How driving one mile further for fuel can save you money

There are a few things I refuse to pay for. I will never pay to use a cash machine, I will never pay a fee to use my debit card if I haven’t made the minimum spend, and I won’t ever pay shops that charge you for the privilege of getting cashback.

And now a new addition: I won’t ever pay over the odds for petrol.

It won’t have escaped you that petrol is pretty pricey at the moment, and it’s a case of scouring around to find a petrol station offering the cheapest prices.

Last week I was taking a trip down the M4. My fuel gauge was running low and although I knew a stop at a service station for a top up would cost more than a non-motorway petrol station, I didn’t expect the difference to be quite so eye-watering.

The average UK price for unleaded at the moment is 128.7p, yet Leigh Delamere service station (BP) in Wiltshire is charging 137p per litre. I drove in, saw the huge price, had a mini heart attack, and drove back off the forecourt.

Had my tank been empty, I would have had no choice but to pay it. But I’m glad I wasn’t empty because a mile up the road, I found a petrol station offering unleaded for 125p a litre- a whole 12p cheaper and just a 3 minute drive!

The point here is – don’t give into it. Prices might be sky high across the board but there are ways to ease the blow if you shop around. Don’t use service stations, if you can avoid it. Supermarkets tend to be cheaper. If you see a queue at a petrol station, chances are it’s because it’s a good deal and everyone’s clocking on to it.

In my last blog, I asked whether the government would hold off on the proposed 1p fuel tax and I revealed that Confused.com had joined forces with The Sun newspaper in the fight against rising fuel costs.

The campaign - which involves a petition to government - is now fully underway, so as well as boycotting rip-off garages, we urge you to sign up to stop motorists being penalised even further.

Find out more about it here and add your comments on the campaign and petrol prices below.

Comments

[Kevin Sparrow]

When reducing petrol prices we have to look at the role that Tesco and the like have in all this, in most of Europe petrol at the supermarkets is much cheaper than the petrol stations, if Tesco can afford to lob 5p a litre of for a week once in a while, why can't it do it all the time, it would be great gimmik and also I would use them more petrol is not their main business it's just an add on. I also think we need for the sake of the economy we have to seriously look at the wholesale reduction in the price of diesel, it's is so much dearer than in Europe, it is cheaper to produce so why is 6p per litre more than petrol, part of the reason why is that in the UK we do not have enough capacity to store it, this must change.

[Peter Rollason]

Everyone seems to forget that the Energy Suppliers need to buy from the Energy Resource Companies (Basically Oil and Gas)and therefore have to buy at the going rate. BUT, the oil price is manipulated by the Bankers and Traders - so we are castigating the wrong people. OK the government needs/gets a share but the principal culprits appear to be able to act outside of any concience and sell at the maximum the market will bear.
Our only hope is for a concerted action by the population to refuse to use or pay for the services - which is most unlikely to happen.
However, one day - look at Egypt!!! It might/could happen and in the process - break the viscious cicle ofhiher production cost, transport costs etc. PeterR

[John smith]

I live in rural Lincolnshire and work as a self employed musician. I have to use my car to get to gigs, I have to drive everywhere here as the little public transport there was is being cut back. I have no choice but to use the car yet petrol prices here are well above average for the UK. Where the government and councils have failed to provide alternatives and where people rely on their cars for their jobs and everyday life, people should not be paying so much duty/tax etc on their fuel. I would support action over this, someone should get organised and start demonstrations. The Sun? Confused? Someone who can provide leadership and involve the wider population in the UK as it affects us all. I always supported the French truckers when they striked/demonstrated, so many people had a go at them, but it is the only way anything will change. We the people have the power, yet most just sit around wining and don't even bother to boycott affectively. If enough people rode bikes to work for a week, walked, didn't pay for any fuel, the government would lose so much money it would have to do something to avoid further losses. The government should be here for the people, not to steal from us and fail to deliver even basic services in return. Time to go all in people..

[Kate Phillips]

I agree totally with Peter Rollanson. The Oil Companies are making huge profits which go up in line with the price hikes. If they are using a percentage then surely they should take a smaller amount and absorb some of the increase. Kate

[Len66]

When the price of oil goes up everything goes up as it's a chain reaction. Wagons nead to deliver goods so they have to get the money for delivering it from somewhere. And it is the mugs who have to pay that's us the general public. The government just seem to sit back and do nothing as they are the biggest culprits of putting the stuff up in the first place. It's about time the British Public stood firm and said enough is enough you have bled us dry for years now we are going to do an Eygipt and rebel. We are to soft in this country and sit back and take it. I include myself in this as well. I have had enough of all these excuses when they can give a Billion pound of our money away to some other country while we have to cut back is just going far to far.

[Mrmadatpetrolprices]

I second that, lets organise a mass protest in london clogg and actually get the UK goverment to do something for us for a change, they were voted in BY the people FOR the people but don't do anything for us except put prices up and claim for swimming pools to be cleaned !! Oh and why do ew export our North sea oil and import oil back in for refining ?? this makes no sence !!!!

[Dave ward]

I remember when stealing was a crime.

[Coun Nigel Francis]

It is time that certain people realized that since the late sixties something like 30,000 plus fillind stations have closed down. the simple thing is that the supermarkets like Tesco use petrol as a lose leader to get people into their supermarkets. I work for a very small independent filling station which has to buy its petrol from an agent, who can put on what he wants before we buy it. By the time we put the petrol on sale, it has cost us more than the supermakets are selling it at. Where is the department of fair trade??? no-one cares. I have contacted T.V., radio, etc. the simple answer is no-one cares. Soon like the dinosaurs we will disappear forever.
Coun. Nigel Francis
Leeds Road Garage
Otley.

[John Foster]

I would like to know how companies such as Morrisons and Asda can consitently charge about 5p per litre less for standard unleaded than anyone else (inc. Tseco & Sainsbury) when outlets are no more than 15 miles from each other within Kent. I have noticed the same price disparity in the Bristol area, too!! John Foster.

[dee deeley]

Is'nt it time we took a stand in rip off Britain? We need someone with the courage and charisma to stir people out of their complacency. Will people still believe in the cynical Tesco slogan "every little helps" , it does indeed. It helps Tesco to add to their huge profits. In my area here inn Hants Tesco leads the way in hiking up petrol prices , the other local garages follow suit. Yes, it's time we took a stand , as someone suggested a day of protest , why not?