Can I use fuel tank dip readings to work out diesel burned?
Yes. Diesel burned in a period is opening stock plus diesel bought minus closing stock. Dip readings give the stock: convert centimetres to litres with the tank's calibration chart and record the date and time. Invoices still prove what you bought; dips adjust for timing.
What to record
- Dip in cm at the start and end of each month, same time of day.
- The tank's calibration chart, signed off.
- Every delivery with its invoice.
Common errors
- Using a chart for a different tank.
- Reading right after a delivery, before the level settles.
- Forgetting fuel drawn for vehicles or other sites.
Worked example (illustrative)
- Opening stock from dip: 4,000 L
- Bought in the month (invoices): 10,000 L
- Closing stock from dip: 3,000 L
- Burned: 4,000 + 10,000 minus 3,000 = 11,000 L x 2.68 = 29,480 kg, about 29.5 t CO2
Illustrative quantities only.
What Senseible does here
Senseible keeps each bill and invoice behind every figure, dated and fingerprinted, so a reviewer can trace a number back to the document it came from.
Sources: GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, 2006 IPCC Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy
Last reviewed 2026-10-22.