It is an unfortunate fact that motoring costs in the United Kingdom are high, and they just seem to keep on getting higher!
It might be tempting to suggest that people stop using their cars and just stick with public transport services like buses and trains, but the truth is, many people need their cars for commuting to work, school and the shops because they live in remote areas with no reliable public transport infrastructure in place.
But there is a silver lining in this particular cloud, and that is you can follow some simple steps to help reduce those motoring costs and maybe even make a few quid in the process! Intrigued? Find out more below…
Fill up with fuel cheaply
Many Britons opt for convenience rather than cost saving when it comes to filling up the tanks in their cars with fuel. But by determining where the cheapest local sources of fuel are, you can end up pocketing the difference.
For example, if your local filling station advertises unleaded petrol at 140.9p/litre and the cheapest local filling station will sell you the same fuel for 133.9p/litre, you would save £4.20 by filling up a 60-litre tank.
It might not sound like much of a saving, but if you drive a lot and have to fill up every week or fortnight it can result in some significant savings over time!
Buy your car insurance online
I know of a few people who will just happily renew their car insurance policies with the same firm out of loyalty, and I am willing to bet there are loads of other people within Britain that do the same!
The truth is, loyalty doesn’t play a part in any dealings with insurance companies. What should be of paramount importance to you is the cost of your premium, and what their level of customer service is like (especially in the event of a claim that needs to be made).
Drive a fuel-efficient car
Even if you perform all manner of steps to cut your motoring costs, it could be that your car is thwarting your efforts because it isn’t very fuel-efficient. If this is the case, then you might want to consider trading it in for a newer, more fuel-friendly model, such as those available from car dealers.
There are plenty of cars on the market that are very ‘green’, and many of them are exempt from vehicle excise duty (i.e. car tax) because they have such low emissions! It is definitely worth doing some research and seeing what’s available out there, as I reckon you could save hundreds of pounds a year – if not more – simply by having a more-modern car!
