fuel every couple of months and we were always eligible to use red diesel.
“We have an off-road tractor for feeding animals and maintaining pastures so it is fairly similar to other livestock work which is eligible.
“But the difference is we are classed as a leisure facility instead of agricultural.
“And other leisure groups are still permitted to use red diesel if they are a community group like a golf course or a tennis club, which is exactly what we are.
“We are stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
Ms McCarthy said she thinks HMRC assume all riding clubs are privately owned rather than a not-for-profit community initiative like Aberdeen Riding Club.
She added: “There is a huge cost implication because we now have to purchase diesel at forecourt prices.
“Our fuel costs have pretty much doubled – our last red diesel delivery two months ago was £430 for the tank, and this time around it was £980 for the same amount.
“That is a huge amount for a not-for-profit sports club and I really don’t want to have to push the price of riding lessons up because of it.
“And the knock-on effect is not being able to provide as many subsidised spaces.
“There is still an old-fashioned view where people assume it is affluent, private individuals riding horses, but our provision is for the public of Aberdeen who don’t own their own horses.”
Calls for chancellor to step in
Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn has since written to the new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to try and get the rules changed to allow the club to use red diesel.
He said: “The chancellor has it in his gift to make a sensible change to legislation to allow Aberdeen Riding Club to use red diesel just like golf courses and the agricultural sector can.
“Equestrian centre farmers are being punished and saddled with even more costs at an already very difficult time with two other north-east riding schools forced to close their doors in recent years.
“Spiralling fuel costs could be the final straw for many riding schools so I hope the UK Government sees sense and extends the red diesel exemption to equestrian centres.”
HMRC has been approached for comment.
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