DRIVE ON
How to get free fuel from Tesco and Esso this bank holiday weekend
Plus, keep scrolling to read other ways to cut costs of filling up
WITH many drives set to hit the road this bank holiday, it is important you get the most value when filling up your vehicle.
Today, a full litre of petrol costs on average 145.5p, while diesel costs 152.7p, according to figures by the British automotive services company the RAC.
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While this is lower than the highs seen in 2022, they still remain well above their pre-pandemic levels of 119.9p per litre for a tank of petrol.
So it is no surprise that people will be looking to cut costs on what they pay at the pump this August bank holiday weekend.
There is a clever trick Tesco Clubcard holders can use to cut the price of their fuel.
Any points you earn through collecting Clubcard points can be converted into vouchers.
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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.
Meanwhile, you can find Tesco forecourts by using the store locator tool and filtering for a petrol filling station.
The supermarket is number two behind Morrison as the cheapest place to buy petrol, charging 139.0p, according to the latest figures from the RAC.
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Sainsbury's prices their petrol at 144.4p, making it the most expensive and petrol at Asda costs 140.5p.
Here is what the supermarkets charge for diesel per litre
- Asda- 145.2p
- Morrisons - 143.8p
- Sainsbury's- 144.4p
- Tesco -143.8p
Both Morrisons and Tesco rank the cheapest in this category.
How do I use my Tesco Clubcard points for fuel?
You first need to create a Tesco Clubcard account, you can do so online.
What can I get with Tesco Clubcard?
TESCO'S Clubcard scheme allows shoppers to earn points as they shop.
These points can then be turned into vouchers for money off food at the supermarket, or discounts at other places like restaurants and days out.
Each time you spend £1 in-store and online, you get one point when you scan your Clubcard.
Drivers using the loyalty card get one point for every two litres spent on fuel.
One point equals 1p, so 150 points gets you a £1.50 money-off voucher, for example.
You can double their worth when you swap them for discounts with "reward partners".
For example, £12 worth of vouchers can be swapped for a £24 three-month subscription to Disney+.
Or you can swap 50p worth of points for £1 to spend at Hungry Horse pubs.
Where you can spend them changes regularly, and you can check on the Tesco website what's available now.
Tesco shoppers can also get Clubcard prices when they have the loyalty card.
The discounted items change regularly and without a Clubcard you'll pay a higher price.
These Clubcard prices are usually labelled on shelves, along with the non-member price.
But it's worth noting that just because it's discounted doesn't necessarily make it the cheapest around, and you should compare prices to find the best deal.
You can sign up to get a Tesco Clubcard in store or online via the Tesco website.
Once you have your card, make sure you use it whenever you do a Tesco shop to start collecting points.
In Tesco stores you will get one point for every pound you spend.
You can even collect points when you pay for your petrol at Tesco petrol stations or in Esso services that have a Tesco Express in them.
Usually, you’ll get one point for every two litres you buy.
For every 250 Clubcard points you collect, you will get £2.50 in vouchers.
These can either be spent directly on things such as fuel or food shops, or you can boost their value with Tesco’s reward partners.
For instance, Disney+. Pizza Express, Thorpe Park, and Hotels.com will all double the value of your vouchers.
Other fuel saver schemes
If you never shop at Tesco, there are other schemes that can help.
For instance, if you have a Nectar card, you can use your Nectar points to get 5p off every litre of fuel bought at Esso when you swap 300 points.
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.
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.
Other ways to cut fuel costs
It’s worth checking the RAC Fuel Watch average price to understand how prices are moving.
You should try to make sure you never pay more than this when you fill up.
It changes monthly so keep a regular eye on it.
Check out the prices at forecourts you pass often, and see which ones tend to be cheaper, aim to fill up at these when you can, as even small savings can mount up.
The Fuel Finder feature on the free myRAC mobile app can help you find the cheapest forecourts near you.
Alternatively, if you sign up at PetrolPrices.com, it will tell you where the cheapest fuel is – and you can set limits in terms of how far you’re willing to travel.
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If you have a cashback credit card, you can use it to get money back on your fuel spend, which is a great way to cut costs.
However, you should make sure you set a direct debit up to pay off the card in full each month, otherwise you may pay more in
interest than you get in rewards.
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