If you’re on the road this bank holiday weekend, the last thing you want to be doing is worrying about the price of petrol. Consequently, most of us will pull in to fill up at the nearest station whenever the fuel gauge tells us to. And if you're on a motorway, this is likely to be at a service station, which are typically more expensive.
However, you might not realise just how much more expensive they are, and that often there are much cheaper options available if you're willing to make a very small detour off the motorway.Read on to discover the areas of the UK with the biggest price differences, and how to make your petrol go further.
: Looking for a more efficient car? Check out the models that aced all our lab tests.How much can you save?
The precise amount you'll save by shopping around depends on where you're travelling to. If you’re heading to the beaches of Cornwall and need to stop for fuel near Taunton, you could save around 30p per litre if you get off the M5 and pull in at Sainsbury’s petrol station right next to junction 25, instead of filling up at Taunton Deane services. Filling a typical 55-litre fuel tank with petrol would be £16.50 cheaper at this Sainsbury’s than at the motorway services. Do this on the way back as well and you’ll save £33 on your trip.
The same is true if you’re travelling to Bicester, Oxfordshire, and the outlet stores at Bicester Village. Don’t get off the M40 and stop at Cherwell Valley services – petrol is 34p per litre more here than in central Bicester at smaller Esso and Tesco petrol stations. Fuel at the services services was also 20p a litre more than the petrol station at Baynards Green, even though it’s only a mile away from Cherwell Valley and both forecourts are run under the Esso name.
We also asked PetrolPrices.com to find the locations with the biggest price differences for unleaded petrol in the UK, and our table (below) shows you some of the most dramatic examples.
Unleaded price when data was collected on 16 August 2024. Price per litre in brackets. RequiresYou’ll see from the table that service stations are almost always the most expensive, often significantly so. While member-only forecourts such as Costco are often cheapest, supermarkets are usually the next best place for cheap fuel. Similar differences can be found with diesel, too.
Check petrol prices locally, too
The above examples are extreme due to local options being in the vicinity of service stations, which are typically much more expensive. However, significant price differences can still be found among non-service station forecourts, so it pays to do your research before you head out.
If you live in an area where forecourts are close to the national average of 142p, use a site such as PetrolPrices.com to see whether travelling slightly further afield would result in cheaper petrol. You won't want to go too far out of your way, but you may be able to tie your next top-up to a journey that passes near the cheaper area.
For example, at the time of writing, if you live in Redhill, Surrey, local unleaded prices are around 143.9p. But if you travel just 5 miles south and cross the county boarder into Horley, West Sussex, you’ll benefit from the Asda unleaded price of just 135.7p. That's around £4.50 cheaper per a full 55-litre tank of unleaded. Fill up twice a month, and that's equivalent to a saving of £108 per year.
Can you also save on EV charging?
While you can save money by shopping around for petrol, the same can't be said for charging electric cars.
Most rapid public chargers are roughly the same price across the UK, while lots of service stations have extensive charging areas for electric cars. So if you need to charge up, there’s little reason not to use a motorway service station.
Three ways to reduce your fuel consumption
Shopping around is one way to save, but there are other things you can do to reduce your petrol costs.
1. Avoid premium unleaded
While there’s no harm in using premium or super-unleaded petrol, there’s usually little benefit, unless you drive a high-performance or imported car that specifically requires a higher octane rating than standard unleaded.
For most drivers – given that super unleaded petrol typically costs a lot more per litre than normal unleaded – avoiding the premium pumps is definitely going to save you money. It’s worth noting, though, that the ethanol content of regular petrol is now 10% (labelled E10).
If you drive a particularly old, unusual or classic car, you may need to opt for premium unleaded, which has remained at 5% (labelled E5). If you don’t, you might encounter engine problems in the future. Your car’s manual or fuel filler cap should tell you what you can run your vehicle on.
2 Drive smoothly
There’s rarely a reason to accelerate harshly, and doing so can impact your fuel economy. If you’re driving a manual car, it’s advisable to keep the revs between 1,500 and 2,500rpm for petrol cars, and 1,200 and 2,000rpm for diesel cars – and to change gears while your vehicle is in these rev ranges.
Avoid labouring the engine at low revs as this can actually increase fuel consumption because the engine has to work harder than it would at higher revs.
In automatic cars, if your car has an Eco driving mode (or similar), use it as much as possible and go easy on the accelerator pedal.
3 Maintain your car
Make sure your tyres are at the correct pressure, as stated in the vehicle’s handbook (or often on a sticker on the driver’s door pillar). Underinflated tyres develop more rolling resistance than correctly inflated tyres, so you’ll have to work your engine slightly harder when there isn’t enough air in them.
It’s also important to ensure that your car is regularly maintained, according to its service schedule. Aside from reducing the potential for big bills further down the line, a newly serviced vehicle with clean oil and fresh filters will run more efficiently, as the fresh oil works better to lubricate your engine than old oil.
Drive smarter and cut costs using our expert advice. undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/how-to-make-big-savings-on-petrol-this-bank-holiday-weekend-and-beyond-amhSd9D4T2Zk