Martyn James: how to save money when you fill your tank

However, this week I thought I’d explore one of the most common questions I’ve had from readers: what happens if petrol prices go up and how to save money when you fill your tank. Here’s my guide.

On the forecourt

Roughly one fifth of the world’s oil and seaborne gas goes through the Strait of Hormuz – right through the most contested area of the current conflict. That means fuel costs are likely to go up even if the current conflict is unexpectedly resolved.

Given that the cost of fuel seems set to rise, what can you do about it? Well, as we learned from the pandemic there are a few options.

You may have heard about the government’s new ‘Fuel Finder’ service. This obliges petrol stations to provide updates on their prices in real-time. Well, it’s launched… but the official version is aimed more at apps and comparison sites, unless you have a deep love of complicated spreadsheets. Instead, why not use one of the many free comparison apps that use this data and tell you where the best deals are near you?

Before you rush off to the forecourt, why not sign up to the loyalty schemes offered by most petrol providers? Again, you can compare loyalty schemes online, but why not just join as many as you can? Don’t forget to redeem discounts if you are shopping at supermarkets and using their pumps too.

How to make the most of your tank

It’s a bit of a misconception that going slower saves you cash, but aggressive driving, accelerating quickly and hitting the brakes more does cut into your fuel efficiency. The same goes for leaving the engine idling. Turn the engine off when you can – but only when it’s safe to do so. Motoring experts tell me that driving in the highest gear possibly helps you save cash too as you’re laying off the accelerator, while overuse of that brake can impact on your wallet too.

You can also save a lot of money by lightening the load. Overfilling the petrol tank can make your car heavier which costs you more in fuel efficiency. But the simplest thing to do is clear out your car. Just by removing the things you don’t need in the boot you could make your car more efficient to run.

Another tip is to take off things like roof racks, which can add weight to the vehicle and produce drag. Make sure your tyres are fully inflated too – lower tyre pressure can also add to the drag on your car. There’s a bit of a debate among drivers about what you save by having the air con off versus open windows. If you’re going at slow to normal speeds, open the window. If you’re going faster, having open windows can add to the drag, making it slightly cheaper to shut them and pop on the air con. I hope you enjoyed ‘the science bit’.

Going electric

The last time queues formed at the forecourt, there was a rush to buy electric or hybrid vehicles. That tailed off in recent years, but with prolonged petrol price rises a possibility, is it time to go electric?

The good news is prices have certainly dropped: up to 10 per cent for hybrids and 7.4 per cent on fully electric (EV) vehicles. If you last looked at an EV five years ago, then surprise! Prices have halved. However, you’ll need to think about practicalities, charging and how many long-distance trips you’re likely to do as the charging network for EVs, while improving, still leaves a lot to be desired. There are grants, but they are now applied to the vehicles at the point of sale.

Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist. For more from Martyn, visit martynjamesexpert.co.uk