What is the difference between buying fuel at a gas station or “from the hands”?

Almost every Latvian household has a car, often even several. Their maintenance creates expenses, a significant part of which is the purchase of fuel. Therefore, it can be very tempting to save money if someone offers to buy fuel “from the hands”.

However, this is not safe and should not be done because:

• You can damage your car.
  Fuel quality tests are regularly performed in Latvia. It is carried out by the Construction State Control Bureau (BVKB) without prior notice when arriving at gas stations (DUS) to take gasoline, as well as diesel fuel samples. These samples are then tested in an accredited laboratory, where it is determined whether the specific samples meet the specified standards. The quality of fuel purchased outside DUS may not meet the standard, so it may cause damage to your car.
• You can harm the environment and your health.
  It is already taught at school that the exhaust gases produced by car engines cause significant damage to the environment and human health, as they deplete the ozone layer around the Earth. Therefore, the countries of the world are constantly discussing the possibilities of limiting climate change – both by reducing the use of cars with diesel engines, and by promoting the popularity of electric cars and hybrid cars, and in many other ways. Reducing the impact of road transport on the environment is one of the main priorities of the implementation of the European Union’s climate neutrality policy. When you buy fuel “from the hands”, you make it difficult.

• You contribute to the shadow economy.
  You are living in illusions if you think that by buying illegal fuel you are saving money by supporting a criminal enterprise.

If you have reasonable doubts about the quality of refueling in one of the Latvian DUS, report it to BVKB by writing to pasts@bvkb.gov.lv!

The State Revenue Service (SRS) has the right to apply administrative penalties to DUS owners for the sale of unsuitable fuel. BVKB provides information about low-quality fuel samples to SRS.

You can also report the sale of illegal fuel of unknown origin to the State Police by calling 110 .