Dr Mobeus
Petrol Prices Are Still Painful – Here’s How to Fight Back
With petrol hovering around 145p per litre and diesel around 150p, filling up a typical family car costs £70-80 a time. If you’re doing average mileage, that’s £150+ a month just on fuel. But most people are spending more than they need to.
We’ve tested every fuel-saving tip going. Some are myths (we’ll bust those too). Others genuinely work and can save you £20-40 a month without changing where you drive. Here are the 10 that actually make a difference.
1. Find the Cheapest Station Near You – Every Time
This is the easiest win, and most people don’t bother. Petrol prices vary by 10-15p per litre between stations in the same town. On a 55-litre fill-up, that’s £5.50-£8.25 difference for driving an extra mile.
Use these tools:
- PetrolPrices.com – The original and still the best. Free to use, shows prices at stations near any postcode. Updated daily.
- Waze – Shows fuel prices reported by other drivers. Not always accurate but good for on-the-go checks.
- Google Maps – Search “petrol station near me” and many now show live prices.
Top tip: supermarket petrol stations are almost always cheaper than branded ones. Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s consistently charge 3-5p less per litre than Shell, BP and Esso.
2. Drive Smoother – It Saves More Than You Think
The way you drive has a massive impact on fuel consumption. The AA estimates that smooth driving can improve fuel economy by 15-30%. On a £70 fill-up, that’s £10-21 saved.
What Smooth Driving Means
- Anticipate the road ahead. If you can see a red light, ease off the accelerator early instead of braking hard at the last second
- Change up gears earlier. Petrol cars should be in 3rd by 20mph, 4th by 30mph, 5th by 40mph. If your revs are over 2,500, shift up
- Avoid rapid acceleration. Pressing the pedal gently gets you to the same speed using significantly less fuel
- Maintain steady speeds on dual carriageways. Use cruise control if you have it
3. Slow Down on Motorways
This one’s unpopular but it’s maths. Driving at 70mph uses roughly 25% more fuel than driving at 50mph. Even dropping from 70mph to 60mph saves about 10%.
On a 200-mile motorway journey at 145p/litre, dropping from 70mph to 60mph saves you roughly £4-5 in fuel. You arrive about 25 minutes later. Whether that’s worth it depends on your journey – but on long trips, it adds up.
4. Lose the Weight
Every extra 50kg in your car increases fuel consumption by about 2%. Most of us are carrying around stuff we don’t need:
- That bag of stuff for the tip you never took
- The roof box you forgot to take off
- Sports equipment from last summer
- Tools you don’t need day-to-day
A roof box is the worst offender – it adds weight AND drag, increasing fuel consumption by up to 25% at motorway speeds. Take it off when you’re not using it.
5. Keep Your Tyres at the Right Pressure
Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, which means your engine works harder and burns more fuel. A tyre that’s 10psi below the recommended pressure can increase fuel consumption by 3-5%.
Check your tyre pressure monthly – it’s free at most supermarket petrol stations. The correct pressure is usually on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame or in your handbook. Don’t use the number on the tyre itself – that’s the maximum, not the recommended.
6. Turn Off the Air Con (At Low Speeds)
Air conditioning uses engine power, which means more fuel. At lower speeds (under 40mph), opening a window is more efficient. At motorway speeds, the drag from open windows costs more than the air con, so keep windows closed and use the air con on a lower setting.
The difference is small – maybe 2-3% either way – but every bit helps. And don’t leave the air con off all year or it’ll break and cost you £100+ to fix. Run it for 10 minutes a week, even in winter.
7. Combine Short Trips
Engines are most efficient when they’re warm. Short trips under 3 miles are the most fuel-inefficient journeys you can make – your engine never reaches operating temperature, so it runs rich (using more fuel).
If you’ve got three errands in the same area, do them in one trip rather than three separate ones. The first leg warms the engine, and subsequent stops are much more efficient.
8. Use Supermarket Loyalty Points for Fuel
If you’re already shopping at Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Morrisons, their loyalty schemes can knock a few pence per litre off your fuel:
- Tesco Clubcard: Collect points on fuel (1 point per £2 spent on fuel). 200 points = 50p off shopping. Also watch for “spend £60, get 10p off per litre” vouchers
- Sainsbury’s Nectar: 1 point per litre. Can be redeemed at Argos, Sainsbury’s and other partners
- Morrisons More: Occasionally runs “spend £40, get 5p off per litre” promotions
The savings are modest – maybe £2-3 a month – but it’s free money if you’re shopping there anyway. Check our dealstore pages for current supermarket offers.
9. Don’t Pay for Premium Fuel Unless You Need It
Super unleaded (97-99 RON) costs 5-10p more per litre than standard unleaded (95 RON). For 95% of cars, there’s zero benefit – your engine is designed for 95 RON and won’t run better on premium.
The exceptions are cars that specifically require premium fuel (check your handbook – it’ll say “minimum 98 RON” or similar). If your car doesn’t specify it, don’t buy it. You’re wasting roughly £3 per fill-up.
10. Consider Whether You Need the Car at All
The cheapest fuel is the fuel you don’t use. For journeys under 2 miles, walking or cycling is faster once you account for traffic, parking and the time spent at the pump. For longer trips, check if public transport is cheaper – especially with current railcard deals and bus pass options.
If you’re doing fewer than 6,000 miles a year, you might even be better off without a car entirely. Car clubs, public transport and occasional taxis can work out cheaper than tax, insurance, MOT, depreciation and fuel combined.
Petrol-Saving Myths to Ignore
- “Fill up in the morning when fuel is cold and denser.” Rubbish. Underground tanks don’t change temperature enough to matter.
- “Driving in neutral saves fuel.” Dangerous and actually uses more fuel on modern cars with fuel injection.
- “Premium fuel cleans your engine and improves MPG.” It might clean deposits very slightly over thousands of miles, but you won’t notice an MPG improvement.
- “Fuel additives save money.” Most are snake oil. If there was a miracle additive that saved fuel, manufacturers would put it in at the factory.
The Bottom Line
You can realistically save £20-40 a month on fuel by: finding cheaper stations (saving £5-8 per fill-up), driving more smoothly (saving 15% on consumption), maintaining your car properly, and cutting unnecessary journeys. Over a year, that’s £240-480 back in your pocket.
For more ways to cut your everyday costs, browse our money-saving blog and check the latest deals and discount codes before you shop.
