PUMPED UP
Holiday warning over petrol price ‘lottery’ – quick move that could save you £16.50 a tank
Plus we reveal the best motorways that beat rip-off pump prices
THE MOST expensive and cheapest routes to refill your car's tank this summer at have been revealed.
Drivers have been warned to avoid filling up on these popular routes to save a whopping £16.50 per tank.
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It comes as findings from the AA have shown how petrol prices fluctuate across various service stations on popular UK motorways.
For example, on the M4 and M5 route to Exeter the average motorway price of petrol 163.3p a litre.
However, if a drivers chooses to take the A road in this area fuel prices are slightly cheaper.
Drives on the A303 to the South West are this week paying as little as 141.7p a litre.
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Elsewhere, drivers taking the North-South M6 will be charged 169.5p for petrol and 176.0p for diesel.
The North-South M1 is slightly cheaper, setting you back you back 167.2p for petrol and 173.1p for diesel.
It is important to remember how much you will pay for a full tank of petrol varies on the size of your car.
Across the UK, average pump prices have been on an upward track this month.
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On Wednesday, petrol averaged 145.3p a litre and diesel 150.5p a litre.
At the end of June, they had hit lows of 144.5p and 149.6p a litre respectively.
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With the weather heating up this weekend many will be thinking about visiting family or going for a drive to the nearest beach.
However, despite a slight fall in fuel prices in the last month concerns remain about punters being ripped off at the pump.
BEAT THE RIP OFF PUMP PRICES
EXPERTS at the AA have shared with Sun readers the best motorways that beat rip-off pump prices
M4 Leigh Delamere (Jncs 17-18): petrol 155.9p, diesel 159.9p
M5 Tiverton (Jnc 27): petrol 149.9p, diesel 156.9p
M5 Cullompton (Jnc 28): petrol 147.9p, diesel 152.9p
M1 Oval (Jnc 16): petrol 145.7p, diesel 149.7p
Luke Bosdet, the AA’s spokesman on pump prices. said it is "incredible is just how much major route pump prices plummet once you turn off a motorway on to an A-road".
"Fill up at Wisley on the A3 after coming off the M25 and the price of petrol drops from 171.9p at Cobham MSA to 146.9p on the A-road – a difference of 25p and a saving of £13.75 per tank."
“The motorway service areas are open 24 hours a day and they have free toilets, rest areas and other facilities – many of the A-road forecourts won’t be open late at night – but that simply doesn’t justify the huge extra cost of fuel," he added.
Motorway service stations tend to charge higher prices because motorists have to use them unless they are willing to leave the motorway
Motorists are also paying more than they usually would for fuel because of Russia's war in Ukraine and rising inflation around the world.
There is currently a voluntary fuel price transparency scheme in place operated by the competitions watchdog after it was discovered drivers were overcharged by supermarkets in 2022 by £900m.
A statutory Pumpwatch scheme is expected to replace it later this year, forcing forecourts to share their costs.
Fuel saver schemes
Unsurprisingly, drivers are looking for ways to economise and fill up their cars more cheaply.
The good news is, that Tesco Clubcard members can use a clever trick to slash the costs of running their cars.
Any points you get through the Clubcard scheme can be converted to vouchers.
These can be used to pay for fuel at Tesco forecourts, or at Esso branded service stations with a Tesco Express shop.
You can find eligible Esso service stations buy using the Find a Station tool and using the filter for Clubcard.
You can find Tesco forecourts by using the store locator tool and filtering for a petrol filling station.
You can also spend Nectar points at Sainsbury’s to buy fuel.
However, you cannot use Pay at Pump to redeem the points, instead you need to swipe your card at the kiosk.
If you regularly fill up at Shell garages, consider becoming a Shell Go+ member.
Every 10th visit you will get a fuel reward worth between £1 and £50 off.
The discount you get depends on your average spend over the last nine visits, so someone who spent £100 every time would get a bigger reward than someone who spent just a tenner.
BP also has a BPme scheme, where you earn points for money spent on fuel or in service station shops.
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You get 1 point for each £1 spent in-store, 1 point for every
litre of regular fuel, or 2 points for every litre of Ultimate fuel.
Every 100 points you earn can be redeemed for £1 off your fuel or shop spend.
Ways to cut down on your fuel costs
HERE are some tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel.
Make your car more fuel-efficient. You can do this by keeping your tyres inflated, taking the roof rack off, emptying your car of clutter and turning off your air con when driving at lower speeds.
Find the cheapest fuel prices. PetrolPrices.com and Confused.com allows you to search prices of UK petrol stations. All you need to do is enter in your postcode and tell it how far you want to travel (up to 20 miles).
Drive more efficiently:
- Accelerate gradually without over-revving
- Always drive on the highest possible gear
- If you can, allow your car to slow down naturally as your brake is a money burner
- Re-starting your car is expensive, if you can keep moving
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories
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